Harry Potter 1. The First Day

**Disclaimer: All characters, places etc. belong to JK Rowling**

**HARRY POTTER AND THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY**

_The scar had not pained Harry for nineteen years. All was well._

- Nineteen years earlier -

**Chapter 1 - The First Day**

Harry Potter was unable to sleep.

He tossed and turned in his big four-poster bed in Gryffindor Tower, still in his clothes, wondering why this was so. By rights, he figured, sleep should be the easiest thing to do so far. Mere hours earlier the Great Wizarding War had ended with the final defeat of Tom Marvolo Riddle, or Lord Voldemort as he had been better known. People all over the world were celebrating as well as mourning those who had lost their lives, and yet all Harry had wanted to do was sleep. Something didn't feel right though. Something felt unfinished.

How long Harry had been lying there he had no idea. Minutes? Hours? Days? It all seemed the same. Finally Harry decided to get up. He went down the familiar stone stairs to the

common room. He headed to one of the big armchairs near the fireplace but stopped short.

There, asleep on the sofa, her flaming red hair strewn over the sofa's arm, was the one person he wanted most to see. The last person he had thought of in the forest. The person who was the reason he had come back.

Ginny.

Harry knelt down in front of her and studied her sleeping face. Tracks of grime running down her cheeks showed where she had been crying. Some of her hair had fallen across her face, which Harry gently tucked behind her ear.

Ginny stirred and her eyes slowly fluttered open.

"Mmm Harry" she said sleepily. Then her eyes shot wide open and blazed at him.

"Harry!!!"

And the next thing Harry knew he had been knocked flat on his back with Ginny on top of him pounding his chest with her fists for all she was worth.

"How could you! Do you have any idea what you put me though?" Ginny was practically screaming at him. "First you disappear at Bill's wedding without even a goodbye! Then no-one hears from you for nearly a year!" Harry's chest was getting quite sore by this point. "Then you finally come back only to disappear again! Then the next time I saw you you were dead! I thought you were dead Harry! I thought you were dead and I wanted to..." The pounding slowed as Ginny started to cry. "I wanted to die. I didn't want to live without you Harry."

Ginny started sobbing and buried her face in Harry's chest. Harry put his arms round her. After a few minutes her steady breathing told Harry she had fallen asleep again. Finally Harry was able to sleep himself and they both lay there in front of the fire.

...

When Harry woke up some hours later he found that Ginny had moved. Turning his head he saw her sitting up against one of the armchairs watching him.

A smile appeared on her face. "Hi" she said.

"Hi" replied Harry.

"You're here."

"I'm here."

And, without any sense of crossing the gap between them they were in each other's arms, holding on tightly as if they would vanish if they let go.

"I love you Ginny" Harry whispered into Ginny's ear. "I'm never leaving you again. Never!"

"I love you too Harry and I'm staying with you forever too." Ginny replied into his ear.

They started to lean into each other to kiss but were interrupted by cheers, catcalls and whistles. Harry pulled away from Ginny and they both stood up, still holding hands.

Surrounding them were Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna and all their other friends, or at least those who had survived. And they were all cheering.

"Alright shut it you lot! That's my sister he's snogging remember!" Ron said half-seriously. Everyone gradually fell silent.

"Oh Ronald do lighten up. He's earned it." Hermione was gripping Ron's hand tightly. "Harry, McGonagall wants to see us in Dumble..." she faltered for a second, "... her office."

Harry reluctantly let go of Ginny's hand. "I'll be right back, I promise."

Ginny gave him a light peck on the lips. "Make sure you are. I think we have a lot to catch up on."

Harry grinned and went red as the cheering started up again. He managed to work his way through the mass of people to the common room's entrance. After a final clap on the back from Ernie MacMillan Harry was out in the corridor.

...

Unlike the room he had just left, which had been bright and loud, the corridors were dark and silent. Here and there Harry saw signs of damage, rubble and upturned suits of armour as the trio made their way to the Headmaster... mistress's office.

Harry looked up at the walls. He had suddenly noticed the lack of chatter which had always been part of the background noise. "Where are all the portraits?"

Hermione answered him. "They've been taken down for the time being. Some of them were quite badly damaged in the fighting."

At the mention of the battle Harry fell silent. He could still see the fallen in his thoughts - Fred, Remus, Tonks, Colin, too many. Too too many. He was still thinking about them when the three reached Professor McGonagall's office. The gargoyle guarding the door was now upright and had opened up for them. They entered and saw the Professor standing at her desk.

"Potter, Mr Weasley, Miss Granger. Thank you for coming." Professor McGonagall gestured at them to sit down. "Albus has explained to me the whole story." Dumbledore's portrait waved at them as McGonagall carried on. "I would give all three of you Special Awards for Services to the School, but I understand you already have those." Ron and Harry caught each other's eyes. How could they possibly forget?

McGonagall continued. "Anyway we will have to decide on some suitable reward for you three. No no..." She said, seeing Harry was about to protest, "We all owe you a great deal. For now though there was something I wanted to discuss with you." McGonagall took off her glasses and leaned forward in her chair. "The school year ends this weekend, however we do not feel that it is appropriate to hold the usual feast. We believe it would be fitting to hold a memorial service instead and we would like you, Harry, to say a few words."

Harry's first instinct was to refuse but Hermione was faster. "Oh go on Harry. You're the one who beat Voldemort! You're a hero whether you like it or not! You've got to say something to everyone!"

Harry looked at Ron and he nodded encouragement. "All right." Harry finally said, "I'll do it. What did you have in mind?"

It was nearly midnight when they finally left McGonagall's office after talking over the details. On their way out she called out after them. "Oh by the way. I know you won't mind but you'll be having students from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff staying in Gryffindor Tower for now. Their own dormitories were badly damaged - Ravenclaw was completely wrecked." She smiled grimly. "The only other house to survive intact was Slytherin, but it seemed that no-one wanted to stay there."

...

The Gryffindor common room was quiet when Harry, Ron and Hermione returned. At first Harry thought it was empty but then he saw that two people were sat in front of the fire.

It was Arthur and Molly Weasley.

Harry was suddenly rooted to the spot. How would they react to him? Would they blame him for Fred's death? Would they forbid him from ever seeing their family again?

Molly turned round. She had obviously been crying. She smiled when she saw Harry.

"Harry dear, come here." she said in a quiet voice.

Harry went over to her and she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close to her. The events of the day finally caught up with Harry and he burst into tears.

"It's ok Harry, it's ok. It's over now." Molly said gently, although she too was fighting back tears again.

Arthur put his hand on Harry's back. "Harry you know we consider you to be family. We would never blame you for what happened to Fred. It was all _his_ fault. Every thing was his fault and he's gone forever now."

Ron and Hermione joined in the hug and they all stayed like that for a few minutes.

Finally Molly released them. "Go on. Upstairs to bed. Merlin knows you need it." She held on to Harry a moment longer to whisper in his ear. "Go on. Don't worry. She's waiting for you."

At the entrance to the boys' bedroom a figure was sitting on the floor leaning against the wall. Harry instantly knew who it was. Ron and Hermione quickly said goodnight and left them there.

Harry knelt down and took Ginny's hands into his own. "Hi" he said.

Ginny looked up at him. "Hi" she said.

"Told you I'd be right back" Harry said.

Ginny nodded but didn't say anything. Harry was suddenly apprehensive. What if Ginny had changed her mind? What if she didn't want him anymore? "Ginny..."

Ginny stood up, still holding Harry's hands. Harry stood as well. She let go of one hand and put one of her fingers on his lips. "Shh" she said softly. She held on to his other hand and led him to the girls' bedroom. As they climbed the stairs leading to the bedroom Harry noticed something odd.

"Uh Ginny? Why haven't the stairs changed to a slide?"

Ginny giggled. "With the other students staying here, McGonagall had to add a few extra charms to make more room for them. Some of us helped her and that particular charm kind of got lost in the process."

Harry smiled at that and was about to reply when they reached the door. He suddenly nervous again. "Ginny are you sure..." Too late. Ginny had opened the door and pulled him in.

Harry wasn't quite sure what he had been expecting. Maybe lots of pink and fluffy things. What he was standing in however was a fairly unremarkable room. It was certainly a lot tidier than the boys' room. There were a few items he associated with girls dotted around on side tables - bits of make-up, hairbrushes, that sort of thing. The room was empty since the other girls in Ginny's year had been evacuated.

Ginny pulled him over to her bed and they both sat down. On her table was a photo and, although Harry had never actually seen it before, he instantly recognised the event it depicted.

The common room after the Quidditch final, when he had finally kissed Ginny.

In the photo the images of Harry and Ginny were running to each other and kissing each other fervently. Harry looked at Ginny.

"Colin gave it to me at the start of the year. It's my happiest memory. Merlin knows I've needed it."

Harry didn't know what to say. Instead he put his arm around Ginny and she leaned into him. Almost by instinct he put his other hand under her chin, gently tilted her head up and kissed her. Ginny put her arms around him and pulled them both down to lie on the bed.

They fell asleep like that, still fully clothed, still in each other's arms.

* * *

**A/N: This is the first chapter of a (hopefully) much longer story. This is really my first time doing something like this so please let me know what you think.**


	2. The Calm After The Storm

**Disclaimer: All characters, places etc. belong to JK Rowling**

**Chapter 2 – The Calm After The Storm**

Harry was walking through the forest but this time he knew he was dreaming because he could remember what happened at the end of the forest and he knew Voldemort or Tom Riddle as he knew him was waiting to kill him and he was afraid because he knew that he had to face it alone and as he looked up at the trees they seemed to be reaching out to him to choke him and the moon light was unable to get through but still his legs kept on walking as he wished with all his heart that someone would be there with him and as he did so he felt his hand be clasped in someone else's and he looked down and saw that yes indeed someone was with him and he heard a voice say to him "You're not alone now I'm not going to leave you" and he wasn't walking through the forest anymore instead he was on his knees surrounded by blackness and as he looked up he could see the images or ghosts maybe of all those who had died in the battle like Fred and Colin and Remus and Nymphadora and they all looked at him with what he thought was disgust and contempt and he felt tears fall from his eyes and hit his hands and he cried out "I'm sorry it's all my fault" but instead of feeling nothing he felt a strong pair of arms embrace him and again the same voice said "It's ok it wasn't your fault and they know it wasn't" and he looked at the ghosts again and they weren't looking at him with disgust instead they were smiling and he looked at the person who was holding him and he smiled him self as he saw it was Ginny and he put his arms around her and held onto her tight and as he did so he saw a stag with brown fur and dark eyes and a doe with red fur and bright green eyes come up to them and nuzzle them both only now they had turned into his mother and father and they put their arms around him and Ginny and he knew that he would never need to be afraid again and everything was fine and ..

...

Harry opened his eyes, the last remnants of the dream blowing away as if carried by the wind. He realised he was in an unfamiliar bed. He looked at his hand, which was on top of the bed clothes.

It was clasped tightly in another hand.

Harry looked up again and smiled. Ginny was lying next to him, still asleep, her flaming red hair falling lazily across her face.

With difficulty, Harry gently extracted his hand from Ginny's grip and gently moved her hair away from her face, trying not to wake her. It was too late. Ginny was stirring. She opened her eyes slowly and smiled as soon as they focussed on him.

"Hi" she said, reaching over to caress his face

"Hi" Harry replied, returning the caress.

"What time is it?" Ginny asked.

Harry looked at his watch, slightly amazed that it was still working. "Nine forty-three."

"WHAT?" Ginny nearly yelled in horror, "We've missed breakfast! Everybody'll have finished now!"

Harry laughed. "It's ok, it's ok. Professor McGonagall told us last night she was going to hold breakfast later today. We've got until half past ten before it's over."

Ginny calmed down. "Fine but we should still get up. We can't stay here all day you know."

"Oh I don't know" said Harry with a grin. Ginny slapped his arm gently. "Ok ok i'm getting up!"

The common room was empty, however there was a note on the table.

_Harry_

_ We decided not to wait for you. You know what Ron's like. He's telling me to tell you to watch what you do with his sister by the way. I know he's joking though, or at least he'd better be._

_ Take your time_

_ Hermione (& Ron)_

Harry laughed as he imagined what Hermione might have threatened Ron with if he didn't keep his mouth shut. He reached out and took Ginny's hand and together they went to the great hall.

...

In the daylight the damage to the school didn't look that bad. A path to the great hall had obviously been cleared to allow the students and staff easy access, maybe the house-elves recognised the need for people to look at disaster with a full stomach. They didn't see anyone else around and assumed that everyone was already at breakfast.

As Harry and Ginny approached the doors to the great hall they could hear chattering from inside. It sounded like life was starting to return to normal. However the moment Harry set foot inside all the chattering stopped and all eyes turned to look at him. He could feel the familiar blush starting to creep across his face.

There was silence for about a minute then someone stood up and started to clap. Someone else stood and clapped and very quickly the entire hall was on their feet, applauding and cheering him. Harry felt Ginny squeeze his hand tightly and he grinned. Spotting Ron and Hermione at the head of the Gryffindor table he led Ginny over. The cheering and clapping carried on until he and Ginny had sat down, at which point everyone else resumed their seats. The chatter started up again, louder this time.

As expected, Ron was stuffing his face with sausages, bacon, eggs, toast and everything else that was on the table. In between each mouthful he spoke, spraying those nearby with what he was eating.

"Nice of you to join us. Hope you didn't have to interrupt anything"

Hermione slapped him on his arm. "Ronald!"

"Ok ok I'm only joking but you know Ginny is my sister!" Ron shook his head and carried on eating. Harry chuckled and turned his attention to the food in front of him. It felt like years since he had eaten properly. He gave up all pretence at decorum and tucked in with abandon.

As he ate Harry looked round at the people near him. Ginny was sat as close as she could to him, leaning against his shoulder as he ate. Ron was busy working his way through three times his own body weight while Hermione was picking at her food and generally rolling her eyes. Arthur and Molly Weasley had barely touched theirs, Mrs Weasley was still sniffing and drying her eyes every now and then.

Further down the table Harry saw George who was just staring at his plate, a look of total shock on his face. Next to him was Angelina Johnson who was rubbing her hand along his arm and trying to get him to eat something. Luna was sat at the Gryffindor table with Neville and his grandmother, who was currently half listening to Luna explaining that the sausages were infested with Wrackspurts and she shouldn't eat them or they would get into her brain. Neville was grinning but he still looked like he was hanging on her every word.

"Oh Ronald!" Harry was brought back to earth by Hermione's moan of despair. Ron had managed to drop two sausages down his favourite t-shirt – the Official Chudley Cannons away strip – after apparently trying to eat five. The brown grease stood out starkly against the bright orange and dripped down the Cannons badge.

"Honestly you're just like a child." Hermione pulled her wand out and muttered "_Scourgify". _Ron's t-shirt cleaned itself instantly as Hermione tutted at him. Mrs Weasley noticed this and smiled slightly then immediately went back to holding in her tears. Harry understood why Hermione was being careful with her breakfast when he saw that she was wearing one of her old white school shirts. Harry sniggered to himself and put his arm around Ginny, who leaned into his shoulder.

At about half past ten the dishes and remains of the food disappeared. Harry made a mental note to say thank you to the house elves for all the work they had put in after everything that had happened. Professor McGonagall stood up and the noise from the tables died away.

"I hope you won't mind but I have a few things to announce this morning. I'll only take a couple of minutes of your time. As I'm sure you have guessed by now, we are unable to continue lessons while the castle is in the state it's in." She paused as muted cheers briefly sounded then died away. "As such, anyone who so wishes is free to leave Hogwarts for home from today. However I would like to point out that on Friday, instead of the usual end of year feast, we will be holding a memorial service and I know I would certainly appreciate it if as many as possible would attend." It was commonly held consensus that a request from McGonagall was tantamount to an order, although she would never have thought so herself. She continued speaking. "We will be starting preparations from tomorrow. For today however the staff will be assessing the damage to the school. For the rest of you please enjoy the day. There are no restrictions and I'm sure no-one will mind if some of you pop into Hogsmeade. Just please bear in mind that they will be in much the same situation as we are so if they ask do please stay out of the way." She sat down again and again there was cheering but it went quiet just as quickly as before.

"Come on, let's go." Ginny whispered to Harry and he allowed her to take his hand and lead him out of the hall. Looking back he saw Ron and Hermione also getting up but they looked like they had plans of their own.

...

Ginny led Harry to the banks of the Black Lake and they both sat down, enjoying the sun. They stayed silent for a few minutes then Ginny broke the silence.

"Do you remember the second task?"

There was no need to ask to what she was referring. The Tri-Wizard Tournament was burned into Harry's memory, and not for all good reasons. "Of course I do. The four of us swimming down there trying to find our friends. I still can't believe they decided to put Ron down there!"

"Oh come on," replied Ginny, "You do realise how they picked who to rescue don't you?"

"The Yule Ball." Harry nodded. "Makes sense I suppose as Ron was the one I spent most time with that night."

"I still wish I had gone with you to the ball though," said Ginny, "Even though I was a wide-eyed girl. Neville was a gentleman but my feet were so sore afterwards!"

Harry found her hand and held it tightly. "In some ways I'm glad you didn't. No no," he saw Ginny's face darken slightly, "I didn't mean it like that but if we had gone together it might have been you down there and not Ron."

"Would that have been so bad?" Ginny asked.

"It would have destroyed me if something had happened to you. I nearly lost you once before that." They didn't need to mention what he was referring to. Even after all this time the memory of Ginny on the floor of the Chamber of Secrets, barely alive, still haunted Harry occasionally.

"Maybe but on the other hand it would have guaranteed that you would have been the first back." Ginny poked her tongue out at him playfully. Harry responded by pushing her back and soon they were rolling each other on the grass laughing, trying to put mud down each other's clothes.

They were interrupted by a bubbling sound from the lake. As they both sat up to look a head poked out of the water. Not quite human but not quite fish, it's hair nearly put Ginny's to shame.

It was one of the merpeople from the underwater city, their leader in fact. She smiled when she saw Harry and Ginny and opened her mouth to speak.

Harry, who had experience of their language was bracing himself for an ear-shattering noise. It came as a surprise to him when the merperson spoke perfect, if heavily accented, English.

"The merrrrpeople thank Harrrrry Potterrrr for everrrything he hasss done. We wisssh to exxtend an invitation to him to vissssit our cccity wheneverrr he wissshesss. He will alwaysss be welcome with ussss."

Harry grinned and thanked the merperson for her generous offer. He knew that in order to act on it he would need a steady supply of Gillyweed but he appreciated the thought. With a bow the merperson dived back down into the lake.

Harry looked at Ginny and saw that she was frowning slightly, the lines prominent on her otherwise flawless forehead. "Gin? What's wrong?"

Ginny seemed to be fighting an internal struggle, then she looked up at Harry, obviously having come to a decision.

"Take me there."

Harry was taken aback. Take her there? Take her where? "Where to? Where do you want me to take you?"

"To the forest. To the place where you... to the place where he... where... it happened." Ginny met his eyes and he could see tears glistening in hers.

"Ok. If you're sure." He stood up and held out his hand to her. She took it and he gently lifted her up and together they walked around the lake to the Forbidden Forest.

...

In the night time the forest was threatening, every shadow a lurking creature, every noise a cry of menace and hunger. In the daytime however it was just like any other forest. The only signs that anything harmful lived there was the occasional broken tree or patch of fur.

Harry could remember the way perfectly and he led Ginny unfailingly through the trees. After a while they heard someone walking the other way towards them. They stopped and waited, hands on their wands just in case.

Soon the mysterious people appeared. Lucius Malfoy accompanied by Draco and Narcissa. They all looked preoccupied. Indeed, Lucius didn't even acknowledge them. He just kept looking straight on, but he looked as if he was wrestling with a huge decision. Draco caught Harry's eye but said nothing as he too carried on walking. Narcissa however looked straight at Harry and for a moment Harry thought he saw the ends of Narcissa's lips twitch up slightly as if in a smile. He nodded back at her and she went after the other two.

Harry watched them go and turned to Ginny. She was looking at where they had gone with undiluted hatred in her eyes, which was hardly surprising after what Lucius had done to her in the past. "Ginny?" he said to her gently. With an effort she turned to Harry. He reached up and cupped her cheek and she closed her eyes. When she opened them again she was her old self.

"Come on, let's keep going." She said to Harry and he led them on.

After a while they came to a clearing which was oh so familiar to Harry. He stopped.

"It was there." He pointed at a patch of ground in front of him. "Right there." The memory of that night came back full force. Him walking to the camp and taking off his cloak. Voldemort pointing his wand and saying the words. The green flash of light and the last thought to go through his head.

Ginny squeezed his hand, then knelt down to look at the otherwise unremarkable patch of ground. She saw something glinting on the ground and picked it up. It was a small fragment of what looked like a precious stone. "What's this?"

Harry knew what it was. A piece of the Resurrection Stone, which had obviously now been damaged beyond repair. "It's nothing." he said. "Just an old bit of glass."

Ginny threw it away and resumed looking at where Harry had fallen. After a few minutes she spoke. "What did it feel like?"

Harry was surprised at this but he instantly knew the answer. "I honestly didn't feel a thing. I was so scared but I knew it had to be done." He knelt down beside her and idly drew shapes in the ground with his finger as he continued. "I just stood there and he spoke the curse and all I saw was a flash of green light. The last thing I thought about was..."

"Go on, was what?" Ginny gently prompted but she could see how hard it was for him.

"The last thing I thought about was... you." Harry said , not meeting her eyes as he carried on. "I thought about your face and how you smell and the sound of your voice and the last time we kissed..." He was cut off as Ginny suddenly wrapped her arms tightly round him and kissed him for all she was worth. Harry soon forgot everything else and returned her kiss just as fiercely.

Time seemed to stop for them both as all they could think about was the other person and everything they meant to each other. After a few minutes (hours? days?) they finally broke apart. Harry looked straight into Ginny's eyes.

"You're the reason I came back Ginny." he whispered to her.

"What do you mean?"

"When... after it happened, I was somewhere else. I had a choice to go on to whatever follows." Harry remembered the vision of King's Cross station. "I could have gone on. Neville would have killed the snake and then Voldemort would have been defeated. But I decided to come back. I thought at the time it was just to finish the job but I now know what it was." Ginny's eyes were tearing up and Harry reached to her face to clear them away. "I came back for you. You are my life Ginny. You're what's kept me going this last year. All of this was so that you could be safe."

Ginny said nothing but held onto him even tighter. Harry returned her embrace and they stayed there. Two hearts finally together after everything the world could throw at them.

After a period that seemed both too long and too short, they separated. Harry stood up and helped Ginny up. "Come on, we should be getting back now." Harry took one last look around at the clearing. The menace had gone and it was just another part of the forest.

They made their way back up to the castle. Along the way they were joined by Ron and Hermione, who never said what they had been up to and Harry didn't ask but he was certain the Cannons badge had been on the front of Ron's t-shirt that morning rather than the back and he was doubly sure Hermione's shirt had not had any grass stains, certainly not ones that big.

* * *

**A/N I'm going to try to keep to a 2-day update schedule. Hopefully the real world won't get in the way.**

**Next Chapter: Repairing Damage  
**


	3. Repairing Damage

**Disclaimer: All characters, places etc. belong to JK Rowling**

**Chapter 3 – Repairing Damage**

The rest of the time leading up to the memorial service that Friday was spent in preparation and in making repairs to the castle. Those who participated were grateful that they had something constructive they could do to take their minds off the terrible events that had taken place in the past few days.

But even now, after the was had ended, more sorrow found its way into people's lives.

Harry had spent the night in his old dormitory bed. He and Ginny had decided that it was best not to push things too far, especially as the loss of Fred was still too keenly felt by everyone. They still spent as much time with each other as they could and this morning was no different. Harry came down to the common room to find Ginny waiting for him. After a brief hug and kiss to say good morning they linked arms and made their way to the Great Hall for breakfast.

Along the way Harry asked Ginny how the rest of her family felt about their renewed relationship.

"I told mum straight away." Ginny replied. "After you, Ron and Hermione left to see McGonagall, mum cornered me and asked me what was going on between the two of us. I told her that we were back together." She smiled a bit. "Actually I told her we had never really been apart."

Harry smiled as well. "And how did she take it?"

"She seemed happy. She likes you a lot Harry. You know you're like a son to her." Ginny leaned close to him. "She told me that she had always hoped that we would get together. Something about the way we were towards each other right from the day we met."

"Mrs Weasley is definitely observant." Harry mused.

"Oh and she also said that you're forbidden from calling her Mrs Weasley anymore. It's Molly... or mum." Ginny looked at Harry as she said this.

Harry was silent for a second. Mum... he had never really known his own mother... but now here was someone who was willing to give him another chance to be a part of a real family. "Thanks... Thank you."

Ginny smiled but said nothing as there was nothing more really to say on the subject. They had reached the Great Hall anyway so their thoughts now turned to the mass of food that awaited them.

...

Breakfast was quieter than the day before. Harry was thankful that he wasn't cheered and applauded as he entered the hall and he and Ginny took their places. It was almost as if everything was normal and they were all getting ready for the day's classes.

Almost.

As they ate they heard a screech. Harry looked up to see a brown owl drop a letter into Neville's lap. He wondered who would be writing to Neville as his grandmother was sitting opposite him, enduring another of Luna's discourses on Nargles and the five best ways of avoiding them. Suddenly Neville froze, looking at the letter in his hand. He closed his eyes and his whole body shook as tears fell from his eyes. Luna took the letter from his unresisting hand and had no sooner glanced at it when she ran round to his side of the table and put her arms around him. He cried freely as he buried his face into her shoulder. All talk of creatures that may or may not be real was forgotten as Luna gently rocked him back and forth.

Neville's grandmother looked at his letter and gave a short shriek and put her hand over her mouth. She too closed her eyes and started crying. All talk in the hall had ceased as everyone thought and quietly asked each other the same thing.

_What's happened?_

The letter had fallen on the table next to Ginny. She picked it up, read it and wordlessly handed it to Harry. Harry felt a bit bad about reading other people's private mail but Neville had done so much for him and he wanted to help him if he could.

_Dear Mr Longbottom_

_ It is with the greatest sadness that we write to inform you of the death of your parents, Frank and Alice Longbottom, at 3.17am today._

_ I know that there is nothing that can be said to lessen the sorrow that you must now be feeling but you should know that they were in no pain and passed away peacefully in their sleep._

_ Again please accept our sincerest condolences on your loss._

_ Hilda Marchdale, Senior Healer, St Mungo's Hospital_

Harry put his arms around Ginny to steady himself. He was in shock. Neville's parents? Dead? Of course he knew what had happened to them and how they had been tortured by Death Eaters. He remembered seeing Neville at St Mungo's during his fifth year and how much visiting his parents had meant to him. Harry held Ginny tighter and she put both arms around him and leaned into him. The war was over! All the suffering was supposed to have ended! It felt like a cruel joke. Harry looked over at Neville and caught his eye when he raised his head. An unspoken thought passed between them and Harry knew that he would do everything he could to help Neville. Harry pushed the rest of his breakfast away from him, suddenly not feeling so hungry, and sat there waiting for breakfast time to end.

...

At the end of breakfast Professor McGonagall assigned various tasks to staff and students. Some would help with repairs to the school, some would go down to the village and see if there was any help that could be given there, and some would help with preparations for the upcoming memorial service. By his own request, Harry was one of those in the last category.

As Harry and Ginny were walking back to their house they saw a solitary figure sitting on a ledge gazing out of the window. There was no need to look closely to know who it was.

Neville.

Harry looked at Ginny and she nodded. "Go on Harry. I'll see you later – I've got my own jobs to do." She squeezed his hand and gave him a peck on his cheek and left. Harry watched her go. When she was out of sight Harry went and sat down next to Neville. Neville didn't acknowledge him and he didn't say anything, preferring to let Neville come round on his own. After a few minutes Neville spoke, still not looking at him.

"I should have been expecting it. I mean I knew they would never get better. But it still... it still hurts though. Does it get any easier?"

Harry knew what he meant and decided he couldn't try to comfort Neville with meaningless platitudes. They had both been through too much together. "No it doesn't. I'm sorry."

"But you're ok! You got over it!"

Harry shook his head. "I've never really gotten over any of them. My parents, Sirius, Dumbledore, and now Remus and Tonks and Fred. I see them all the time in my mind and I miss them more than anything." He remembered what Luna had told him after Sirius had died. "Its not like you won't see them again though."

Neville finally looked at him. "What do you mean? They're gone!"

Harry shook his head. "Sirius once told me that the ones who love us never truly leave us. It's hard, Merlin knows it's hard, but eventually you'll come through it." Harry smiled slightly. "And you're not on your own like I was at first. You've got your grandmother at least."

"And Luna." Neville smiled, even though his eyes still had a sadness in them. "She's been really fantastic. Say Harry..." Harry was slightly taken aback at the change in Neville's tone. "When you and Ginny... er... when you... realised... What did you do?"

Harry smiled. He had suspected for some time that Neville had a crush on Luna. "Well I hadn't really planned anything. I'd had feelings for her for months and they just grew until I couldn't stand it anymore, and then, well, you saw what happened in the common room. I just went with the moment."

"Moments are good... I like moments." said a dreamy voice behind them both. Harry turned and saw Luna stood behind them. Neville went bright red. "L-Luna? How long have you been there?"

"Oh a while now. Your grandmother sent me to find you. Personally I think she was worried you'd been kidnapped by Snorkacks. But your conversation was much more interesting."

"H-how much did you hear?" If Neville could have gone any redder he would have been mistaken for one of Professor Sprout's giant tomatoes.

"Not much. Only that you said I was really fantastic and then you asked Harry what he did when he realised he was in love with Ginny. Is there someone you're in love with Neville?" Luna didn't sound like she was teasing him, she was just asking him as if she was asking the time.

Neville worked his mouth a few times but no words came out. "Er... er... we should go find my grandmother..."

"Ok." Luna said. "I hope she's nice by the way. The nasty ones do tend to attract Nargles you know." With that she skipped off. Neville looked at Harry and Harry just shrugged. Neville stood up and went in the direction Luna had just gone. She stopped to let him catch up with her and when he did so she took his hand in hers and off they went again. As they went Harry saw Luna kiss Neville lightly on the cheek.

_Luna's probably the most observant of all of us._ Harry thought to himself. Then he remembered he was supposed to be writing a speech for the service and helping Professor McGonagall and Kingsley organise some sort of monument.

...

It was late in the evening by the time Harry finally got back to the common room. After seeing Professor McGonagall and Kingsleyand organising what was going to happen at the service Harry had wandered round the castle seeing if there was anywhere he could help.

It had been hard to see the destruction done to a place he had called home for the last seven years. Everywhere he went he remembered running down corridors being late for a lesson, or hiding from Filch behind a suit of armour. He had come across a group of fourth years who were trying to replace a door that had been blasted off its hinges with little success. As soon as they saw him they went silent and gazed up at him as if he was some sort of miracle worker. Harry showed them how to replace the door and they thanked him, still amazed to be near him.

Harry still hadn't written anything for his speech, although he knew he still had time. He smiled grimly. It felt as if he was putting off a piece of difficult homework as he had done more or less since he arrived as a wide-eyed eleven year old child.

He heard the portrait swing open and someone come through. Two seconds later he knew who it was as a pair of arms encircled him and he breathed in the flowery scent from the red hair he knew so well.

"Hi." he said.

"Hi." replied Ginny. Harry turned to look at her. She looked exhausted and was nearly falling asleep. On top of that it looked like she had been crying again.

"How was it?" he asked.

"It was hard." Ginny said. "Not the actual work. That was fine. But seeing it all was hard." The group I was with was doing the corridor near the Room of Requirement. And..." she trailed off, unable to finish. Harry knew what she meant though. That was where Fred had died under a collapsing wall. Harry reached behind him and cupped the back of her head as she leaned her face into his shoulder.

For a while neither of them spoke. Then Ginny broke the silence. "How's Neville?"

"He's not exactly fine but he's getting through it I think. Luna's helping him."

Ginny smiled slightly. "I wouldn't be surprised if those two get together. Neville's always been impressed by her. Knowing him though I bet nothing will happen before they leave Hogwarts."

Harry kept his face straight. "How much do you bet?"

Ginny thought for a moment. "Umm... a sickle."

"Done." Harry grinned and turned to fully face her. "You owe me a sickle. They're together."

"What?"

Harry's grin widened. "Neville was asking me for advice and Luna overheard. When they left she held his hand and kissed him."

Ginny's mouth opened and closed like a goldfish. Then she sighed. "Nicely played Harry. Don't think you're not going to pay for that though."

Harry grinned. "Sorry but you walked right into that one."

Ginny poked her tongue out at him and then started to tickle him mercilessly. Harry retaliated by tickling her and soon they were rolling around on the floor, knocking over chairs and making a mess. Harry eventually managed to get on top of Ginny and pin her arms to the ground. He gazed down at her, taking in her every feature.

"What?" Ginny whispered.

"You're beautiful." Harry replied and leaned down to kiss her.

He still hadn't written his speech.

* * *

**A/N Let me apologise in advance if the quality of chapters goes up and down. Like I said I'm new at this and sometimes the characters just won't do what I want them to and go off on their own way. Many thanks to everyone who's read it so far. I hope you found something in this to interest you and will continue to do so.**

**Next Chapter: The Memorial Service  
**


	4. The Memorial Service

**Disclaimer: All characters, places etc. belong to JK Rowling**

**Chapter 4 – The Memorial Service**

Finally it was Friday and the atmosphere at Hogwarts changed totally. The repairs to the school had been completed where possible, although there were still a few areas where the scars of the battle persisted. Everyone's minds were now focussed on that evening. And no-one was more focussed than Harry, who was still trying to put together what he was going to say. Even Ginny had left him alone for the moment, recognising his need to be alone to concentrate.

Harry threw his quill down in frustration and put his head in his hands. Why did this have to be so hard? He avoided looking at his watch, knowing the time was slipping away.

Eventually he had managed to scribble a few words down and decided that would have to do. He waited, looking out of the window, wishing that he didn't have to do this.

Harry felt the familiar arms slip round him and heard Ginny's voice whisper in his ear.

"It's time."

Harry stood up slowly and turned round in her embrace. Ginny looked at his eyes. "Are you ok?" she asked. Harry shook his head.

"No I'm not. What do I say to them?"

"You'll say the right thing. I know you will" Ginny said. She kissed him softly on the lips. "I'm here for you."

Harry allowed her to lead him through the portrait hole to the Great Hall.

...

The Great Hall had been laid out differently. Gone were the long tables for the houses and in their place were rows and rows of chairs. Instead of the house banners were black drapes. Harry had only seen this once before, at the end of his fourth year when Cedric Diggory had died. He took his seat next to Ginny, Ron, Hermione and the rest of the Weasleys. Harry was sat at the end of the row. Ginny was holding his hand tightly. Mrs Weasl... Molly was sobbing into a brightly coloured handkerchief, and Arthur had his arm around her.

Harry looked around the hall. In spite of Professor McGonagall's offer for students to go home early, nobody had. Every seat was filled and it looked like the residents of Hogsmeade had come as well. Harry wad hit by a fresh wave of nerves and forced his gaze to the front of the hall where McGonagall was now standing. Behind her was a large shape covered in a shroud. There had been a very low background chatter which now ceased.

Professor McGonagall took a deep breath and began to speak.

"Thank you for coming everyone. I am sorry that we have not been able to hold the traditional end of year feast, however I am sure you will agree that this is more fitting." McGonagall's gaze came to rest on Harry as she continued. "I have asked Mr Harry Potter if he would say a few words. Harry?"

Harry stood up awkwardly. Ginny gave his hand a final squeeze and let go. Harry walked slowly to the front of the hall, uncomfortably aware that all eyes were on him. He stood at the lectern and saw a sea of faces looking at him expectantly. Harry took out the piece of parchment he had made notes on and looked at it. The words written mocked him with their inadequacy. He put the parchment back into his pocket, then he lifted his eyes to the people in front of him. He saw Neville sitting together with Luna, their hands clasped tightly together. Neville's grandmother sat on the other side of him, a pleased look on her face. Harry sought out Ginny and found her gazing at him. She smiled encouragingly at him and he remembered her words.

_You'll say the right thing._

Harry took a deep breath and started to speak.

"When Professor McGonagall asked me to speak today, I had no idea what I could possibly say. I still don't.

"I could say that this is a sad occasion but we can all feel that sadness. I could say that we should be rejoicing because the war is over. There'll be time for that later. I could say that all those who died sacrificed their lives for a better future." Harry broke off as another train of thought formed in his mind.

"Actually let's think about that for a second. These people sacrificed their lives. What does that mean? It means they died, yes, but it means more than that. They gave up everything they were and everything they could possibly be. People like Colin Creevey, who was constantly amazed at everything around him, or Fred Weasley." His voice broke slightly and he saw Molly lean against Arthur. He couldn't look at George. "Fred Weasley who made it his mission in life to bring fun and laughter in the darkest of places and the worst of times. People with such bright futures ahead of them. And they gave it up. For a cause? For an ideal? No they gave up their futures so that someone else would not have to."

Harry broke off and took a breath to calm himself. He could see that people were hanging on his every word and even though he hated the attention he was pleased that he didn't seem to be making a fool of himself.

He carried on. "Was it worth it? Was what they sacrificed worth it? That's not really for us to say. It is now up to each one of us, every day, to make sure that we create a future they would be proud of. Only then will we be able to say if it was worth it."

They were still looking at him as if he was some sort of miracle worker, as if he would say something to make it all fine again. Harry was suddenly tired of being made something he wasn't. This led him onto a new tack.

"Most of you, perhaps all of you, see me as some sort of hero. I'm not a hero. I did what had to be done because, well, because I had to. I had no choice. If you want to see a true hero, then look around you. Look to the person next to you. Look to the person in front of you or behind you. But most importantly look to yourselves. I did what I had to do but you did not. I didn't ask you to put your lives on the line for me. I couldn't ask you to do that. But you chose yourselves to stay. You could have left and no one would have thought any the less of you but you chose to stay, knowing what could happen. To me that makes you the true heroes here."

Harry took another breath. They were still hanging on his words but he could see heads nodding.

"In years to come when you talk to your children and grandchildren about these events and they ask you if Harry Potter was a hero, you tell them no. You tell them we're all heroes, every one of us."

In spite of the solemnity of the occasion that last statement brought a few quiet cheers and claps and then the whole hall erupted as people stood on their feet and applauded for all they were worth.

Harry let this carry on for a moment then held his hands up for silence. Eventually everyone was sat down again but there was still a buzz in the air. Harry almost hated to break it but he had to finish this.

"We, that is Professor McGonagall, Minister for Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt and myself, have prepared this monument to those heroes who are no longer with us." Harry turned and pointed his wand at the shroud covered object. It rose and the shroud fell off to reveal a large plaque, as yet with no names inscribed upon it. Harry continued. "This will stand for as long as Hogwarts remains so that we, and those who follow us, will never forget the ones who gave their lives. And not just those who died here, but all those who gave their lives throughout this terrible war. I would only ask that you remain silent for the next few minutes."

Harry stopped, turned and looked up at the plaque. So did everyone else. For a few seconds nothing happened, then the great Hogwarts bell sounded. As it did so a name wrote itself in fiery letters on the first space on the plaque.

ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

The bell sounded again and another name wrote itself.

COLIN CREEVEY

CEDRIC DIGGORY

More and more names appeared and as they did so Harry could hear sobs and wails coming from those gathered.

FRED WEASLEY

When that name appeared almost the entire hall broke out into tears. Harry could hear Molly's cries above the others.

The names kept on appearing. Soon it was Harry's turn to cry as some very familiar names wrote themselves.

REMUS LUPIN

NYMPHADORA TONKS LUPIN

SIRIUS BLACK

LILY EVANS POTTER

JAMES POTTER

Harry couldn't stifle his tears anymore and wept openly. He heard someone shout "Harry" above the crying behind him and knew that Ginny wanted to run up and hold him but he knew that she would restrain herself, at least until afterwards.

ALASTOR MOODY

EMMALINE VANCE

AMELIA BONES

BERTHA JORKINS

Was there no end to the people who had died?

FRANK LONGBOTTOM

ALICE LONGBOTTOM

This time Harry distinctly heard Neville blow his nose. Even after the end of the war Voldemort's shadow was still in existence.

After what seemed like an eternity the last few names finally appeared. The bell stopped as the last name wrote itself. The letters shone for a few more moments then faded to black, engraved forever onto the plaque. There was still a large space over the top of the plaque which had not been filled in. Harry carefully gathered his thoughts. This would probably be the hardest part of the whole event. He had not even told McGonagall or Kingsley about this.

He turned back to the gathered masses. "We know these people. We saw their sacrifices. We know what they stood for. But there is one more name that must go up there. A person, without whom, none of us would be here now. His was the most dangerous, the most unforgiving battle. If he failed he would have been reviled forever. If he succeeded no one would ever know. But out of loyalty and love he did not shrink from his duty, even when that duty called for him to the most terrible things. He had a choice and he chose the most difficult path there was and did not flinch from it and for that he is as much a hero as anyone else here and will be honoured as such."

Harry raised his wand and wrote in the air and as he did so more fiery letters appeared in the space which up to now had remained empty.

S E V E R U S S N A P E

The hall had gone deathly quiet. Harry guessed he might have some explaining to do later but for now he had to finish. He had remembered part of a poem, part of a service for those fallen in war. Hermione had helped him to find the rest.

"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;

"Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

"At the going down of the sun and in the morning.

"We will remember them."

Harry raised his wand and the plaque rose. As it did so the sounds of an old muggle hymn began to play. That had been Hermione's idea and Harry had embraced it fully. The hymn was called "Amazing Grace" and as Harry heard it he thought that it was fully appropriate to the occasion.

Behind the plaque was an unlit brazier, now revealed as the plaque rose. Harry pointed his wand at it but before he could utter the incantation to ignite the brazier he, and everyone else in the hall, heard a screech. Harry turned round to see a very familiar large red bird with feathers like fire swoop down from the rafters.

Fawkes had returned to Hogwarts.

He flew to the brazier and, as he turned to fly away, he flapped his wings and a bolt of flame shot from each wingtip and ignited the brazier, which would now burn magically forever. Fawkes flew back up to the rafters as Harry addressed the gathering one last time.

"We will remember them."

He left the stage and returned to his seat, where Ginny was waiting for him. Molly leaned over to him and whispered in his ear.

"Thank you Harry. That was beautiful."

Harry simply nodded, still too full of emotion.

* * *

**Next Chapter: Dumbledore's Last Gift **


	5. Dumbledore's Last Gift

**Disclaimer: All characters, places etc. belong to JK Rowling**

**Chapter 5 – Dumbledore's Last Gift**

Professor McGonagall returned to the stage, still drying her eyes.

"Thank you Harry for that. You are right, it is up to us to create a new, better future" She took a breath and composed herself. "Now I have a few announcements before we finish so I do hope you will bear with me.

"First, it is apparent to everyone that the standard of education provided by Hogwarts this year has regrettably not met the excellence we, and you, expect. Therefore I have been in discussion with the staff and we feel that we must repeat this year." There were a few quiet groans but on the whole everyone agreed with McGonagall. She continued. "I am sure you will agree that this is in your best interests as well as ours.

"However." Her voice grew stronger. "We do not believe that the bravery and selflessness of those who risked their lives for their fellow students can go unrewarded. As such, after consultation with the Minister I am authorised to award each and every student who participated in the defence of Hogwarts, without exception, grades of Outstanding in all of their chosen NEWT subjects."

Harry looked at Ginny, who's eyes were wide open. Her jaw had dropped open. "Outstanding... NEWTs?" she stammered. She wasn't the only one. After a few seconds of stunned silence everyone in the hall cheered and clapped. McGonagall smiled broadly, the first time Harry could remember her doing so. When everyone calmed down McGonagall continued. "Also we have two staff vacancies which need to be filled.

"Again after consultation with the Minister I am very pleased to announce that Arthur Weasley has agreed to take a leave of absence from his duties to take up the post of Professor of Muggle Studies!"

This time the cheers of the Weasleys were louder than anyone else. Molly grabbed Arthur's face and kissed him as he stood up and waved to everyone. Ginny hugged Harry and cheered with the rest. When the applause died away and Arthur had sat down Professor McGonagall spoke again.

"Before I announce our new master of Defence Against the Dark Arts let me first say this. Of all the forces and powers in this world, both good and evil, magical and non-magical, there is none more powerful than the power of love. The love between a man and a woman-" Harry and Ginny smiled at each other as McGonagall continued. "-and the love of a parent for their child. This love drove two of the Dark Lord's most loyal followers to abandon him, betray their allies and turn their back on everything they had fought for, all because they loved their son. We have discussed this matter and believe that the best way they can assist the society they once harmed is to equip a new generation to withstand the powers of darkness so that no parent and no child will ever find themselves in a similar situation again. As such it has been decided that the new master of Defence Against the Dark Arts will be Lucius Malfoy."

This announcement was met with silence as no one appeared to know how to react. Then to everyone's surprise Harry stood up and started clapping. Ginny joined him, then Ron and Hermione then soon the whole school was standing and applauding. Lucius stood up, surprised at the reaction and bowed his head.

When they were all sitting down again Ginny whispered into Harry's ear. "Well that explains why he was looking so concerned when they came out of the forest. Although I thought you didn't like him?"

"I don't." replied Harry. "But he deserves this chance. They all do." Ginny nodded but he could see she still wasn't convinced.

McGonagall spoke yet again. "That's all. For those of you returning next year I wish you a pleasant summer, and for those of you leaving us I wish you all the best and pray you will make the most of the lives you have been given." With that she left the stage.

...

As the students, parents and visitors were leaving the Hall Ginny pulled Harry aside.

"Are you ok?" she asked him softly.

"I think so. It just shook me a bit, seeing their names up there."

"More than a bit." Ginny said. "I wanted to run up there myself to be with you."

"Thanks." Harry said, the lump in his throat returning. "Hold me?"

Ginny held him as tightly as she could as he broke down sobbing on her shoulder, feeling tears in her own eyes. After a while she patted him. "Harry, mum's coming."

Harry looked round to see Molly and Arthur approaching. Ron and Hermione were on their own and it looked like Hermione was comforting Ron. George was nowhere in sight but Harry knew that Angelina would be with him.

"Harry, we wanted to thank you for what you said up there." Arthur said, extending his hand for Harry to shake, which Harry did.

"It was nothing. Mr Weas-" Harry started but Arthur cut him off.

"Now now Harry it wasn't nothing. You know that. And in any case I think you can call me Arthur now. I think we've gone a bit beyond Mr Weasley."

"Thank you... Arthur." Harry said. Next, Molly came up to him and hugged him.

"Harry, oh you dear boy. You dear sweet boy." Harry didn't quite know what to say. Molly hadn't finished though. "Harry, we want you to come to live with us. You're as much a part of our family as any of our own children."

Ginny practically jumped for joy. "Oh do say you will Harry!" Harry could only nod, too shocked to say anything. Ginny squealed and put her arms around him and Molly. Molly smiled.

"Thank you Harry. It means a lot to Arthur and myself. Oh Merlin you need to go and pack your things! We'll see you at King's Cross tomorrow!"

Ginny grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him all the way to the Gryffindor common room, sneaking opportunities to kiss him and hug him whenever she could.

...

Go and pack your things, Molly had said. The truth was Harry had nothing to pack. His trunk and his Firebolt had been lost on that final flight from the Dursley's. Aside from the few most precious possessions in his moleskin pouch, he had lost everything. Ron was sat on his bed. He had no trunk either.

"Hardly seems real does it?" Ron said.

"No it doesn't." Harry responded. He sighed stood up from his bed. "Come on let's go downstairs. The girls should have finished by now."

In the common room Ginny and Hermione were waiting for them and when Harry and Ron appeared they immediately leapt on them.

After disentangling themselves, which they took their time over, they all sat down around the fire. Harry spoke first.

"So, Hermione, what are you going to do now?"

Hermione took her time answering. "Well the first thing I need to do is track down my parents. Australia's a big place you know."

Ron jumped in. "You're not going yet are you? I mean... I..."

Hermione put her hand on his knee. "No I'm not going yet. I need to find out where they've gone first. And I... I was kind of hoping... you'd come with me?"

Ron was speechless. Instead he picked up Hermione's hand in both of his and kissed it. He finally found his voice.

"Of course I'll come with you. Anywhere and everywhere."

"Oh please you two. He's my brother you know." Ginny said laughingly. Harry smiled. For the first time it finally came home to him.

It was over.

He no longer had to worry about prophecies or duties or responsibilities that he couldn't handle. He could simply be himself. And he had found someone who loved him for being himself.

They were interrupted by a screech. The fireplace flared up and Fawkes flew out from the flames, landing next to Harry's head. He was carrying a letter.

"Fawkes? What are you doing here?" Harry said, taking the letter. It was addressed to him and he immediately recognised the handwriting.

It was Dumbledore's.

Harry opened it with shaking hands. He read it out to the others.

_My dear Harry_

_ If you are reading this then I am very much afraid that I am dead. I know this probably comes as a shock to you but I wanted you to know that I welcomed it, knowing that you would carry on where I left off._

_ I trust you have received the gifts I have left for yourself, Mr Weasley and Miss Granger and that you have put them to good use. I regret that I could not be clearer about their purpose but as I'm sure you understand I was wary of those who might try to use them for their own ends._

_ I also trust, if you are reading this, that Tom Riddle is no more. I left strict instructions for Fawkes to not bring you this letter until the war was over._

_ Harry, I am so very proud of what you have become. You are everything I could have hoped for and much more besides. If you are reading this then I hope that you have a fulfilling and prosperous life filled with joy and happiness._

_ I have one last gift for you. Fawkes is in need of a new master. If you are willing I would like for that master to be you. Fawkes is as loyal a companion and friend as I have ever had and I know that he will be the same for you._

_ Until we meet again beyond the Veil_

_ Albus Dumbledore_

Harry finished the letter and found he had tears in his eyes. He blinked them away and looked at Fawkes.

"Well, its up to you. Do you want me to be your master? I'll understand if you don't."

In reply Fawkes nuzzled his beak into Harry's cheek.

"I guess that's a yes then." said Ginny, reaching to stroke him. In return he nuzzled her hand.

"Looks as if he likes you too." Harry said.

Ron found a bottle of butterbeer and four glasses. He filled them up and passed them around. Once they all had on he raised his glass. "To friends." he said. They all drank.

Ginny held hers up as well. "To the undiscovered country." she said. Off Harry and Ron's blank look she sighed. "Oh come on Ron. Dad used to collect muggle literature remember? One writer described the future as the undiscovered country."

"To the undiscovered country." Harry said, raising his glass as well.

...

The next day they rode the Hogwarts Express for the last time. The four of them sat in the same compartment, with Ron and Hermione snuggled up together and Ginny leaning on Harry's arm. Harry watched the landscape fly past.

"Seems like yesterday doesn't it Ron?"

Ron looked up from where he was playing with Hermione's hair. "What does?"

"Our first trip on this train." Harry replied. In his mind's eye he could see a much younger version of himself and a much younger version of Ron sat in the same carriage and a much younger version of Hermione trying to help Neville find his toad.

Hermione smiled. "You never did manage to make that spell work."

Ron chuckled. "Yeah I asked Fred about that. He said it was against the law to give underaged wizards magic spells without proper training and as a responsible big brother he couldn't be a part of it."

They all laughed as the train thundered its way to Kings Cross and to countries not yet discovered and a future not yet written.

* * *

**A/N I'm going away tomorrow for a week and won't be anywhere near a computer so this will be the last update until at least 30th December. It seemed like a natural breaking point anyway.**

**Happy Christmas everyone!**

**Next Chapter: Normal Life  
**


	6. Normal Life

**Disclaimer: All characters, places etc. belong to JK Rowling**

**Chapter 6 – Normal Life**

Even though Harry had stayed at the Burrow countless times before it had never felt this... well... strange. His life had developed into a routine over the years. Hogwarts, Privet Drive, Burrow, and back to Hogwarts again. But now he slowly realised that he would never have to go back to the Dursleys' ever again, and he had finished at Hogwarts for good. He decided that it was a good feeling. Harry realised that he would have to decide what to do with the Grimmauld Place house. Now that Kreacher was working at Hogwarts the place was completely empty, but that was a decision for another day. This was the first day of a new chapter in his life.

Breakfast, normally lively and loud, was a quiet affair. The memories of the battle and losing Fred were still too strong for some of them – George just sat looking at his untouched food. Ron was sat next to Hermione, who had also been invited to stay at the Burrow, at least until she brought her parents back and restored their memories. And of course Harry was sat as close to Ginny as was possible at the table, which was to say very close. The sleeping arrangements were the traditional Harry/Ron and Hermione/Ginny pairs, however they each tended to sneak into each other's rooms after the rest of the house was asleep. Harry told himself the reason was to get away from Ron and Hermione, but in reality he was just as keen to spend as much time as he could with Ginny.

He suspected that Molly knew all about this but for some reason he got the impression that she didn't mind. After all she loved him as if he was her own son and trusted that he wouldn't do anything to hurt anyone, least of all Ginny, and of course Hermione could do no wrong in her eyes anyway. So Molly kept silent, but she had a slight twinkle in her eyes which seemed to say "I know."

Harry must have drifted off because he suddenly realised that Molly was asking them what they were planning today.

"Well I was planning to go shopping..." Harry started. Ron looked at him in surprise. "I need new stuff. I lost everything when we left the Dursleys' that last time." he said by way of explanation.

"Can I come too?" asked Ginny eagerly. Harry nodded. As if he could possibly refuse her!

"We'll come won't we Ronald?" Hermione stated rather than asked. Ron looked at Harry in despair but nodded. Harry grinned. It seemed that King Weasley had been thoroughly domesticated by the brainy brunette.

"Well that sounds like a good idea." Molly said as she smiled. She was about to say something more when Arthur spoke up.

"Er Harry, Hermione, before you go can we have a quick chat please?"

The four teens shot panicked looks at each other. What was it? Were their night time excursions about to be curtailed? Were they to be locked in their rooms after nightfall? It was with some trepidation that Harry and Hermione found themselves in the pantry after breakfast with Molly and Arthur. Arthur spoke first.

"Well, _ahem_, as you know you've always been welcome here and, um, you know that we've always thought of you as part of our rather large family."

_Just get on with it._ Harry thought, bracing himself. He was already thinking of as many different ways of getting into Ginny's room as he could and he knew for certain that Hermione was doing exactly the same thing, although, unlike his, her ideas would probably even work.

Harry was brought out of his reverie by Arthur. "So we, that is Molly and I, made these for you." Arthur handed each of them small packages, carefully wrapped in silver paper. Harry unwrapped his and his jaw dropped in astonishment.

It was a hand for the Weasleys' family clock. His photo looked back at him with a smile. He looked at Hermione who was just as amazed. He turned his eyes back to Molly and Arthur. Arthur smiled at them both.

"Go on, put them on and see what happens."

Harry went first. He walked over to the clock and attached the new hand to it. Out of curiosity he pointed it to "Mortal Peril". When he let go he watched what happened.

First the expression on the photo of him changed. Whereas before it had been smiling, now it looked sullen and miserable. Next the hand whirred round the face of the clock, stopping when it reached "Home". That on its own was enough to bring a lump to Harry's throat but there was more to come. The moment it touched the "Home" section of the face photo-Harry brightened up and its eyes started to look to one side. Harry followed the line of sight and saw that it appeared to be looking at the photo on Ginny's hand. In return Ginny's photo was looking at Harry's. When Harry's hand stopped moving it was right next to Ginny's and both photos were smiling all over their faces.

Harry tugged his hand round to another section and both his and Ginny's photos turned miserable. When he let go the hand sped back round to "Home" and once again both photos started beaming again. Harry couldn't think of anything to say.

"What do you think?" Ginny had come behind him and circled her arms around his chest and rested her chin on his shoulder.

Harry could think of only one thing to say. He turned around and faced her. "I'm... home."

"Welcome home." Ginny smiled and kissed him softly.

There was a cough behind them. Hermione was stood there waiting to attach her new hand to the clock. She did so and the same thing happened as with Harry's. Only this time Hermione's photo stared fixedly at Ron's. Ron's photo had a dorky grin on it's face and Hermione's had an expression of amused tolerance, but then it too smiled and even blew a kiss. Photo-Ron's grin grew even bigger. Hermione shook her head when she saw this but she was smiling as she did so. "Am I really like that?" she asked.

Arthur and Molly were stood at the doorway watching. Harry came over to them, unsure of what to say.

"Arthur, I... I... thank you." He felt as if he was on the verge of crying yet again. Molly smiled and drew him into a hug, which Arthur also joined. Then they released him and did the same to Hermione.

"Now off you go and enjoy yourselves. Dinner's at 6." Molly said. They all left and Flooed to the Leaky Cauldron, ready to have fun without needing to worry about what lay ahead.

...

The Leaky Cauldron was packed out with witches and wizards of all shapes, sizes, even species. When the quartet arrived a silence quickly fell and all eyes turned to them. Harry could guess what was about to happen.

It was Tom who broke the silence. "Three cheers for Harry Potter! Hip hip..."

"HOORAY!!!" responded everyone else in the bar.

Harry felt the blush starting. He turned to Ginny who was smiling. "You deserve it you know." she said.

"I know, but I wish they'd find some other way. Some way less... public." Ginny took his hand and led him to the bar.

"Hi Tom." Harry said when the noise level was low enough.

"Harry Potter sir. This is an honour. What can I get you? On the house of course!" There was no dissuading him so Harry ordered four butterbeers and they found a corner to sit down away from everyone else.

"So what's the plan?" Ron asked Harry.

"Well I thought I could wander round Diagon Alley, see what there was, rob Gringotts again..." Ginny punched him in the arm.

"That's not funny you know."

"Ok ok I was only joking." Harry rubbed his arm. "Anyway once was quite enough for me. You can have a go if you want."

Ginny laughed. Harry's adventures at Gringotts had become legend. "No thanks."

They finished their drinks and slowly made their way through the crowd. Harry had to endure well wishers shaking his hand and patting him on the back and if-there's-anything-you-need-let-us-know the whole way. Eventually they got to the wall which hid the entry to the alley. Ginny reached out and tapped the bricks.

No matter how many times Harry saw it he still felt like the eleven year old boy seeing it all for the first time. Ollivanders had reopened, Eeylops had more customers than ever, Flourish & Blotts had new stock, which Harry could see Hermione was itching to get her hands on. All in all one would never know that a war had taken place. There were more people here than Harry had ever seen and his heart sank as he realised that he would have to endure more congratulations from them. His hand twitched in rueful anticipation.

Towering over the other buildings was Gringotts Bank. And it was to here that Harry led his little group. They were understandably nervous as the last time they had been here they left leaving wreckage, leaving destruction and leaving with a large dragon. Ginny however had her usual spring in her step and bounded up the stairs. Harry took a deep breath and opened the door.

Whatever he had been expecting, the reality was nothing like it. They were welcomed in by the door goblin as if nothing had happened. Harry looked around the cavernous interior of the bank. There were no goblins rushing to throw them out, there was no security of any sort. The only goblins Harry could see were the clerks. He approached one of them and tentatively announced himself.

The goblin looked up. "Yes? Can I help you?"

"Er... I'd like to make a withdrawal from my vault please." Harry stammered, still waiting for the world to crash around him.

"Certainly sir." The goblin led them to the cart and they wound their way to Harry's vault. Harry opened the vault with his key. When the door was open he looked in, rather surprised.

A large amount of his gold had gone.

Harry turned to the clerk who smiled, or rather sneered. "We took enough gold out of your vault to cover the cost of damage to the bank." Harry smiled and nodded his understanding. The goblin didn't say anything else and that seemed to be that.

After filling his bag the foursome started the quest for Harry's new clothes. It rapidly became clear that Diagon Alley was not up to the task. After looking in the fifth shop which seemed to only sell robes, robes and even more robes, Hermione spoke up.

"Ok Harry we're getting that gold changed and going into Muggle London. There must be something there you'd like." Harry had never really been to London and said as much to Hermione, but she wouldn't hear of it. "I've been there shopping lots of times. Trust me."

...

Trust her.

Trust Hermione.

For once Harry wished he had taken Ron's advice. As soon as they had entered the first shop something possessed Hermione and Ginny and they flew around the aisles finding stuff for Harry to try on. Harry could only stand there as shirt after shirt flew at him, over him, and sometimes on to him. Ron was laughing his head off at the whole thing. Eventually they left the shop with Harry loaded down with bags. Harry breathed ah huge sigh of relief.

Too soon. The girls dragged him straight into the next shop.

And the next.

And the next.

After what seemed like forever they finally collapsed around an outside table at an ice cream bar. As they were eating Harry found himself staring at Ginny. He was again struck by how beautiful her eyes were and how her hair reflected the sunlight and how the drips of strawberry ice cream gathered at the corner of her mouth until her tongue flicked out and lapped at them. She was laughing and it sounded like the most exquisite music he had ever heard.

She had freckles. Harry had noticed that before but had never really taken it in. He found himself counting them. Eventually his mind registered that Ginny had asked him a question.

"Huh... What?"

"I said what do you want for your birthday Harry?"

Harry reached over the table and laced his fingers with hers.

"I've already got everything I could ever want." he told her. Hermione smiled widely and Ron mimed retching. Ginny squeezed Harry's fingers between hers.

"Well I guess I'll just have to think of something to surprise you then." Ginny said lightly. Ron choked on his ice cream and Harry had to pound his back to clear it. Hermione and Ginny couldn't help themselves and burst out laughing.

...

Eventually it was time to go home. They all took pity on Harry and helped him carry his bags to the Leaky Cauldron and took the Floo back to the Burrow. Harry watched as their hands on the clock whirred round to "Home". A part of him still couldn't believe it and was expecting to wake up and find the whole thing had been a dream and he was still stuck at the Dursleys' in the cupboard under the stairs.

Molly had outdone herself for dinner. They all tucked into a huge steak pie with roast potatoes, carrots and peas. Molly refused to let any of them go until they had eaten at least four helpings. Eventually, feeling rather bloated, Harry excused himself from the table and went upstairs to his room to unpack his new clothes.

After putting his shirts and trousers away he heard a knock at the door. He knew instantly who it would be.

"Hi Ginny."

Ginny let herself in and hugged him and he hugged her back. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Like I'm in a dream that I never want to wake up from." he replied. She smiled at him.

"I don't think I'd want to either."

Harry gazed deep into Ginny's eyes for what seemed like forever.

"What are you looking for?" she whispered.

"Nothing." he replied. "I've already found what I've been looking for." He smiled at her. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For everything." Harry leaned in and kissed her. She returned the kiss and they stayed like that until Molly called that it was time for everyone to go to bed. Harry let Ginny go reluctantly and she went to the door, turning round and blowing him a kiss as she did so.

"Good night my love." and with that she went to her and Hermione's room. Harry looked at his watch. Another 3 hours should do the trick. Everyone should be asleep by then.

All in all the first day of the rest of his life had not been a bad one.

* * *

**A/N Hope you all had a good Christmas and got lots of great stuff! Many many thanks to those of you who reviewed/favourited/story alerted this little thing of mine. It's given me a nice warm cuddly feeling inside. **

**I'm uploading this chapter today and the next one tomorrow and then it's back to normal service (two days).**

**Next Chapter: Birthday Surprises**


	7. Birthday Surprises

**Disclaimer: All characters, places etc. belong to JK Rowling**

**Chapter 7 – Birthday Surprises**

Harry quickly settled into day-to-day life at the Weasleys. Whether it was de-gnoming the garden, helping Mr Weasley divine the purpose of his many muggle gadgets, most of which were broken, or just spending time with Ron, Hermione and Ginny (especially Ginny), there was never a dull moment.

Angelina was a frequent visitor and slowly she managed to bring George out of the shell he had crawled into. There was still a seriousness about George that hadn't been there before Fred's death but he was starting to regain his sense of humour and the family started to find pranks in their food, drink, beds, clothes, wherever. Outwardly, Molly told George off but anyone looking at her eyes could see that she was secretly overjoyed that George was regaining his old self. She made a mental note to thank Angelina for that somehow.

Hermione still had not received any word of where her parents might be. Australia was after all a very big place and the British Ministry of Magic was working with their Australian counterparts to try and find them but all Hermione could do for the moment was wait. She still twitched whenever an owl delivered mail but was always disappointed. So Ron took it upon himself to be there for her and she was grateful to him for that.

The days passed surprisingly swiftly and before anyone knew it the date was July 30th. Harry was excited although he would never admit it. After all, of all his seventeen birthdays so far the only ones that stood out for him with any real fondness were his eleventh, when he discovered he was a wizard, and his seventeenth, when Ginny had shown her love for him before he left with Ron and Hermione on the Horcrux mission.

Ginny had kept quiet about what she had planned for his birthday and Harry had not asked for any hints, preferring to be surprised. Although he did notice that one day Ginny and Hermione disappeared to Diagon Alley for a couple of hours. He decided to be patient, knowing that whatever it was it would be fantastic.

Harry woke up on the morning of the 31st and the first thing that he noticed was that it was still dark. He groped for his wand, intending to find out the time from his watch. His fingers closed around it and he silently cast the spell for light.

The first thing that met his eyes was Ginny. She was kneeling at the end of his bed near his head, leaning her head on her arms, just watching him and smiling.

"Gi...Ginny?" he asked, not sure if he was still dreaming.

"Happy birthday Harry." she said and lightly kissed him. Harry sat up and let her hold him.

"Thanks love."

"And now for your present." Ginny said.

"Oh I thought that was it." replied Harry.

"Don't be silly." Ginny laughed. She reached into her dressing gown and pulled out a small box, wrapped with red and green paper. Harry took the box and carefully unwrapped it. Seeing Ginny's expression he smiled.

"Old habit. Never throw away anything which might be useful."

Opening the box he gasped. Inside was a small golden pendant in the shape of a phoenix. He took it out by its thin chain and looked at it closely. It was perfect in every detail. "Thank you Ginny. It's beautiful." he breathed.

"That's not the best bit." she said. Harry opened his mouth to ask what she meant when he felt the pendant grow warm. Not hot but pleasantly warm, like the warmth from a blanket, or from a hug. Ginny smiled and held up her hand. She was holding an identical pendant. Off Harry's questioning look she explained.

"The other day I was wondering what to get you. Of course I wanted it to be special but I honestly had no idea. Then for some reason Fawkes flew into my room. He looked at me for some time and then flew out again. But I saw he had left behind two small feathers from his tail. I mentioned this to Hermione and she suggested we go to Diagon Alley, to Ollivanders. I explained to him why we were there and showed him the two feathers. He told me about your wand and V...Voldemort's wand being brothers and how they had been linked together. That gave me an idea. Well, long story short, we went to a jeweller's and she had the feathers put into two pendants. We found out that squeezing one would cause the other to warm up. And so here you are."

Harry couldn't think of anything to say. Instead he put the chain around his neck, finding that the phoenix sat comfortably over where his heart was. He then extended his arms to Ginny and they embraced each other. "Thank you." he whispered over and over again into her ear.

They were interrupted by Molly's call for breakfast. Harry couldn't wait.

...

If Harry had thought that Ginny's gift was the only one he would receive that day he was soon put right. Chocolate Frogs, Bertie Bott's Beans and Liquorice Wands soon made their way into his room. Molly had knitted him a new jumper and Arthur gave him an electric torch he had managed to obtain ("You never know when it will be useful"). Hermione gave him a copy of _Hogwarts: A History_ and he promised her he would finally get round to reading it.

George gave him some jokes and gadgets from his shop and Ron had bought him the Quidditch Yearbook for that year. Ginny squealed with delight as the cover showed her favourite team, the Holyhead Harpies. Harry also received many, many cards from his old classmates and most of the staff at Hogwarts. By eleven o'clock he was quite exhausted. He went out into the fields surrounding the Burrow with Ginny, Ron and Hermione and they had a picnic in the sun. They spent the rest of the time flying on the Weasleys' brooms, all except Hermione who shared a broom with Ron.

There was a further surprise for Harry that evening. Molly had invited Luna, her father, Neville and his grandmother for dinner. It transpired Neville and his grandmother were visiting the Lovegoods for a few days and gladly accepted Molly's invitation.

It was a warm evening so they decided to eat outside. As they got started on the fourth course of roast chicken Harry heard flapping and suddenly Fawkes swooped down and dropped an envelope into his lap. It was stamped with the official Ministry of Magic seal.

"I wouldn't have thought Fawkes the type for delivering mail." Hermione observed.

"He's fine. I think he likes the chance to spread his wings once in a while." Harry replied, slitting open the letter. He read it and, to everyone's shock, whooped for joy.

_Dear Mr Potter_

_ We are pleased to inform you that, in view of your exceptional NEWT results, you are hereby offered a place on the Ministry of Magic's Auror training programme. The programme is scheduled to commence on the 10__th__ of September this year._

_ Please RSVP with your acceptance, or otherwise, by no later than the 5__th__ of August._

_ Hope you are well,_

_ Mafalda Hopkirk, Under-Secretary to the Minister of Magic_

"Harry, that's fantastic news!" Ginny forgot all about the others who were there and threw her arms round him tightly. She let go a moment later, suddenly embarrassed.

Harry however was overjoyed. An Auror! He was finally going to be an Auror!

"Well done mate!" Ron was grinning widely. Too widely.

"What?" Harry asked.

Ron said nothing, he just pulled out a similar letter from his pocket. Molly was stunned.

"Ron? You as well? When? Why didn't you say anything?"

Ron shrugged. "I was just waiting for the right moment. This seemed as good as any."

Harry turned back to see Neville sheepishly holding his own letter. Luna smiled in her dreamlike way and put her hand on his. His grandmother was thrilled.

"Oh my Neville! An Auror! Oh if only Alice and Frank could see you..." she tailed off as tears threatened to fall from her eyes. She dabbed at them and soon recovered herself.

The dinner soon became a celebration for all of them, not just for Harry. Harry, however, was thinking only one thing.

Best. Birthday. Ever.

...

Over the course of the following week Harry had only two things on his mind. The Auror training programme, and Ginny's upcoming birthday. The latter one was causing him trouble, even more so since she would be 17. What could he possibly get her that would equal what she gave him? He wore the pendant all the time and smiled whenever it warmed up, knowing that she was thinking of him even when they were apart.

On the morning of the 8th August the family were all sitting at breakfast when Errol, the Weasleys' aging owl, dropped a letter in front of Ginny. She wasn't expecting any mail and so was a bit surprised to see her name on the front. She opened it and practially screamed and jumped up and down. Whatever it was she seemed to like it.

"Ginny, Ginny dear..." Molly tried to calm her down. "GINNY!" Eventually Ginny did calm down. "What is it?" Molly asked her.

"It's from the Holyhead Harpies!" Ginny could hardly keep her voice down, she was that excited. "They want me to try out for them!"

"What?" Ron asked.

"It's right here! 'Dear Miss Weasley, we have been monitoring your progress in Quidditch at Hogwarts and would like to offer you a place at the upcoming tryouts for our team.' Listen! 'We are pleased at what we have seen so far and are confident that you would fit in excellently here'. I'm going to play for my favourite team!"

"Oh my darling girl!" Molly was crying. "I'm so proud of you! When is it?"

"It says here it's the 20th of August! That's this month!" Ginny couldn't contain herself. "Oh it's wonderful! Isn't it wonderful Harry?"

Harry had sat in silence while all this was going on. From his various yearbooks he knew that the Holyhead Harpies were based in the north coast of Wales, approximately 350 miles from Ottery St Catchpole. He knew he was supposed to be happy for her but he couldn't bear the thought of being so far away from her, especially now they had only just found each other again. So when Ginny spoke to him he just grunted non-commitally. "Yeah."

Ginny stared at him, turned and ran upstairs. They all heard the door to her room slam. Harry felt everyone else's eyes upon him and immediately felt bad.

"Ginny, wait!" He went up to her room and knocked on the door. "Ginny it's me." No answer. Harry opened the door and entered.

Ginny was sat on her bed, head in her hands. She was obviously quiet.

"Ginny..." Harry said quietly. Ginny didn't look up.

"You're supposed to be happy for me." she said.

"I am happy for you. I just thought..."

"You just thought what? That I would stay and live off you forever? That I would sit at home while you went out and saved the world again?" Ginny looked at him and her eyes were blazing. "That I wouldn't want to do something I loved and wanted, even though you've always wanted to be an Auror? This is my dream Harry and you're the last person I thought would be in my way!"

"Oh so it's all my fault is it now?" Harry's temper was rising. Part of him wanted to calm down and try to make things better but he wasn't listening.

"I'm not going to argue with you Harry. Just get out."

Harry's anger instantly evaporated. _Just get out._ "No." he said quietly.

"I said get out!"

When Harry didn't budge Ginny made to leave the room herself. Harry caught her wrist on the way past and held on tightly. Ginny looked down at his hand.

"Let go of me Harry."

Harry just shook his head. He could feel the tears gathering in his eyes.

"Let. Go."

With an effort Harry looked into Ginny's eyes. "I promised I would never leave you and I meant it." he said in a voice so quiet it was nearly a whisper. He saw the fury in her eyes drain away to be replaced by her own tears.

"I promised I would stay with you too didn't I?" her voice was just as quiet.

Almost with no conscious thought they flew into each other's arms, crying into each other's shoulders.

"I'm sorry Ginny. I'm so sorry." Harry was saying. "Of course I'm happy for you. I'm so proud of you Gin."

"I'm sorry too Harry." Ginny said. "I was so caught up in it I didn't think that I would be leaving you. I'll tell them I can't come."

"No Gin you have to go." Harry cupped her face in his hands and looked her straight in the eye. "You were right, this is your dream. You have to follow it."

"Oh Harry." And with that they kissed each other for all they were worth. The argument was completely forgotten and might as well never have happened.

"Ginny!" George's voice came up the stairs. "It's gone quiet and mum wanted me to make sure you hadn't killed each other and... oh..." They hadn't moved even when he opened the door on them. His face went as bright red as his hair as he mumbled something and closed the door.

"It's ok mum they're still alive!" They heard his voice as they finally pulled apart. They looked into each other's eyes, smiling at each other.

"Hi." Ginny said.

"Hi." Harry replied, his smile threatening to take the top of his head off.

They linked hands and went back downstairs to rejoin the others.

...

On the 11th of August Ginny received a long thin package. The label read 'For my beloved. I'm so very proud of you. Happy birthday. Harry'. Ginny ripped it open and squealed with delight.

Inside the package was a sparkling, brand new Firebolt 45 broom. She knew it wasn't even officially on the market yet and had no idea how Harry had obtained it. Engraved at the end in gold lettering was the legend 'G. Weasley, Holyhead Harpies', along with a small drawing of a horse.

_I love you Harry._ She thought to herself and gripped her phoenix pendant tightly feeling its warmth and knowing he could feel it as well.

* * *

**A/N Just for the record I don't mind arguments between couples in stories, but the longer they go on the more I wish the author would just make with the lovey-dovey goodness again. When it goes across multiple chapters it's enough to make even me lose interest. So I cut this one down before it really kicked off. Anyway would they really stay mad at each other for long? Next update on Friday.**

**Oh yes and thanks to everyone who commented on my last chapter. I don't think my email inbox has ever been so full so quickly!  
**

**Next Chapter: Letters  
**


	8. Letters

**Disclaimer: All characters, places etc. belong to JK Rowling**

**Chapter 8 – Letters**

_August 20__th__ 1998_

_ My dearest Ginny_

_ I know I told you not to open this until you'd arrived at Holyhead but I bet you're not even there yet and you're reading this._

_ I just wanted to say that these past few months with you have been the happiest of my whole life, without exception. Thank you for, well, for being you and accepting me into your life and your family's life._

_ It's going to be difficult not being able to see your beautiful face everyday but I want you to know I'm so proud of you. You'll be the best player the Harpies have ever had! _

_ I don't know how often we'll be able to write to each other, what with you in training and me at the Ministry, but I promise you that you will never be far from my thoughts. Actually I can feel your birthday present growing warmer as I'm writing this. It's the best present I've ever had and I can't thank you enough for it._

_ I'd better go I can hear your... our mum calling for us to get ready to go to the station. A muggle train! I bet Arthur can't wait!_

_ Write back soon._

_ Love you._

_ Harry_

_...  
_

_August 20__th__ 1998_

_ My Harry_

_ You were right. We haven't even been moving for 5 minutes and I couldn't wait. When I saw your letter in my coat pocket I practically ripped it open._

_ It's strange on this thing. The trolley has all these sweets I've never heard of like Mar Bar and CocoColo. Is this how you felt your first time on the Hogwarts Express? Well I tried some of it and it's lovely. I think I'll be asking you to lay in supplies for me._

_ I'm writing this on the train but I won't be able to send it until we get to where we're going. I don't think these people are used to owls flying in and out of the windows. Not that the windows open anyway. Although I don't think they'd notice really, they're all pressing buttons on these black box things that make beeping noises every five minutes. I wish Dad was here he'd love it._

_ Seeing you standing there on the platform as I got on the train was hard. I nearly changed my mind. I so wanted to stay with you but you're right. We can never truly be apart now. My phoenix is practically on fire! I guess either you're thinking of me or you've dropped it into our fireplace!_

_ I'm nervous Harry. What if I'm not good enough for them? What if I'm the worst person there and they won't even look at me? Although I suppose that might be a good thing as I can come home to you. I'm being silly I know I am but the suspense is killing me. I feel like I'm about to take the biggest exam of my life!_

_ I'd better finish before I make a fool of myself._

_ Write soon._

_ Your Ginny_

_...  
_

_August 21__st__ 1998_

_ My Ginny_

_ I'm so sorry I didn't write back straight away but your parents had me, Ron and George help them with some heavy lifting and I was just too tired to write last night. I spent the whole night squeezing my pendant though as I'm sure you noticed._

_ It's weird I was passing the clock this morning and my photo and your photo were looking very miserable, yours was almost in tears in fact. Then I held my phoenix tightly and both photos suddenly started smiling! Exactly how does that clock work anyway?_

_ Oh yeah another thing, you'll never be a fool to me so don't ever worry about that. I love the way you can let go and be silly, it's something I've never really been able to do. Maybe you can teach me sometime?_

_ You'll be fine at the tryout. I know you will be. You flew rings around everyone else at school and got us our biggest win ever! I've already got the firewhisky ready to celebrate your place on the team. Just be yourself. They'll love you. Like I do._

_ I'll buy a stack of Mars Bars for you and send them as soon as I can. They're supposed to give you energy as well so you don't have to feel guilty about eating them._

_ Good luck for today although I know you won't need it._

_ All my love_

_ Harry_

_...  
_

_August 21__st__ 1998_

_ Harry!_

_ I did it! I did it! I'm on the team! I'm a Holyhead Harpy! I'm so happy!_

_ I tried out for Chaser first then they asked if I can do Seeker as well. They said I was the best they'd seen for the last five years! Gwenog Jones practically offered me the contract there and then! I'm on the starting team as third Chaser and they've put me down as a reserve Seeker as well!_

_ I can't believe this is happening! I'm scared I'll wake up and it's all been a dream!_

_ Thank you for believing in me. I know I couldn't have done this without your support. I'm so lucky to have you. I feel like that giddy eleven year old girl again!_

_ The first game we're playing is on September 5__th__. I can't wait! It's going to be hard training but there's nothing I'd rather be doing. Except maybe being with you. You will be there won't you?_

_ I love you so much._

_ Ginny, Holyhead Harpies_

_...  
_

_August 22__nd__ 1998_

_ To my Happy Holyhead Harpy_

_ Told you so._

_ Seriously I'm so pleased for you. I can see only one problem though. What do I do when you lot play the Chudley Cannons? What am I saying? Of course I'm rooting for you. Ron's only my best mate, you're the one I love!_

_ There was more good news last night after everybody drank their way through that firewhisky I bought. Hermione got a letter from Kingsley to say they've found her parents! She and Ron are leaving next Saturday. I hope it works out for her. She seemed kind of nervous, I don't know if she's told you anything._

_ Of course I'll be there for your first game. We all will. I'm looking forward to seeing you in that dark green robe with your lovely hair streaming out behind it._

_ Better go, mum wants me to de-gnome the garden, again. You'd think by now she'd have worked out that Lockhart's book is a pile of rubbish!_

_ Love you_

_ Harry_

_ PS: Knew I'd forget something. It's you putting me off you evil evil woman! I met my godson properly yesterday. Andromeda brought him round. Ginny you have to meet him, he's brilliant. When he saw me his hair turned red, just like yours! Andromeda is going to bring him round at weekends. Mum's looking forward to it. You should have seen her yesterday, she spoiled the poor child rotten! Anyway I had better finish now. Love you._

...

_August 30__th__ 1998_

_ Dearest Ginny_

_ Hope you got the box of Mars Bars I sent you._

_ Hermione and Ron are back. They haven't said anything and I haven't asked, but I don't think everything went to plan. Hermione's been very quiet, not at all like her normal self and Ron's never been more than two feet away from her. I'm worried but I don't want to press her. She'll tell me when she's ready. Has she said anything to you at all? If she has and she's asked you not to say anything then that's ok I'll be patient._

_ Your father's looking forward to teaching Muggle Studies at Hogwarts. All last week he's been asking me all about things like lamps, parking meters and soap on a rope. He's planning to take the third years on a day trip to London and he's asked Hermione to come along to help out. I think he's trying to take her mind off things but she agreed. I'll let you know how it goes. Or you could just keep an eye on the news._

_ Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention. George has reopened the shop. He was a bit reluctant at first but Angelina promised to help him. They've moved into the flat above the shop. Ron and I have a bet on that they'll get engaged. Ron says it'll be within a couple of months but I say it's more like he'll ask her after Christmas._

_ Six more days until your first game! I don't know about you but I'm excited! I'm really looking forward to seeing you play._

_ All my love_

_ Harry_

_...  
_

_August 31__st__ 1998_

_ My darling Harry_

_ Hermione hasn't said anything. She wrote to say she was back but there was nothing about how it went. I do hope she's ok. At least Ron's there for her._

_ I'm getting a bit nervous to tell you the truth. Gwenog's been pushing us hard this week and every night I just flop into bed and go straight to sleep. But I can't really sleep now. I'm worried I'll mess things up. I know, I know I'll be fine. I just felt my phoenix warm up then. Yeah I'll be fine once I'm out there, it's just the build-up that's killing me._

_ Sorry this letter's a bit short but I really can't think of much else now._

_ Love _

_ Ginny_

_...  
_

_September 6__th__ 1998_

_ Ginny_

_ I'm so sorry your team didn't win._

_ We all thought you had it in the bag. A scoreline like 210 – 70 is amazing and it's a shame your Seeker was just beaten to the snitch. I've read a couple of match reports and everyone seems to be saying it was a fantastic display from the Harpies, but the other team's seeker just got there first. Another couple of seconds and you would have won!_

_ What can I say? I bet you're feeling down but don't. You know as well as I do that things like this happen in Quidditch. As far as I'm concerned you were the best player out there, and I'm not saying that just because I love you. You and the other two Chasers flew rings around the other team and to score 7 goals like that on your first game, well, to say I'm proud doesn't do it justice._

_ It was good to see you in the bar afterwards. I haven't seen you for so long and, well I guess I got a bit carried away. Sorry about that. Hope you didn't get into too much trouble._

_ I might not be able to write for a while. I've got to get ready for Auror training. Four more days! I still can't quite believe it!_

_ Love and kisses_

_ Harry_

_...  
_

_September 6__th__ 1998_

_ My dear Harry the Auror_

_ Don't worry, I'm not cut up about losing. I was at first though but Gwenog got us all together in the changing room and told us that it was no-one's fault, it was just something that happens. Maybe if the snitch had steered right instead of left, maybe if there was a slight updraft, there's no way of knowing._

_ She was very impressed with me though. She insisted on buying me the first round at the bar afterwards. From what she said the Harpies haven't won the first match of a season for the last eighteen years. Although our score was the highest for an opening game for the last twenty three years! They tell me I turned as red as my hair._

_ It wasn't just you getting carried away. I don't think I've ever moved so fast on the ground. Just seeing you and holding you after all this time was worth any defeat. I did get a lot of questions from the girls afterwards. Even Gwenog asked if I could get your autograph!_

_ Our next game isn't for another two weeks so we're straight back to training. I hope you can make it but if you can't then I'll understand._

_ Good luck with the Aurors Harry, they won't know what's hit them!_

_ Love you always and forever_

_ Ginny_

_...  
_

_September 6__th__ 1998_

_ Dearest Ginny_

_ Ron won the bet._

_ Love_

_ Harry

* * *

_

**A/N I dunno I just didn't want to have the Harpies win the first game of the season.**

**Happy new year everyone! As a new year bonus you get the next chapter as well!**

**Next Chapter: Meet the Wilkins  
**


	9. Meet The Wilkins

**Disclaimer: All characters, places etc. belong to JK Rowling****, apart from my own characters**

**Chapter 9 – Meet The Wilkins**

Two days later Hermione told Harry the whole story about what had happened in Australia.

...

"You ok?" Ron asked.

Hermione nodded. They had taken a long distance portkey and arrived in Melbourne. The address Hermione had been given was fairly easy to track down, and now they were stood at a door. Hermione had never felt more nervous in her life.

"Don't worry about it." Ron put his arm around her. "We'll just go in there, you perform the counter-charm, then we can all go home."

Hermione smiled at him. She didn't believe it would be quite that straightforward but she was grateful to Ron for being there with her. She took a deep breath and rang the door bell.

The door opened and it took all of Hermione's self control to not react. There in the doorway stood her mother. However her eyes showed no recognition. She looked at Hermione and Ron.

"Yes? Can I help you?"

Hermione composed herself. "Mrs Wilkins?" The woman nodded. "My name is Hermione Granger. I wonder if I might have a word with you and your husband?"

The woman who answered to Mrs Wilkins nodded. "Of course, come in. I was just about to make some tea. Would you like some?"

Hermione nodded, painfully aware of the slight Australian accent present in the woman's voice. Was this really her mother? No it was her. No matter what she thought it was still her mother.

Hermione and Ron entered the house. Mrs Wilkins led them into a room with large windows and large sofas. Hermione looked around the room. Here and there were photos of Mrs Wilkins and her husband but none, she noticed with a twinge of sadness, of her.

"My husband's out in the garden but he'll be in in a minute." Mrs Wilkins left them there and went into her kitchen, which was a walk in area leading off from the lounge.

Ron sat down next to Hermione so he could speak to her quietly. "Just do it and get it over with." Hermione nodded but before she could reply Mrs Wilkins came back with four steaming mugs of tea. She set them down on a small table and sat down. While they were waiting Hermione tried to make small talk.

"So how long have you been here? I mean it's probably just me but it sounds like you weren't from here originally."

"No you're right." Mrs Wilkins smiled. "We came from England originally. It was about a year ago. My husband's job led him out here and we decided to come over. After all it's not like there was anything really tying us to England."

Hermione fought back a tear as she recognised the false memories she had placed in her mother's head. "So how are you finding it here?"

"It's great! It's probably the best thing that ever happened to us! My husband's dental surgery has grown and he's now senior dentist! Ah that'll be him now." Mrs Wilkins turned to the back door as Mr Wilkins came in.

"G'day, I see we have visitors." he said. Hermione introduced herself and Ron.

"They said they have something to tell us." Mrs Wilkins told her husband.

"Of course. Well, what is it?"

Hermione had been fingering her wand and was about to bring it out and cast the spell when the back door burst open again. A young boy of nine ran in.

"Uncle Wendell! Uncle Wendell! Come and look at this!" He noticed Hermione and Ron. "Aunt Monica? Who's this?"

Mrs Wilkins performed the introductions again and turned to Hermione. "This is Steven. Poor boy, his parents were killed in a car crash about six months ago. He lives with his elderly aunt about two doors down but, well, she can't cope with him all the time and we never had any children of our own... so..."

"He's sort of become our adopted son." Mr Wilkins finished, putting his arm around Steven's shoulder. Hermione extended her hand.

"Well I'm very pleased to meet you." She felt a lump rising in her throat. "Er, we'd better go."

Ron was surprised. He opened his mouth to say something but at a look from Hermione he shut it again.

"Didn't you want to speak to us?" Mr Wilkins asked.

"Er, can we come back tomorrow? It's just I've remembered something important we've got to do." Hermione stammered, just wanting to get out of that house.

...

They got about halfway down the road when Hermione stopped, leaned against the wall and burst out crying.

"Hermione? Sweetheart? What's the matter?" Ron asked, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"I... I just co... couldn't do it." Hermione sobbed. "They... they looked so ha... happy and... and who am I to take that from them? And that boy! I just... I just can't." She slid down the wall and sat on the floor with her head in her hands.

Ron squatted down next to her. He put his hand under her chin and gently lifted her head to look at him.

"Hermione listen to me. The evening after Ginny left on the train, Harry and me, we were sitting outside the house in the garden watching the sunset. Then Harry told me something. He told me he loved my sister."

"B... but we knew that anyway." Hermione was still in tears.

"Yes but then he told me why he loved her. He said that Ginny was one of the very few people who had always been completely one hundred percent honest with him." Hermione looked at him puzzled. Ron continued. "All through his life people have either lied to him or deliberately kept things from him because they thought they were protecting him." He looked down at the ground. "Even us."

"But... but we never..." Hermione started but Ron shook his head.

"We have love. Remember the summer before the fifth year? We could have told Harry what was happening but we didn't. We left him in the dark."

"We were following Dumbledore's advice!" Hermione said. "It was for Harry's own good!"

"Yeah. Everyone kept Harry in the dark for his own good. And look what happened. We were lured to the Department of Mysteries to do Voldemort's dirty work for him and we nearly all got killed. Sirius did get killed." Ron looked into Hermione's eyes. "Whatever happens your parents need to know the truth. Let them remember. You'll only hate yourself if you don't."

He held out his hand to her and helped her up. They made their way back to the hotel they were staying at and Hermione cried all night, Ron's arms around her.

...

The next morning found Hermione and Ron back at the Wilkins' house. Hermione was even more nervous now than she was the day before. She still didn't know if what she was doing was the right thing, but Ron had a point. It was better to know than to be left in the dark. And she would have hated herself if she didn't.

Ron held her hand as she took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. She was so grateful to him for being there, she didn't believe she would have been able to carry on if he wasn't next to her every step of the way.

They heard steps approaching the door and after a few seconds it opened. Mrs Wilkins smiled as she saw them.

"Miss Granger isn't it? And Mr Weasley? Come in, come in. Tea?"

They were led back to the Wilkins' lounge where Mr Wilkins was waiting for them. He stood and shook their hands and invited them to sit down while Mrs Wilkins made the drinks.

When they were all together Mr Wilkins cleared his throat.

"_Ahem, _so, what was it you wanted to talk about?"

Hermione stiffened herself. _This is it_.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry."

And before anyone could react she pulled her wand out, pointed it at the Wilkins and spoke in a loud, clear voice.

"_Finite Obliviate._"

A yellow light shot from the end of her wand and struck both Mr and Mrs Wilkins. They both put their hands to their heads and shook. After a few minutes they looked up.

"Mum? Dad?" Hermione asked tentatively.

"Hermione? Oh Hermione!" Mrs Wilkins, who now knew herself to be Mrs Granger, spoke in a quiet voice, as if she was waking from a very deep sleep.

Hermione rushed to them and put her arms round them both, whispering over and over "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." All three of them were in tears. Ron watched them, hands twitching to hold Hermione but he held back, knowing that this was something she had to do herself.

"Is... is it over?" Mr Granger asked.

"Yes. Yes dad it's over." Hermione smiled. "We can all go home now."

Mr and Mrs Granger looked at each other. Hermione realised instantly something was amiss. Mrs Granger took a deep breath.

"Well dear, we know why you did what you did and we know you saved our lives. But..."

"But we can't go back, at least not yet." Mr Granger continued. Hermione could see the sadness in his eyes but his manner was strong, determined. "You see love, we can still remember our lives the last year, even though we thought we were the Wilkins." He put his hand on Hermione's cheek. "You are our daughter and we love you more than anything but we've made our own lives here. And there's Steven. We can't leave him alone again." Now the tears fell from his eyes but his voice didn't waver.

Hermione closed her eyes, hardly daring to believe what she was hearing. She didn't look at Ron, couldn't look at him. She couldn't look at him, couldn't let him see her like this. "So that's it?"

she asked.

Mrs Granger bit her lip and held Hermione's hand. "Darling, you're 18 now. You're a grown woman. A beautiful grown woman. You have people who love you," here she looked over at Ron for a second, then back to Hermione. "It's time for you to make your own way in the world. You'll always be welcome here and we'll be happy to see you, but this is where we belong now."

Ron couldn't stand it any more. He stood up and walked over to them. Kneeling behind Hermione he held out his arms to her. She let go of her parents and threw her arms around Ron, still crying her eyes out. Mr and Mrs Granger shared a look that seemed to say _She'll be alright._

_...  
_

The two teens left shortly afterwards. Hermione didn't say anything and Ron didn't speak to her. They were silent the whole trip back to the hotel. It was only once they were in their room that Hermione completely broke down.

She screamed and cried and kicked the bed and tore at the bed clothes. Ron wondered for a second if he should interfere then he abandoned caution and flung his arms around her, holding her tighter than he had ever done before.

"Why? Why? Why is this happening?" Hermione screamed into Ron's shoulder. Ron had no answer for her. He just held her all afternoon and late into the evening as she poured out her grief and sadness.

...

"And then the next day we caught a portkey back here." Hermione finished. Harry was speechless. To go through all that trouble only to come back empty handed! He held out his arms and hugged Hermione for a second.

"Are you ok?" he asked her.

Hermione shook her head. "No I'm not. I think I might be soon though. It's just something I never thought would happen." She looked over at Ron, who was sat next to her, holding her hand the entire time. "Ron's been amazing the whole time."

Harry could only shake his head. He thought once the war was over everything would be perfect. Now it looked as if nothing would ever be wholly right again. He thought of Ginny, pulled out his phoenix pendant and squeezed it tightly. He felt it grow warm in his hand and knew she was squeezing hers.

He had never been more thankful that he now had a family that loved him.

* * *

**A/N First OC for those of you paying attention to the disclaimer.  
**

**A quick aside: Reading Deathly Hallows again, Hermione comes across as a bit naive when talking about her parents. She's like "Yeah I wiped my parent's memories and sent them to Australia for ooh let's say a year then when this is over I'm going to go there and snap my fingers and they'll instantly abandon whatever life they've made for themselves and any friends they've made and come rushing back to England." Probably just me but I don't think she quite thought that through.**

**And as for Ginny being the only person to be completely honest with Harry, I can't find any instance when she lied to him or hid things from him. I'm probably wrong though.  
**

**Next Chapter: Back To The Ministry  
**


	10. Back To The Ministry

**Disclaimer: All characters, places etc. belong to JK Rowling, apart from my own characters**

**Chapter 10 – Back To The Ministry**

Harry woke early on the morning of the 10th September. Today was the day! Finally! He had waited for this for so long! He didn't quite know what to expect but he knew that this was what he wanted above all else. The only thing he wanted more was to be with Ginny.

Harry got dressed and went downstairs, pausing briefly outside Ginny's room, wishing that she could be there. However he knew that she was happy where she was and that she would be thinking of him today. He knew though that Hermione was still using Ginny's room and knocked on the door softly.

"Hermione?"

There was no answer so Harry quietly opened the door. Hermione was sat on the edge of her bed, gazing out of the window. She turned when Harry came into the room.

"Hi." She had been crying again, although it didn't seem to be as bad this time.

"Hi. You ok?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, it's just that... You and Ron, Aurors! I wish my parents could be here to see it." She suddenly realised what she said. "Oh Harry I'm so sorry! I wasn't thinking!"

"It's fine." Harry said. "I know my parents would have been proud of me. Actually I think they are, you know? It... this just feels right. Like it's what I've been working towards all my life."

Hermione smiled, the curl of her mouth a stark contrast to the tear tracks running down her cheeks. "Harry you're the best wizard out of all three of us. You'll be great. Ron will as well. I mean he knows he's not as good as you but I know he's still going to be fantastic. Actually I..." She looked down then carried on. "I was thinking of applying to the Ministry myself. Oh not for the Auror department," she said quickly off Harry's look, "For Law Enforcement or something like that. I don't know, I'd just rather be doing something productive."

"Maybe you could make a Department of SPEW." Harry said and they both laughed. Hermione shook her head.

"Go on get downstairs. You've both got an important day ahead of you."

...

Later that morning Harry and Ron found themselves standing outside the red public telephone box which served as the Ministry of Magic's visitor entrance. Harry couldn't help but remember a day two years ago when he, Ron, Ginny, Hermione, Neville and Luna used this same entrance in an attempt to save Sirius from Voldemort. He shook his head. He couldn't afford to dwell on the past, especially not today. He thought instead about the letter Ginny had sent him that morning, wishing him luck and assuring him that there was nothing to worry about.

Inside the phone box Harry dropped in a coin and pushed the numbers 6, 2, 4, 4, 2. A voice replied asking his business.

"Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. Auror Training." he said. Two badges dropped out of the phone and he and Ron put them on as the box descended to the main atrium. When it stopped Harry and Ron made their way to the Ministry's reception desk.

"Ah, Mr Potter and Mr Weasley." The wizard on the desk checked their names off on a list. Harry sneaked a look at the parchment. There didn't seem to be all that many names on it. The wizard carried on talking. "If you could just register your wands and then go through that door on your left there. The other candidates are waiting there as well."

Inside the indicated room Harry saw that there were about five other people gathered. He didn't know two of them, a man and a girl, but instantly recognised Neville and waved at him. The people Neville was speaking to turned round as well and Harry felt his mouth open in surprise.

Dean Thomas and Justin Finch-Fletchley.

They came over and shook Harry's hand. Harry was surprised to see Seamus wasn't present. He said as much. Dean answered.

"Yeah Seamus got a letter too but he wanted to go back to work with his mother. She's running a potion making business. Hopefully he won't blow anything important up." They laughed as they remembered Seamus's knack for setting even the simplest things on fire. They stopped when the door opened and Kingsley Shacklebolt entered the room. He was followed by a man Harry had never seen before. This man had obviously seen action as he had a grizzled look and a scar down one cheek.

Kingsley spoke first. "Good morning everyone. Well I'm sure I don't need to tell you why you are here. This is Pearson, one of our best Aurors and your training supervisor. I think it best if I let him take over." With that he left the room. Harry heard Neville gulp behind him.

Pearson stepped forward. "My name is Pearson. Not 'sir', not 'boss', not 'mister', just Pearson. And I know who each of you are. Each of you has been chosen for this opportunity because you have demonstrated skills which I think we can use here. This programme will take the following form: Two days of assessment, after which you will be assigned to the Auror branch I think you are most suited for. After which you will be under your new section head. Any questions?"

There were none. Neville had gone positively pale. Harry didn't know if he liked this Pearson but he knew experience when he saw it and this man obviously had a lot of it.

"Then follow me." With that Pearson led the group out of the room towards one of the many lifts. Once inside, Pearson pushed a button. The lift started moving and again Harry was reminded of previous visits to the Ministry. He wondered which floor they were heading for when the lift suddenly stopped and the doors opened.

"Auror quartermaster's office." Pearson said by way of explanation. "Here you will be issued with your Auror gear." He led them to another room containing a desk, with a short bald wizard with spectacles stood behind it, and a series of coathooks, each bearing a long brown coat. Pearson said something to the short wizard and he retrieved one of the coats. Pearson looked at the group.

"Put your wands on the desk." They did so. Pearson continued. "Let's see now... Potter you'll do. Come here." No please or thank you, Harry noticed. This man was used to giving orders and having them obeyed. He stepped forward and accepted the coat which Pearson held out to him. Putting it on he found that it was about five sizes too big. The sleeves dangled past his hands. He looked at Pearson questioningly. To his surprise the short wizard smiled. Harry assumed he was the subject of a joke until he felt the coat constrict and shrink. After about a minute it was the perfect size for him. He also noticed that the colour of the coat had darkened. His astonishment obviously showed on as the short quartermaster wizard grinned widely.

"The coat identifies your build and alters itself to fit." he explained. "Now no-one else can use that coat." He was almost jumping up and down with enthusiasm. At a nod from Pearson he carried on. "Put your hand in the coat's pocket."

Harry was about to say that there wouldn't be anything in there but instead he did as instructed. He was surprised to find something vaguely cylindrical. He pulled it out. It was a bottle of some sort of potion. He opened the bottle and sniffed it. It was Polyjuice Potion.

The short wizard noticed. "The latest thing! The coat determines what you might have need of and summons items to its pockets! But that's not the best thing! Here, pick up your wand." Harry did so. "Now hold it at about shoulder height... no higher... that's it! Ok now drop your wand. Just open your hand and let it fall."

Harry did as he was told. It was surprisingly difficult to deliberately drop something but he managed it. Instead of falling to the ground he was amazed to see it disappear into the coat's sleeve as if it had been sucked in. He felt around the cuff but he could find no sign of his wand. The wizard was practically squealing with delight.

"Now curl your fingers, as if you were holding your wand." Harry did this and his wand shot back out from his sleeve and landed neatly in his fist. The wizard continued explaining, his voice getting higher and higher, like a child showing off a new toy. "Undetectable Extension Charm in the cuff. Makes it impossible to lose your wand. Of course it'll only work with your specific wand but it can reduce the time it takes to draw your wand to practically nothing."

Harry was impressed. He practised this a few times as the rest of the group were given their coats. Neville was surprised to find seeds in his pocket. His knowledge of Herbology meant he knew instantly what they were.

"Devil's snare and tentacular seeds! The things I could do with these!" Obviously excited, he put the plant seeds back into the pockets and picked up his wand to practice drawing and hiding it in his sleeve.

The rest of the day was spent with Pearson conducting a tour of the different Auror sections and explaining what they did. At the end of the day he told them to report to him at nine o'clock the next day for skill assessment.

Harry and Ron returned to the Burrow in high spirits. Pearson had told them that since an Auror was deemed to be on always on duty, they were to keep the coats with them at all times. They spent the evening experimenting with the coats. Ron still couldn't get over the idea that he could never now drop his wand. Eventually they went to bed, hardly able to wait for the next day.

...

The next morning Harry and Ron were back at the Ministry of Magic, along with Dean, Neville, Justin and the two other Auror candidates, who Harry had learned were brother and sister. Their names were Edward and Eleanor Howers, although they insisted on being called Eddie and Ellie respectively.

At nine o'clock precisely the door opened and Pearson entered the room. "Good morning lady and gentlemen." he said, "Today we shall be conducting an assessment of your magical skills to determine what the best position for you will be. The simplest way to do this is a duel. Each of you will duel with one of our top Aurors. Let me make it clear you are not required to win your duel, but you are required to make the best of whatever abilities you have. These are experienced magic users and will not make it easy for you. Any questions?" Harry noticed Neville had gone completely white. Neville raised his hand. Pearson acknowledged him.

"Can we use things from our coat pockets?" Neville asked.

Pearson nodded. "You may use one item from your coat pockets but only one item. It can, however be any item you wish." There were no more questions after that but Neville looked slightly relieved.

They were led to a large room resembling a circular arena, with a viewing gallery around the top. Waiting for them were seven rather large hard-looking men. "These will be your opponents." Pearson explained. "To keep things as straightforward as possible we will go in alphabetical order." That meant Justin went first. "The rest of you will take seats in the viewing gallery to observe."

Justin tried his best in his duel and got some good hits in, but his opponent noticed that he very often favoured defence on his right side and his left side was wide open. He got caught with a Stunning spell to the left side of his chest and was thrown back against the wall. When he didn't get up after ten seconds Pearson nodded and made a note on a piece of parchment.

"Next one."

As Harry waited for his turn he found himself mentally evaluating the others' techniques. Eddie and Ellie both had the same problem. They favoured high attacks and defence and were both caught out by low Trip jinxes. Neville, however, did surprisingly well and won his duel. Because Pearson had made it clear what they were allowed to use Neville threw a Tentacular seed at his opponent and caused it to sprout in mid air. The Auror was unable to react quick enough and became entangled in the vines, at which point Neville brought him down by casting _Petrificus Totalus_. Harry couldn't help but notice some pride in Neville's voice as he cast the spell.

It was now Harry's turn. He made his way down to the arena and came face to face with a large man with a network of scars across his face. His mouth curled into a sneer.

"So this is the famous Harry Potter. My name is McKendrick, although that won't help you at all. So. Show me what you got."

He made no move to attack Harry, he just stood there waiting. Harry cast a Stunning spell at him which he easily blocked. Harry then tried _Expelliarmus_ but McKendrick lazily dodged out of the way.

"Is that it? _Stupefy!"_

The spell hit Harry in the dead centre of his chest and he was thrown backwards, but found he was quickly able to get back to his feet. He had the nasty feeling McKendrick was toying with him.

McKendrick's sneer grew larger. "So this is the boy who defeated the Dark Lord? I don't believe it! I think you just took all the credit for other people's work. The Boy Who Lived. Pah! The Boy Who Wanted Attention more like." As he went on Harry was vaguely reminded of his Aunt Marge, who had made it her life's mission to insult him and his parents.

Something snapped inside Harry. He closed his eyes. He was not going to let this idiot beat him or humiliate him in front of people who had risked everything for him. At the same time he knew he was not going to win this by losing control. He could hear Snape's voice in his memory from his disastrous attempts at Occlumency. _Empty yourself of emotion_._ Master yourself_. Harry took a deep breath, assumed the ready position taught to him by Sirius and Remus – wand above his head, other hand stretched in front of him, opened his eyes and looked directly at McKendrick. He whispered two words, quiet enough so that only McKendrick could hear.

"_Bring it_."

...

In the viewing gallery Ron was worried. He knew Harry's temper and knew that McKendrick was baiting him deliberately. When Harry took up the classic ready position Ron breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that whatever happened Harry would give his best shot and not lose control. He sat back to watch.

Harry cast three Stunning spells in quick succession. They were all blocked by his opponent but as he blocked the last one Harry had already cast his next spell. "_Impedimenta_". McKendrick barely had time to leap out of the way but he just managed it. He responded by casting _Incarcerous_ back at Harry who shouted "_Protego_!" and the spell impacted harmlessly against Harry's shield.

And then it was truly on.

They cast spells and jinxes and counter-jinxes, ducking and dodging and blocking faster than Ron could keep track of. An attempt by McKendrick to set fire to Harry's coat resulted in a face full of water from Harry's _Aquamenti_. Harry's quick-shot _Stupefy_ continuously rebounded against McKendrick's shield spell.

Ron glanced over at Pearson who had put his parchment down and was leaning forward in his seat, not taking his eyes off what was happening below. Ron looked round at the others. They were just as riveted, especially Eddie and Ellie who had never seen Harry in action before. Ron quickly realised they weren't alone as more people had come to join them. Evidently word of Harry had spread around the ministry and even Kingsley Shacklebolt had come to watch the duel.

Ron turned his eyes back to the fight below him, mentally urging Harry on but also worried about how long he could last. His heart skipped a beat when Harry stumbled, but it soon became obvious that it was a feint and McKendrick was nearly caught off guard. Then Harry did something unexpected. He cried out "_Expecto Patronum_" and his stag Patronus appeared and charged at McKendrick. Ron knew the spell couldn't harm McKendrick and he wondered what Harry was doing. It soon became clear though.

McKendrick slashed at the stag, causing it to vanish, but as his attention was on the stag he didn't notice the stunners heading his way until the last minute. He dodged two but the last took him in his shoulder, hurling him back. It was a testament to his strength that he almost immediately got back on his feet. Harry seemed shocked by this. McKendrick drew his wand back, obviously intending to finish the fight once and for all. Ron couldn't see how Harry could win against that.

...

Harry was not shocked by McKendrick's recovery. In fact, as McKendrick prepared his final spell, Harry grinned. This was what he had been waiting for. Harry concentrated all his will towards his opponent's wand.

McKendrick thrust his wand forward. "_Petrificus Totalus_!"

Harry was ready. "_Expelliarmus_!"

The two spells collided and, as Harry had been expecting, fused into a single stream of energy connecting both his wand and McKendrick's wand.

Wandlock.

McKendrick tried to tear his wand away but through sheer force of will Harry maintained the lock. He smirked to himself. Ever since repairing his wand with the Elder Wand it had become more powerful, as he had seen at the memorial service at Hogwarts when he was able to lift that five ton plaque by himself. He suspected the Elder Wand had transferred some of its powers across, but for now it didn't matter. Against a wand like McKendrick's there was no contest.

Finally, Harry tore his wand away and McKendrick stumbled backwards, his own wand flying out of his hand and clattering to the floor some distance away. In the same smooth movement Harry spun round, pointed his wand at McKendrick and cried out in a loud voice "_Stupefy_!". The spell hit McKendrick dead centre of his chest and he was blasted back against the wall. He didn't get up again.

The onlookers erupted into cheers and applause. Harry looked up and saw that there were many more people there now. Even Pearson was smiling as he made a note on his parchment. Ron, Neville, Dean and Justin were on their feet cheering and whistling and Eddie and Ellie were amazed at what had just happened. Harry waved at them all.

Pearson held his hand up for silence. When he got it he spoke.

"Thank you Potter. Next?"

...

After the last two duels ended with Ron winning his duel and Dean and his opponent knocking each other out, Pearson returned them to the waiting room to announce the results.

"Finch-Fletchley, Howers and Howers, you will be assigned to the Forensic Magic section of the Aurors. Report to Ames at nine o'clock tomorrow for your first assignment." Harry noticed that Justin was quite pleased. Not surprising really, he had seen Justin stealing glances at Ellie all day. "Potter, Weasley, Longbottom and Thomas, you are assigned to Criminal Investigation under myself. All of you, welcome to the Aurors!"

They all cheered, Harry louder than anyone. He had done it. He was now Harry Potter - Auror.

* * *

**A/N If anyone wants to know my reasoning on how Harry was able to force that wandlock let me know and I'll try to explain  
**

**Next Chapter: Harry Potter - Auror**


	11. Harry Potter Auror

**Disclaimer: All characters, places etc. belong to JK Rowling, apart from my own characters**

**Chapter 11 – Harry Potter - Auror**

Harry quickly settled in to life as an Auror. To his great surprise, Pearson turned out to be a friendly outgoing person. Apparently his gruff demeanour was an act he put on when encountering suspects, informants or new recruits. It turned out that he had a wife and two daughters. During the war and especially the takeover of the Ministry he sent them away while he himself contrived to be "in the field", aiding the resistance where he could.

On the fifth day Pearson walked into the office he shared with Harry, Ron, Dean, Neville and two other Aurors called Williams and Franklin. He was carrying four small envelopes. "Good morning gentlemen." he said.

They all wished him good morning in return. Harry noticed that Pearson was a bit more sombre this morning.

"Is everything ok Pearson?" he asked.

"Yes everything's fine. In fact your final bit of paperwork has just come through." Pearson distributed the envelopes to the new Aurors. Harry looked at his. It had no other markings other than his name and what he presumed was a registration number. He opened the envelope. Inside was a small, stiff piece of parchment. On it was printed his picture, his name and his date of joining the Aurors. In the bottom right-hand corner he saw three tick boxes. Before he could examine them closer Pearson spoke.

"As you have probably guessed, these are your official Auror licenses. As with your other Auror equipment, you are to keep these with you at all times. You will find that your longcoats have a special compartment for these." Pearson paused for breath.

_ Was there anything the Auror longcoats couldn't do? _Harry wondered. Pearson carried on.

"You have probably noticed by now the small section on the bottom right of your licenses. As you know our job is to uphold the law, however there are occasions when the law requires some... flexibility. This is a fact of the job." Harry remembered a couple of occasions the previous year when he had been forced to use the Imperius and Cruciatus curses. He had felt sick afterwards though. Pearson's voice brought him back. "As I'm sure you remember from school, there are three unforgivable curses. I don't need to tell you what they are. I will say this though. As Aurors you are expected to make use of all available resources as and when necessary." He paused.

Neville put his hand up. "Do you mean we might have to use the unforgivable curses ourselves? Isn't that illegal?"

Pearson nodded. "The Ministry is well aware of the terrible power these spells have. As such the laws governing reasonable use contain a stipulation that only those who have personally experienced one of the curses themselves can use such curses, and only the particular curse they experienced can be used. Even then you would be expected to give proper justification for doing so."

Harry looked over at Ron's license. He could see only one of the three boxes ticked. The box was marked with an 'I'. Looking over at Neville's, Harry saw that 'I' and 'C' were ticked. He looked down at his own license.

All three were ticked. 'I', 'C' and the bottom one was marked 'AK'.

Harry looked up to see Pearson looking at him steadily.

"Congratulations Potter. You are the first Auror in the Ministry's history to be licensed to use Avada Kedavra, the killing curse."

Harry shook his head. "But I'd never..." Pearson interrupted him.

"I sincerely hope you never do but no-one knows what circumstances may arise." His tone of voice seemed to indicate a story from his past but Harry guessed that now was not the time to ask personal questions.

Harry felt the others' eyes on him and hastily stuffed his new license into his pocket. "So what have we got on today?" he asked, trying to change the subject. Pearson smiled and handed out the day's tasks.

...

Over the weeks that followed Harry found that there were two sides to an Auror's work. Long periods of poring over documents and interviewing suspects looking for that one detail which would lead to the frantic bouts of action as yet another Death Eater was captured and sent to Azkaban.

Harry loved it, every minute of it. There was something about finding that one small line in a long roll of parchment or one element of a story that didn't quite add up that gave him a huge buzz, which only made the final payoff as a criminal was caught more rewarding. He had not yet needed to exercise his license to use the three unforgivable curses, actively seeking other ways to resolve situations, and he tried not to think about the situation which would inevitably arise when he would have to use the killing curse, let alone the other two.

The most satisfying case Pearson's team investigated, at least from Harry's point of view, was when they finally tracked down Dolores Umbridge, who had gone into hiding when Tom Riddle finally fell. Harry would never forget the look on her face when he blasted down the door of the small house she was living in and disarmed her with the merest flick of his wand. _Where's your Defensive Magical Theory now?_ he wanted to shout in her face but restrained himself, knowing that he would have all the opportunity in the world to gloat when it came to her trial. The scars on his hand - "_I must not tell lies_" - were still visible even now.

One thing which the others noticed about Harry was that, no matter who they were chasing, no matter how evil or how ruthless their target, Harry always gave one chance to come quietly where others might have used force first. When, as inevitably happened, the targets in question refused, often sending their refusal via a powerful spell, Harry showed no mercy, disarming, stunning and body-binding.

The others also had their moments in the spotlight. Neville manage to pull off a particularly intricate capture using a few well placed cactuses and an ivy plant that was growing on the side of the house in question. He still beamed at the thought of it.

Ron, on the other hand, found his niche in stakeouts. He somehow had a knack of finding exactly the right spell needed to eavesdrop on a suspect's house, meeting or other situation. Many of their captures were due to Ron hearing something important at the right time. Harry saw that Ron always carried the Deluminator that Dumbledore had left to him, and it became his most versatile tool.

Dean showed a surprising ability to get leads from informants. He mostly worked with Pearson, working the wizarding underworld and, in some cases, even obtaining information from muggle sources, mostly homeless people who saw things that others wouldn't think to see or remember.

All in all, they were a fantastic team and quickly established themselves as one of the most effective Auror departments in recent history. There was nothing Harry would rather have been doing and nowhere he would rather be.

...

Actually there was.

Harry and Ginny wrote to each other at least once a day. When that wasn't possible due to work or tiredness, they always made up for it in the next letter. Whenever Harry felt lonely or tense or pressured he squeezed his phoenix pendant and felt the warmth from Ginny's in return. Fawkes willingly ferried letters and parcels back and forth between the two of them and Harry sometimes wondered if somewhere in all that bird's fire was a romantic spark.

Harry and Ron also made time to go and see every Holyhead Harpies game. After their defeat on the first game of the season they bounced back with a vengeance and were now seen as a serious contender for the league cup, having landed a place in the top three league teams for the first time in eighty years.

There was one potentially sticky moment though when the Harpies played the Chudley Cannons, who were still Ron's favourite team. The Cannons were thoroughly thrashed by the Harpies, helped somewhat by the fact that Ginny had been put in the Seeker position. Harry was transfixed by the sight of her red hair streaming behind her as she dodged and wove through the other players, and he cheered louder than anyone else as her hands finally closed around the Snitch. The Cannon's seeker had barely left his starting position.

Harry saw that Ron wasn't cheering. "What's wrong?"

Ron's head was in his hands. "370-10! What sort of scoreline is that?"

Harry chuckled. "That's your own fault for teaching her to fly a broom before she could even walk properly."

"Whatever." Ron said sulkily.

Harry always looked forward to the games, but he looked forward to the after-game celebrations even more. Ginny would let him know where the Harpies would be going for after-match drinks and food and Harry always made sure he got there first, ready for her to rush into his arms. Those times were always painfully brief but Harry treasured them even more because of it and he always came away with a couple of good memories.

The first time Harry brought Teddy to a game he caused quite a stir. As soon as the girls saw him they immediately started cooing over him. Ginny was the most smitten, snatching him from Harry as soon as she could. Teddy looked thoughtfully at her hair and extended a pudgy hand to stroke it. Then he screwed up his face in concentration and his own hair suddenly changed colour to match Ginny's. Ginny and the other girls immediately gave a cry of "Awwwww" and Ginny held him closer. Teddy responded by snuggling into her neck.

Harry's mouth had dropped open. For a moment he saw Ginny cradling their own child, then he shook his head. There was no rush for that. After all they had forever. It was definitely something he wanted someday though. Instead he grinned at them.

"I think he likes you." he said, indicating Teddy.

"Well I like him." Ginny said, smiling. "He's a good judge of character. Must have had a good teacher."

Harry didn't respond, instead he just smiled and wallowed in his daydream a little longer. All too soon, however, it was time to go. Ginny gave Teddy a quick kiss and Harry a much longer kiss which resulted in whistles and catcalls from the rest of the team.

...

Autumn slowly gave way to winter and as it did so Death Eater activity began to dwindle. Pearson warned them all to be constantly vigilant and Harry was reminded of a certain other Auror with a magical false eye who had once said something similar. Eventually though even Pearson was forced to admit that there were no more apparent threats to security for the time being. He even started to allow them more and more time off, on the provision that they would have their Auror longcoats to hand at all times.

Harry used this time to put some of his own personal affairs in order. Sirius's old house at Grimmauld Place had now not been occupied for over a year and Harry certainly had no desire to continue keeping it. Instead he donated it to a wizard organisation looking to rehouse those who had lost their homes during the last months of the war, hoping that it would finally be able to do some good instead of being a den of hatred and loathing.

There was also the matter of his parents' house at Godric's Hollow, or at least what was left of it. Harry had recently received a letter informing him that now he was of age he was the legal owner of everything his parents owned. He laughed as he imagined a great Potter legacy, with a manor with wing after wing of rooms and an army of house elves ready to serve. No, he didn't need any of that. Everything he wanted was right here in the Burrow, apart from the one person that currently resided in North Wales.

Harry resolved to go back to Godric's Hollow when the opportunity presented itself. He needed to spend more time there as his last visit had been rather brief. At the very least he wanted to find out as much as he could about his parents.

As December began Harry's thoughts were turning more and more to Christmas. This would be the first Christmas as a member of the Weasley family rather than as a guest and he wanted to make it a good one. Most of the family were easy to buy for but he wanted to find something really special for Ginny. He knew that she would say he didn't need to as he was all she wanted but he still felt that it would be the right thing to do. He still had no idea how he would top the phoenix pendants though. He could feel it getting warm beneath his shirt and his hand strayed to it to squeeze it in response.

Harry also kept himself up to date about what was happening at Hogwarts, especially with Arthur and Lucius. He had been very surprised to learn recently that the two of them were fast becoming good friends. At the start Lucius had kept very much to himself, aware of his past and what everyone thought of him, but gradually Arthur managed to bring him out of his shell, having decided that what was done was in the past. Harry had nearly died of laughter when he read that Arthur and Lucius had gotten drunk in the Three Broomsticks one night and tried to enchant a dog's bone to work like a "fellytone" as Arthur called it. Harry shook his head. The future really was nothing like he could ever have imagined.

There was more good news. Pearson informed them that, owing to the lack of cases which required investigation, they could have two weeks off over Christmas and New Year. He did impress on them the need for constant vigilance however, and Harry was again reminded of Mad-Eye Moody. Pearson himself would be taking his family away on holiday, having decided that he could leave the security of the wizarding world in very capable hands.

That night, as Harry and Ron sat down with Molly and Hermione to dinner, the fireplace flamed into life and Fawkes flew out, circling the room and landing on Harry's shoulder. He was carrying an envelope bearing the handwriting that Harry never tired of seeing. He ripped open the letter and nearly whooped with delight.

Ginny had been given time off from the Harpies. She would be arriving by train that weekend. Harry was nearly overcome with joy.

Ginny was coming home for Christmas.

* * *

**A/N: After I wrote this I noticed that I'd unintentionally put in a little cockney rhyming slang joke. See if you can spot it.  
**

**Next Chapter: Harpy Christmas**


	12. Harpy Christmas

**Disclaimer: All characters, places etc. belong to JK Rowling, apart from my own characters**

**Chapter 12 - Harpy Christmas**

The next few days dragged by very slowly for Harry. But finally Saturday came and by half-past ten he, Ron, Hermione and Molly were at the train station awaiting Ginny's arrival. Harry was tapping his foot impatiently.

"Stop doing that Harry." Hermione said irritably.

"Sorry I can't help it." Harry started pacing up and down the platform. His patience, or lack of same, was eventually rewarded by the train thundering into the station.

The doors opened and crowds of people disembarked. Harry searched through them looking for the person he most wanted to see.

"Harry!"

Harry turned round just in time to see a red blur launch itself at him. Half a second later he felt the arms he had missed so much circle round him. Almost without conscious thought he leaned down and caught her lips with his own.

The noise of the station faded, the people around them seemed to disappear and for what seemed like an eternity there was just the two of them in the whole world.

All too soon Ginny pulled away from Harry and looked into his eyes.

"Hi." she said.

"Hi." he replied.

"You're here."

"I'm here."

They were interrupted by a cough behind them. It was Molly. "Ok you two let's go home. People are looking." Harry looked at Ginny and for once he didn't care. Let them look.

...

For the next few days Harry felt like he was in heaven. Not only were he and Ginny spending every waking moment together, but Andromeda brought Teddy, who had just taken his first few steps, to stay for the week and, to cap it all off, it snowed.

Harry, Ginny and Teddy were outside in the garden building a snowman. Teddy looked around at the snowy ground around him, his eyes lit up in childlike wonder. He screwed his face up and turned his hair snowy white.

"I think he likes it." Ginny said to Harry. Harry just nodded, looking at Teddy, thankful that he wouldn't know the same upbringing that Harry himself had.

Then it hit him. He knew exactly what his present to Ginny would be. "I'm just heading back to grab a couple of drinks." he said as he walked back to the house.

As he'd hoped, Molly was in the kitchen preparing food for Christmas Day. Molly looked up as Harry came in. "Hullo dear, do you need anything?"

"Actually I was wondering if you would let me take Ginny away with me for a day or two." Harry said.

...

Christmas day dawned and, as Harry had come to expect, Molly had outdone herself. Breakfast was at least twice as big as normal and they all wolfed it down eagerly. Arthur sent a message via Floo to say he would be home that evening for dinner and would it be ok if he brought a guest? He didn't say who it would be but Harry had a shrewd suspicion. Molly agreed and wished him a happy Christmas. Harry wouldn't have thought it was possible to kiss someone over the Floo and the sight of Molly kissing Arthur's disembodied head was one that would stay with him for a long time.

After what seemed like forever it was time for presents. After receiving gifts from the rest of the family Ginny gave him a large, soft package. He opened it to find a Holyhead Harpies jumper. On the back it had, printed in gold letters, the name WEASLEY and below that a large number 6.

"Wow! Thanks Ginny!"

Ginny grinned. "That's the jumper I wore in my first game. I thought you might like to have it."

Harry didn't know what to say. Instead he just hugged her tightly.

...

When the clock struck 11 Molly informed them all that they would be going into the village, to the church there. Harry was a bit surprised at that as he didn't think wizards were the type of people to be going to church.

There were no objections though and so twenty minutes later they were seated in the rather large church in the village. Harry looked around. The only church he had ever been inside was the small, rather dull one in Little Whinging, and on those occasions he had been forced to sit in the farthest corner. The inside of the Ottery St. Catchpole church was, if possible, even larger than the exterior, with huge stone columns and vaulted ceilings. It had been softly lit with candles and, as they sang carols and listened to the readings he felt calmer and more at peace than he had for a while.

When the service was over the vicar came over to them and greeted them.

"Mrs Weasley, it's so good to see you again." Seeing Harry and Ginny's look he explained. "Mrs Weasley was a frequent visitor here this past year. She would be here every Sunday and, forgive me for saying this, but you always looked rather anxious."

Molly smiled. "I was. I was worried about my family. Oh I'm so sorry! This is my daughter Ginny and my son Ron, and these are two very good friends of ours - Hermione Granger and Harry Potter. Oh and this is Teddy Lupin, Harry's godson." she held Teddy up and he gurgled happily.

"Delighted to meet you all!" the vicar said as he shook hands. Harry had become accustomed to having his name met with awe, so he was a bit surprised when the vicar displayed none of the astonishment he had come to expect and even dread. _Then again he is a Muggle_, he reminded himself.

"Mrs Weasley has always been such a great help to us." The vicar continued. "Donating scarves and jumpers and the like for the poor and needy. We used to joke that there was an army of people at her house spending all day just knitting." Harry laughed, deciding not to enlighten the vicar about the charmed knitting needles Molly had.

Finally the vicar bade them farewell and "Happy Christmas" and with that they all returned to the Burrow and the four teens spent the rest of the afternoon in a snowball fight. Harry learned firsthand how deadly accurate Ginny could be even without magic and when it was finally time to go indoors he looked like a snowman. Teddy gurgled with laughter and turned his hair bright red to match Ginny's. She smiled and ruffled his hair, which of course made him gurgle even more.

...

At ten minutes to six there was a knock on the door. "That'll be Arthur." said Molly, opening the door to let him in.

It was indeed Arthur. And he wasn't alone. Standing behind him, looking very nervous, was a figure they all recognized immediately.

Lucius Malfoy.

Molly was speechless for a second then her politeness and manners took over. "Come in, come in" she said graciously.

Lucius entered and stood just inside the doorway. Harry felt Ginny tense slightly and grabbed her hand. She squeezed it tightly.

"I'm sorry."

Lucius had his head bowed as he spoke.

"I... I'm sorry for everything. I believed so much in the superiority of purebloods. I had been blinded by power. I never thought it would hurt my family the way it did." he turned to Ginny. "And what I did to you. There's no justification for that. I thought that... that book was just a weapon. Something I could use to further my own ambitions. I never knew what it really was."

After he finished Ginny let go of Harry's hand and walked to Lucius. Lucius tensed but was ready for whatever Ginny wanted to do to him. To everyone's surprise, instead of hexing him or even slapping him she hugged him. "It's ok. It's in the past. We're all here, we're all alive."

With that the rest of the family came forward and shook Lucius's hand and, in Molly's case, gave him a traditional bone-crushing Weasley hug.

After everyone had shaken his hand and hugged him they all sat down to dinner. Molly had truly outdone herself this time. Roast turkey, roast potatoes, carrots, sprouts, peas, everything was perfect, and there was more than enough for fifty people, let alone the few who were gathered. Then there was a huge flaming Christmas pudding with the most delicious brandy sauce. Harry decided this was one of, if not the best, Christmas day ever. And for once there was absolutely nothing to ruin it.

...

After dinner had finally finished Harry and Ginny found themselves alone in the parlour. Harry put his arm around her.

"Do you trust me?" he asked.

"Don't be silly Harry of course I do." Ginny said with a smile.

"Get some things together." Harry said. "It's time for me to give you your present."

Five minutes later Ginny was carrying a small bag and standing with Harry at the end of the lane leading to the Burrow. Harry smiled at Ginny, took her hand, turned on the spot and Apparated them both away.

They reappeared on a snow-covered hill overlooking a small village. They saw a church steeple and chimneys emitting smoke into the sky.

"Oh Harry it's beautiful! But where are we?" Ginny asked.

Harry looked at her, his Auror coat starting to billow in a light breeze. He took his time before answering, wanting to savour the moment.

"This is where I was born. This is Godric's Hollow.

"Happy Christmas Ginny."

* * *

**A/N One thing I am finding is that sometimes the chapters which I think will be the hardest tend to write themselves and the ones which should be easy are often the ones I'm least happy with. This chapter is one of those. I had the start and the end planned out fine but the stuff in the middle I'm not too happy about.**

**Oh and the rhyming slang gag from the last chapter - Dog and Bone means Telephone. I didn't plan it it just happened.**

**Next Chapter: Meet The Parents  
**


	13. Meet The Parents

**Disclaimer: All characters, places etc. belong to JK Rowling, apart from my own characters**

**Chapter 13 - Meet The Parents**

Ginny looked at Harry for a second, not understanding what he was saying. Then, suddenly, she realised.

She knew about Harry's experiences growing up with the Dursleys but he had never said very much about his parents, at least not to her. By bringing her here it was like he was opening up this last piece of his past to her. Knowing how hard this must be for him made it all the more special to her.

She put her arms around him and kissed him. "Thank you Harry."

Harry smiled and took her hand and together they went into the village.

...

By this time it was quite dark. There were a number of people about, obviously visiting friends and relatives. The snow lent a soft atmosphere as it lay glittering on the trees and the buildings.

Harry had been told that over the years more and more wizard families had left Godric's Hollow until it had changed from being a primarily Wizard village and became more of a Muggle village. As such there were one or two cars around but they were mainly parked on the sides of the road. Ginny pointed them out to Harry and he laughed. His previous visit to Godric's Hollow the year before had been necessarily brief and he was glad to have the opportunity to come here to-

"What's that?" Ginny asked, breaking his train of thought. Harry suddenly realised that they had stopped in front of the statues of him and his parents.

"That's... that's me and my parents."

Ginny gasped and ran forward for a closer look. "You look so-"

She was interrupted by someone screaming behind them. Harry and Ginny whirled round and looked in horror.

In the middle of the road was a toy pram which had obviously slid off the pavement. Its owner, a girl of about three or four years of age, had toddled into the road to retrieve it. But what had caused the person to make the scream they had heard was a car which had lost control and was skidding down an incline in the road, directly towards the girl and her pram. Harry could see the driver frantically trying to regain control.

There was no one close enough to help. A woman, presumably the child's mother, was trying to get to her but it was obvious she would not get there in time.

Out of the corner of his eye Harry saw Ginny dig into her cloak for her wand but he was faster. Stretching out his arm he curled his fingers and, the moment his wand appeared in his hand, he pointed it at the girl and cried out "_Levicorpus_!"

The child shot into the air suspended by her ankle. Not having the time to be gentle Harry quickly lifted her up high enough to allow the car to pass underneath. The car barrelled over the toy pram and came to a halt as the driver finally managed to get the brakes to work.

Harry gently lowered the little girl to the ground and only when she was completely down and safe did he release her. "_Liberacorpus_."

The girl's mother rushed to her and picked her up. "Oh thank you. You saved her! Thank you!" she sobbed.

Harry gripped Ginny's hand, intending to leave, but before he could do so an elderly man grabbed his shoulder. He searched Harry's face intently.

"You're not... related to James... are you?" he asked. Harry's jaw dropped.

"James? James Potter? He's my father. I'm-"

"Harry?" the old man breathed. "Harry Potter? You're alive?"

A crowd had gathered around them by this point and as soon as the old man said this Harry heard them whispering to each other.

"Harry?"

"He's alive?"

"Harry Potter?"

"He looks just like his father."

Harry didn't know what to think. He was used to wizards being amazed when they heard his name but these were Muggles! The confusion must have shown on his face as the old man smiled.

"Come on, I'll take you both to the inn. We can talk there."

...

"Yes I knew your parents. We all did."

They were sitting at a table in a bar at the inn. In the absence of wizard drinks like firewhisky, butterbeer or even pumpkin juice, Harry and Ginny ordered Coca Cola. It seemed to Harry that Ginny was getting a bit of a taste for the stuff. They were listening to the old man, whose name was Wilf, as he talked about Harry's parents.

"James and Lily were two of the kindest people you could ever meet." Wilf's eyes glazed over as he remembered. "Your mother was a good friend to everyone. She would listen to someone's problems, whether personal, romantic or whatever, and she always knew the right thing to say and gave the very best advice." Harry smiled at that and felt Ginny hold his hand tighter. Wilf carried on.

"James on the other hand turned out to be very good practically. If someone needed something repaired or built or found James was always just passing and he would gladly help them out. Of course," and here he leaned over the table and spoke in a low voice, "we knew there was something different about them, something... magical. But we loved them all the same. And then they suddenly disappeared." Wilf leaned back in his chair. "For three months. No one saw them, no one could even find their house. The next sign we had of them was when their house exploded." he stopped as a tear fell down his face. Harry felt his own eyes starting to water. Wilf composed himself and carried on. "The official explanation was a gas leak but not one of us believed that for a second. And you! There was no sign of you at all!"

Wilf smiled. "But you're alive and you're here now and from what I've seen you are definitely your parents' son. It's a real honour to have you here."

Harry couldn't speak. Instead he simply nodded, the tears now flowing freely from his eyes.

Wilf stood up. "Now let's sort you both out with some rooms. On the house of course." Harry opened his mouth to protest but Wilf waved it off. "It just so happens that I'm the landlord of this inn and I've decided that you don't have to pay. So will it be one room or two?"

Harry said "Two" at the same time that Ginny said "One". Ginny looked at Harry in surprise.

"Molly... mum... trusts me enough to let me bring you here and I don't want to betray that trust." he explained. Ginny looked down for a moment then nodded. Wilf smiled.

"I think I know just the rooms. Come this way." With that he led them up the stairs to two doors next to each other. "These should do you."

Harry opened the door and grinned. On the wall separating the two rooms was a connecting door. Ginny also noticed and smiled.

"I think these will do." she said.

...

The next day Harry took Ginny to see the remains of his parents' house. He was apprehensive, as he didn't know how he would feel on seeing the house.

He led Ginny up the garden path and heard her gasp when she saw what was left. He decided to stay outside and let Ginny explore on her own.

...

Ginny picked her way through what was left of the house, which wasn't very much. She looked at the devastation and felt numb. She couldn't see how anyone could have survived an attack like this, whether magically protected or not.

As she entered one room she stopped dead, seeing something that finally drove her to her knees in floods of tears.

In the centre of the room was a blackened crib.

Ginny could somehow picture the scene in her mind. Harry's mother picking him up out of the crib and holding him tightly as Voldemort blew open the door behind them. Ginny closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths.

When she reopened them she saw something lying amidst the rubble on the floor. She picked it up. It was a bit blackened and burnt and one eye was missing but it was still unmistakable, as was its owner.

It was Harry's teddy bear.

Ginny held it close to her chest as another wave of sorrow overwhelmed her. She rocked back and forth, as if she was trying to comfort baby Harry himself through the bear.

...

Harry was waiting patiently outside when Ginny finally reappeared. He could immediately see she had been crying. He rushed to her side.

"Hey you ok?" he asked her. She nodded.

"I think so." Ginny said quietly. She showed him the bear she had retrieved. "I took this. I hope you don't mind."

Harry was speechless for a second then he recovered. "I'd forgotten all about him. Of course if you want it it's yours."

Ginny smiled and put the bear into her bag. "So um, where to now." she asked. Harry said nothing, he simply took her hand again and led her away from the ruins of what was now his own house.

...

The cemetery was just as quiet as it had been the last occasion when Harry had been there. Harry took Ginny to one particular gravestone. The snow had obscured the names but Harry wiped it off and stood back to let Ginny read.

_James Potter_

_Lily Potter_

Ginny put her arm around Harry's waist and held him tightly to herself. As she did so Harry began to speak.

"Hi mum, hi dad. I've... I've brought someone to see you." Ginny didn't think it was strange for Harry to be speaking like this. She had heard George in the night time speaking to Fred as if he could hear. Harry hadn't finished though and Ginny listened.

"It's over. The war is over. He... Voldemort's dead and I... I've got a new family now." His hand found hers and she squeezed it tightly. "This is Ginny. I wish you could have met her mum. She's just like you. Beautiful, strong, determined, but her eyes are brown instead of green." Ginny had to smile at that. "I know that, wherever you are you're at peace now and I just wanted to say thank you."

Harry turned away, crying freely. Ginny turned with him but, as she did so, out of the corner of her eye she saw two shapes. They were only there for a moment but she thought they looked like a stag and a doe. When she tried to look closer there was nothing there. Feeling that she understood Harry a little better and loving him all the more, she let him lead her out of the graveyard.

They left the village and returned to the hill they first arrived at. From there they Apparated away, leaving the village of Godric's Hollow behind.

* * *

**A/N I realise I may have over-muggled Godric's Hollow a bit (a lot!) but I had this idea of Harry using magic to save someone from an accident and also about Harry being told about his parents by a muggle and they wouldn't let go. So yeah.**

**Next Chapter: The Grass  
**


	14. The Grass

**Disclaimer: All characters, places etc. belong to JK Rowling, apart from my own characters**

**Chapter 14 - The Grass**

Winter turned into Spring, the change of season wiping away the last vestiges of cold and snow and ice and bringing with it the promise of new life and fresh beginnings.

The new season also brought some occasions for joy. Hermione had managed to get a position at the Ministry's Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures and lost no time in pushing forward house-elf rights. One or two of her new colleagues were even starting to listen to her. The celebrations when she got the job had lasted well into the night, ending with Ron and Hermione being found the next morning snuggled together on a sofa entirely too small for the purpose. Harry had left it to Pearson to point out that Ron appeared to have acquired red marks on his neck.

The early days of spring also saw the wedding of George Wealey to Angelina Johnson. It had been coming for a long time as everyone had seen how good they were for each other. George conspired with Lee Jordan to set off decoy detonators and some of their special fireworks and other pranks because "Fred would have wanted it that way."

More importantly, at least to Harry, the progress of the months brought closer the final match of the Quidditch season. This in itself would have been exciting enough for Harry, but it became even more so since the Harpies had dominated every other team in the league and for the first time in two centuries were seen as dead certainties to win the league cup outright.

Harry sat at his desk in the Auror's department looking wistfully at the calendar. The next Saturday would be the day of the Quidditch Team Cup Final. To say that Ginny was looking forward to it was an understatement of gross proportions. She had abandoned traditional letters in favour of Howlers in which she would shriek with excitement. The middle of Harry's desk had been scorched with the explosions from the Howlers. He had long since given up trying to keep it clean.

There were still a number of Death Eaters who remained at large, among them Rodolphus Lestrange, Bellatrix's husband, now widower, but they appeared to have gone into hiding for now. Harry was sure though that he had not seen the last of them, but for now all was quiet.

Harry opened a drawer on his desk and withdrew a small blue box. He had recently been given authorisation to open his parent's vault. Inside, amongst all the gold and treasure, he had found a ring which, so he had been reliably informed, was his grandmother's engagement ring. It was made of gold, slender and set with a ruby and two small emeralds either side.

It was, in short, perfect.

Harry had already spoken to Arthur and Molly and they had very quickly given him their blessing. All that remained now was to actually ask the girl in question.

Ron looked up from his desk and saw Harry gazing wistfully at the ring. He rolled his eyes for what must have been the thousandth time. "Come on Harry ask her already! You know she's going to say yes!"

Harry sighed. "It's not that easy Ron."

Ron shook his head. He stood up and walked to the door. Poking his head out he called out in a clear voice "Hermione, you got a minute?" Thirty seconds later Hermione walked through the door. Harry still hadn't managed to get his head round the fact that you could call for someone from anywhere in the building, even if they were on a different floor.

Without any sort of preamble Ron said "Hermione, will you marry me?." Hermione didn't reply, she just ran to him and threw her arms around him.

Harry was gobsmacked. "No way... you didn't just... she..." He took a deep breath. Both Ron and Hermione burst out laughing. Harry narrowed his eyes. "Ok what am I missing here?"

Hermione laughed. "Ron asked me to marry him after George's wedding. Well I say asked, he more sort of blurted it out!" She waggled the fingers of her left hand and a ring appeared on the third finger, obviously it had been hidden by a Concealment Charm. "We haven't told many people yet. We were waiting for the right time."

"Yeah and you know what mum's like when a wedding's in the offing." Ron added, a huge grin on his face. Harry was overjoyed. He hugged Hermione tightly then hugged Ron. "See mate? It's not that hard." Ron said.

Hermione smiled. "Besides, technically you two are already married in a way." Off Harry's puzzled look she continued. "The Gryffindor common room? You promised never to leave her? She promised to stay with you? We all heard it, remember? This," she indicated the ring Harry was holding, "This just makes it official."

Harry smiled. "Thanks Ron, thanks Hermione. I'll do it after the match on Saturday. After all." His grin got wider. "We got together after a Quidditch final, so this just feels right."

...

The next day, however, something happened which pushed all thought of weddings and engagement rings from Harry's mind.

He was alone in the office apart from Eddie, who was delivering some forensic reports. Eddie looked unhappy.

"What's up Eddie?"

Eddie grunted. "It's the chaffinch." he said.

Harry smiled. Justin had decided a while ago that his full name of Finch-Fletchley was much too cumbersome, especially in an emergency where he might be killed before someone had finished trying to warn him to duck. He therefore, and quite sensibly in Harry's opinion, stated that he would prefer to be known simply as "Finch", dropping the second part of his surname. This, combined with his first name, had earned him the nickname "chaffinch" which was mainly used by Eddie, and mainly when speaking about Justin's relationship with his sister.

"Still dating Ellie is he?" Harry asked. Eddie nodded. "Look, Justin's a good man." Harry tried to reassure him. "He's been a good friend to me and Ron and he's very dependable."

"I know all that but she's still my little sister, you know?" Eddie retorted. Harry was reminded of Ron's protectiveness over Ginny when she was dating Dean and opened his mouth to speak.

Before he could say anything however the door burst open and Pearson came in. He looked around, obviously agitated. "Where's Thomas?"

Harry answered him. "Dean's meeting with the French minister of magic to discuss security arrangements for the Prime Minister's visit next month. Neville's with him. And Ron's at Gringott's going over safety measures."

Pearson shook his head. "Never mind Potter, you'll have to do. Howers, you come as well." Harry and Eddie looked questioningly at each other before following.

Once they were in the lift and alone Pearson explained. "One of my informants, goes by Lungfish Larry, contacted me half an hour ago. He said he wanted to meet and wanted me to bring others with me."

Harry was confused. "But if he's an informant then why...?"

Pearson interrupted him. "Larry's scared. He said that in return for his information he wants to turn himself in. He wants protection."

The lift stopped at the main atrium and they were unable to discuss the matter further as there were more and more people scurrying about. Pearson silently led Harry and Eddie to the red phone box which served as the visitors' entrance. Once inside Pearson pushed the buttons to make it rise to the street.

"Right, we're supposed to meet Larry at theaaaaahhhhh!" Exiting the phone box Pearson tripped over something on the pavement. Something invisible.

"Stand back." he ordered Harry and Eddie and pointed his wand at the ground. Harry suppressed a gasp.

Lying in front of them was a body.

"It's Larry." Pearson said in a whisper.

"Is he... dead?" Eddie asked nervously. Harry could see the chest rising and falling. Larry was still alive, but the bluish, translucent glaze to his skin and his vacant expression and eyes which did not focus on anything indicated something much worse.

"No he's still alive." Pearson looked at Harry. Harry nodded.

"The Dementor's kiss."

The words of Remus Lupin came back to Harry.

_ You'll have no sense of self anymore, no memory, no anything... You'll just exist as an empty shell._

Harry looked down at what was left of Lungfish Larry. Lupin had certainly not been exaggerating.

"Isn't there anything that can be done?" Eddie asked, obviously shaken.

Pearson shook his head. "There's only one thing we can do. It normally involves miles of paperwork and assessment of 'quality of life' as the bureaucrats call it." He looked down. "But I'd rather he didn't go through that." He looked straight at Harry.

Harry nodded in understanding. He slowly extended his arm and summoned his wand. He closed his eyes for a moment to steady his breathing, then he opened his eyes, aimed his wand at the person lying before him, and uttered the words he had vowed would never pass his lips.

"_Avada Kedavra_!"

Other than the chest ceasing to rise and fall, there was no visible difference to the body. Pearson knelt down and closed Larry's eyes. Harry felt like he was about to be sick. Pearson turned to him.

"It wasn't murder Harry." Harry barely registered the uncharacteristic use of his first name. "It was an act of kindness." Pearson sighed. "You two go back in. I'll take care if things." With that he Disapparated with the body.

Harry noticed a small crumpled scrap of parchment on the ground. Larry must have been holding it in his hand. Harry picked it up but didn't open it, just wanting to get away from that place.

...

Once he was back at his desk he remembered the parchment and unfurled it. Reading what was printed he felt a great yawning chasm open up inside him.

It was a date. A date he knew very well. A date he constantly gazed at on his calendar.

This coming Saturday.

The Quidditch League Cup Final.

* * *

**A/N I'm not going to say anything about this one. Instead I'm just going to let it sink in a bit.**


	15. A Kiss For Ginny

**Disclaimer: All characters, places etc. belong to JK Rowling, apart from my own characters**

**Chapter 15 - A Kiss For Ginny**

"Are you certain about this Harry?"

Harry and Pearson were sitting in the office of the Minister of Magic, on the opposite side of the desk from where Kingsley Shacklebolt was sitting.

Harry had shown Pearson the parchment the moment he had returned from disposing of Lungfish Larry's body. Pearson had taken him straight to Kingsley's office where they both explained what had happened. Kingsley listened to what they said, simply nodding when Harry described his use of the Killing Curse.

"Yes sir. Positive." Harry said in answer to Kingsley's question. Kingsley sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers.

"Look, Kingsley." Pearson started. "Larry was a petty lowlife, but he was a survivor. If something spooked him enough to want to come into our custody then it must be serious."

Kingsley shook his head. "I'll have to inform the relevant committees and await their decision. I'm sorry gentlemen." Harry and Pearson had started to protest. "That is all I can do."

...

The official decision came through the next day.

"What are they thinking?" Pearson slammed the missive down on his desk. "Listen to this Harry. The game will proceed as scheduled. We see no cause for concern."

Harry's heart sank. His first thought was of Ginny. He scribbled a quick note and called for Fawkes. The moment he appeared Harry gave him the letter. Fawkes flew straight off again.

"What was that?" Pearson asked.

"A letter to Ginny. Maybe she can persuade the Harpies not to play on Saturday." Harry said although he did not hold out much hope. The reply came thirty minutes later. Harry ripped it open. His heart sank even lower.

_My dear Harry_

_I'm sorry. I believe you but Gwenog said we had to keep on playing._

_ I'm not worried though. I know you'll be there._

_Love Ginny_

"They're going to play." Harry said. Pearson sighed.

"Right that's it. Get everyone together. I want all Aurors in that stadium on Saturday."

...

Saturday came and the Quidditch final was underway. Harry would have watched but he was too busy keeping both eyes on the people around him. He was disguised with Polyjuice potion and his coat had altered itself to further the disguise.

Nothing had happened yet. Kingsley had made it clear that if Harry was wrong he would not be protected from the consequences. Harry shot back that he would prefer the consequences of being wrong over the alternative of being right.

Harry heard cheering behind him. It sounded like the Harpies had scored. He chanced a look and saw a flash of red. He smiled to himself. That had to be Ginny.

The cheering grew louder and Harry realised the game must be nearing its end. Harry couldn't resist. He turned to watch the final catch. The Harpies had won the cup!

Suddenly there was the sound of an explosion. Harry span round. The building housing the changing rooms had disappeared in a huge fireball. Someone screamed, they were soon joined by more people. Harry looked up.

In the sky directly above him the Dark Mark had formed. The skull with the snake twisting out from its mouth.

Harry spoke the charm he had been taught to instantly drop his Polyjuice disguise. His body snapped back into its normal shape and he immediate summoned his wand. Around him other Aurors revealed themselves. He saw McKendrick and a couple of others a few stands away from him. They were all ready for a fight.

And they weren't the only ones.

In amongst the crowd black shapes shimmered into existence, all wearing familiar masks and hoods.

Death Eaters.

By now the crowd was in a blind panic. Most of them tried to Apparate to safety. Some succeeded but then the familiar Anti-Disapparation charm came into effect.

"OUT!" cried Harry at the top of his voice. "GET THEM OUT!" Looking down he saw the teams still standing in the field, looking unsure as to what to do. Harry searched for the nearest Auror. "JUSTIN!" he yelled. "GET THE PLAYERS OUT OF HERE!" By players Harry really meant Ginny, but he saw Justin nod and run to the teams.

Satisfied that the evacuation was proceeding as well as it could do under the circumstances, Harry jumped over seats to the nearest group of Death Eaters, adding his spells to the coloured flashes of light that had sprung up around the stadium.

"_Stupefy_!"

...

Ginny and Gwenog led the two teams through the stadium, with Justin bringing up the rear. Some of them were in shock, others were crying but Ginny managed to keep them all moving.

They were nearly out when a beam collapsed, trapping Justin who had been running underneath it. "Go! I'll be fine! Just go!" he called out as he struggled to free himself. Ginny herded the rest of them on.

They finally made it outside and were about to breathe a collective sigh of relief when a black robed figure appeared in front of them. "Well, well. Leaving so soon are we? And we were having so much fun!"

Quick as a flash, Ginny had her wand out. "Out of our way. Now!"

"What are you going to do little girlie? Snitch me to death?" The Death Eater jeered. Ginny's only reply was to smile grimly.

Whether the Death Eater was not too skillful or he had just underestimated her did not matter. Ginny quickly outduelled him and just under five minutes later he was lying on the ground wrapped up in ropes with bat-winged blobs of mucus attacking his face.

The rest of the players were speechless with astonishment. Justin came running up, having finally freed himself from being trapped. Ginny turned to him.

"Can you get them to safety from here?" she asked.

"Yes but what about you?" Ginny ran back to the entrance. "Ginny!"

"I'm going back to help Harry!" she called back.

"Ginny no! Harry told me to get you out! It's too dangerous! Ginny!"

Too late. She had gone.

...

By the time Ginny re-entered the main stadium half of it was on fire. She could see huddles where groups of Aurors were fighting Death Eaters but she couldn't see Harry. Near her she saw Neville fighting off two enemies with his wand and what looked like Godric Gryffindor's sword. When the last one was down, having been entangled in Devil's Snare, she called to him.

"Neville, where's Harry?"

Neville was surprised to see her. "Ginny? What are you doing here?"

"Never mind that! Have you seen him?"

"Last time I saw him he was over near those hoops... no Ginny wait!"

Ginny was off. Thanks to her reflexes honed by hours and days of training she was able to nimbly make her way over the rubble and dodge stray curses. Then she saw him. Harry was standing atop a small mound of rubble, his hair blowing all over the place, his coat billowing as he shot spell after spell.

It was an image she would never forget.

She saw that Harry was defending himself against three black figures and quickly ran to his side, firing off a Stunning spell as she did so.

"Ginny? What are you doing here?" Harry asked in between firing spells, obviously not pleased. "I thought I told you to get out of here!"

"And I thought I told you," said Ginny as she added more of her own spellpower to the fight, "That I was staying with you forever!"

Harry had no answer to that so instead they both concentrated on the fight at hand. Thanks to Ginny's help first one, then two, then all three Death Eaters were on the ground. Harry had managed to catch the last one in a wandlock and then Ginny finished him off with an _Incarcerous_ spell while he was trying to break his wand free. Harry looked around. The rest of the duels seemed to be winding down too and there seemed to be more Aurors in their feet than Death Eaters.

Harry strode over to one of them and ripped off his mask. He recoiled in surprise.

"Rodolphus Lestrange!"

The dark wizard chuckled. "You think you've beaten us Potter? You think you've won?" He looked up past Harry and laughed maniacally.

Harry also looked and his jaw dropped. The sky was black with thousands of ragged shapes. They could only be-

"DEMENTORS! EVERYONE! DEMENTORS!" he cried out. Wasting no time he summoned his patronus and all around him white light flared as the others did the same.

Then the Dementors attacked.

They flew down in a great swarm but were continually repulsed by the glowing white animals. Harry grabbed Ginny's hand and pulled her after him as he ran searching for cover. The stadium was a chaos of white and black as the Aurors protected each other. At one point one of the ragged creatures reached out for Harry but it was driven off by an ox. Harry turned to see McKendrick give him a nod and then run to aid someone else.

Harry continued to run with Ginny until an explosion blasted them apart. Harry landed flat on the ground. Looking up he saw a Death Eater still standing and raising his wand to point at Harry. Harry quickly aimed his own wand.

"_Expelliarmus_!" The Death Eater's wand flew away. "_Incarcerous_!" The Death Eater fell to the ground with magically conjured ropes appearing round him, tying him up.

Harry turned to grin at Ginny, who was still on her feet. Her look of horror made him turn back round.

A Dementor had appeared right in front of him.

It reached out a long-fingered slimy hand but then a silvery-white horse jumped over Harry's head and the Dementor flew away. Harry turned to Ginny.

"Tha..." The word died on his lips, replaced by "Ginny! Look out!"

Time seemed to slow to a crawl. Harry tried to get up but his legs felt like they were moving through treacle. Ginny turned round just in time to see the Dementor that had swooped down behind her. Harry stretched out the arm holding his wand, opening his mouth to cast his Patronus, but he was too slow. Too too slow.

The Dementor clamped itself to Ginny's mouth. Her body went rigid for a moment then her arms flopped to her sides. After what seemed like an eternity but in reality was only a few seconds the Dementor released her and flew off to look for more prey.

Harry was on his feet now and running to her as she crumpled slowly to the ground.

"Ginny!

"GIIINNNNYYYYYYY!"


	16. Life And Hope

**Disclaimer: All characters, places etc. belong to JK Rowling, apart from my own characters**

**Chapter 16 - Life and Hope**

"Ginny!"

Harry finally reached the patch of ground where Ginny was lying and fell to his knees beside her. He felt like his world had come crashing to an end as he took in the ghostly pallor of her skin, the remains of her phoenix pendant hanging from the chain round her neck and her vacant staring eyes...

Harry tore his eyes away and looked to the sky, where the Dementors were swarming above the stadium. Harry rose to his feet and summoned up every memory he had of Ginny - every moment they had spent together, every touch of her lips on his, every glint of her blazing eyes, every gentle curve of her face - in short, everything in him that was Ginny. He clenched his fist and summoned his wand, pointed it towards the midst of the Dementor swarm, and channeled everything he had into one spell.

"_EXPECTO PATRONUM_!"

It would later go on record as the most powerful Partronus ever seen but at the time Harry neither knew nor cared.

The silvery mist shot from the end of his wand and formed into Harry's stag, which then charged at the Dementors. As Harry fed it more and more memories - the first time he met Ginny on Platform 9 3/4, saving her from the Chamber of Secrets, their first kiss - the stag grew and expanded until it no longer resembled an animal but instead became a huge glowing ball which continued to increase in size. Harry poured on the memories, fully intending to show the Dementors exactly what they had done.

The Dementors were not just driven away.

They were _obliterated_.

Wherever they were touched by the giant glowing ball they vanished, shredded into nothingness. Some of them tried to flee but even they were not quick enough. They too were annihilated.

When Harry could maintain the spell no longer and allowed the Patronus to dissipate, the sky was completely clear. The other Aurors looked at him with amazement and what looked like a glimmer of fear. Harry had no time for them however. Stowing his wand he returned to Ginny's side, numb as shock finally overtook him.

"Ginny? Harry what's happened?" Ron came up. Harry turned to him and Ron gasped at the empty expression on his face.

"She's gone Ron. It was the Dementor's Kiss."

Ron hung his head. Harry could see that he was trying not to believe it but the evidence was before him. There was an evil laugh behind them. Harry turned. Rodolphus Lestrange was on his feet, bound and restrained by Pearson and McKendrick. He was laughing uncontrollably.

"You see Potter?" he cried, "You see what it's like to lose someone you love?"

Harry rose to his feet, his face pale but determined. He knew what he had to do. No one would miss this... this thing that called itself Lestrange and no one would ever blame Harry. He would break his soul into two and put a piece into Ginny and she would be alright! It would work, he knew it would! Harry raised his wand to cast the Killing Curse that would make everything fine again...

"Harry no!" Ron all but screamed at him.

Harry didn't move, keeping his wand trained on Lestrange. He took satisfaction from seeing the fear in the Death Eater's eyes. He spoke without turning. "She's your sister Ron!"

"I know! I love her as much as you do and I know what you're trying to do but this isn't the way!" Ron looked down at Ginny's body. There was a note of pleading in his voice. "Harry, would she want you to do this? Would you want her to do it for you?"

Harry finally lowered his wand and shook his head. The tears flowed freely. Lestrange resumed his manic laughter.

Pearson looked at Harry thoughtfully, then drew his fist back and punched Lestrange so hard they heard a loud crack as his jaw broke. "Take this thing away." He said to McKendrick who nodded and Disapparated with his prisoner. Pearson turned and opened his mouth to say something to Harry, but he closed it again and Disapparated, leaving Harry and Ron alone with Ginny.

Harry was inconsolable. He knew what he had to do, knew that he was the only one who could do it and that doing it would destroy what remained of his already shattered heart.

"I'm sorry Ginny. I'm so sorry. This wasn't supposed to happen. It should be me there." Harry's tears fell on Ginny's Quidditch robe, discolouring it. Ron said nothing. His head was bowed, crying his own tears. Harry continued even though he knew Ginny could not hear him. "I wish I could give you my own soul then you would be ok. I... Oh Ginny I..." He could not speak for crying. He bent down and kissed her blue-tinged lips for what he knew would be the last time.

_I love you Ginny, _he thought, _I want to die and give my life to you. If I could I would do it right here and right_...

He heard Ron's sharp intake of breath. With an effort he wrenched his lips away from hers and saw what had caused Ron to gasp.

Ginny's body was glowing.

It glowed brighter and brighter until Harry had to close his eyes.

"Ha...Harry?"

That voice! No it couldn't be! It wasn't possible!

Harry opened his eyes slowly.

Ginny was looking at him.

Harry felt an immense wave of joy and relief wash over him and allowed it to overwhelm him. He threw himself forward and wrapped his arms so tightly around Ginny that he felt he could never let go. Ginny returned his embrace just as enthusiastically.

"Ginny... Ginny..." he murmured as if it was a prayer.

"Harry... my Harry."

He felt Ron join them. After a few minutes Ron spoke.

"Harry we should get her to St Mungo's."

Harry nodded and together, each holding one of Ginny's arms, they Apparated from the ruined stadium.

...

Harry woke up suddenly.

He was sitting in a chair in a ward at St Mungo's. Lying in the bed next to him, her hand tightly interlaced with his, was Ginny. He saw that she had woken up too and, for the first time since learning of the attack, Harry felt completely safe and at peace. He smiled at Ginny. "Hi."

"Hi." she replied.

"You're here."

"I'm here." Ginny's smile vanished. "I was floating. It was all black. I couldn't see anything. Then I heard your voice." She gazed at Harry and moved her hand to his cheek. "It was like you were reaching out to me and you pulled me back."

Harry was about to reply when the doors burst open and Ron and Hermione came in closely followed by Molly, Arthur and the rest of the Weasleys. They rushed to Ginny's bed like a red tidal wave, all talking at once.

"Ginny, are you al..."

"What happen..."

"The _Prophet _said Demento..."

Ginny held her hand up for silence. "I'm ok, I'm ok. Yes we were attacked. I tripped and knocked myself out but Harry rescued me. I'm fine, seriously." As she said this Ron gave Hermione a look and she nodded slightly.

After much fawning and well-wishes and cards including one signed by the entire Harpies team, the Healer finally ushered them out. Harry requested that Ron and Hermione stay a little longer. Hermione said she had a message for Harry and Ron and so the Healer agreed.

"Kingsley says for both of you to take time off." she explained. "In fact Pearson told him that if you set one foot in the Ministry before the end of next week he would personally stuff both of you back into the Floo."

Harry laughed at that but he was grateful to Kingsley and Pearson. He couldn't face going back, at least not just yet.

Once they were alone Hermione turned to Harry. "All right Harry what really happened?"

"It was the Dementor's Kiss Hermione."

Hermione gasped and put her hand over her mouth. "But no one's ever recovered from that!" she exclaimed

Harry nodded. "I know. I... we were hoping you might have some idea what happened."

Hermione shook her head. "Sorry Harry I've never heard of anything like this."

The Healer came round to throw them out. Harry kissed Ginny goodbye and wished fervently that he could stay longer.

"I'll be back tomorrow." Harry said to her.

"I know you will." Ginny replied as she finally let go of his hand. At the door they blew a heartfelt kiss to each other.

...

Harry could not sleep that night. The day's events kept on playing over and over. The match, the attack, the Dementors, Ginny... He had come closer to losing her forever than ever before, even closer than the Chamber of Secrets. He tried not to think about it. Ginny was fine. She was safe. That was all that mattered.

Closing his eyes he could see her in his mind's eye, lying in her bed at St Mungo's. Somehow he knew she couldn't sleep either. He could picture her exactly as if he was looking at her. She seemed so real that he felt he could reach out and touch her.

Harry reached out, knowing it was not real.

He touched her.

He couldn't explain it. It felt like they were holding hands. He felt her warmth and love. How was this possible? She was in London and he was miles away in the Burrow. But he knew instinctively that it was real. And it felt right.

Harry finally fell asleep, still feeling Ginny's love for him, knowing that she could feel him too. The last thing to enter his mind before sleep claimed him was an image of the two of them in each other's arms and he knew that nothing would ever separate them again.

And he knew that Ginny knew the same.

* * *

**A/N Did you really think I would do that to Ginny without making a way out of it? There were three ways this could have gone - **

**1. Harry murders Lestrange, breaks his soul apart and tries to make Ginny into a Horcrux. This would make him just as bad as Voldemort and is Not Gonna Happen.**

**2. Harry kills Ginny as there is (as they thought) no recovery from the Dementor's Kiss. This would have broken him and he would probably have turned his wand on himself shortly afterwards. Bad for me cos then the story ends pretty quickly.  
**

**3. Ginny makes a miraculous comeback for reasons which not even Hermione can explain. But maybe someone else can?**

**I could have had the three of them go on a long quest to find some ancient mcguffin but that's not the story I wanted. Many thanks for all your support and reviews up to now and I hope you continue to enjoy it.**

**Next Chapter: Sweet Dreams  
**


	17. Sweet Dreams

**Disclaimer: All characters, places etc. belong to JK Rowling, apart from my own characters**

**Chapter 17 – Sweet Dreams**

Ginny was kept at St Mungo's for the rest of that week. The staff were amazed at her remarkable recovery but wanted to monitor her a bit longer to make sure she had no lasting ill-effects. Neither Harry or Ron informed them about the Dementors and what they had done to Ginny.

Harry spent the rest of the week moving constantly between the Burrow and the hospital, staying with Ginny as long as he could and, even when he had to be thrown out, he found he was visiting Ginny in his sleep. She even mentioned it on one occasion.

"It's funny, I've been dreaming about you a lot lately."

"Really?" said Harry.

"Yes. I've been dreaming that you were here, holding my hand. It seems so real but whenever I wake up you're not there."

"Hmm..." Harry said thoughtfully. "I've been dreaming that I've been here as well. I wonder what it means?"

"It's not like that time you were able to get inside Voldemort's mind is it?" asked Ginny, suddenly worried.

"No it doesn't feel like that at all." Harry said, stroking his chin. He badly needed a shave. "Those times my scar was hurting and I felt angry, hating everyone..." He broke off, shuddering. After a second he carried on speaking. "This is completely different. It feels... I don't know, right, somehow."

Ginny nodded. "Anyway I'll be home soon then you won't have to dream anymore!" she said brightly. Harry grinned and nodded. Then he saw that Ginny's smile had vanished.

"Ginny? What's wrong?"

"I... My phoenix pendant... it doesn't work anymore." She was practically on the verge of tears. She picked it off from the side table and showed it to Harry. It had melted and was almost unrecognisable. Harry closed his hand around hers.

"It's ok Gin. We don't need it. We have each other and that's enough."

...

That Friday, Ginny was finally released from St Mungo's and allowed to go home. There was a huge celebration at the Burrow and Molly, being the fussy, over-protective mother that she was, refused to allow her daughter to do any work at all.

"Mum! Mum, I'm fine, honest!" Ginny protested but Molly was having none of it. Instead Ginny gave up and sat back and let it happen. She even received a note from Gwenog Jones telling her to rest up at home and not come back until the season restarted. If anything that made her even more frustrated.

That night Harry found himself lying awake on his side. He just couldn't get to sleep, he was just so happy that Ginny was home and that she was fine. Ginny was back in her old room with Hermione and Harry was back with Ron. He grinned to himself. He felt that they had taken everything the world could throw at them and had come through it fine. He cast a light spell to look at his watch. Another half hour and he'd pop over to Ginny's room.

Harry turned over and was most surprised to come face to face with Ginny herself. She was lying next to him. Even though he didn't have his glasses on he could see her perfectly clearly.

"Gi.. Ginny? What are you doing in our room?" Harry stammered. Ginny looked puzzled.

"Your room? This is mine and Hermione's! How did you get in? I didn't hear the door open and I certainly didn't hear you Apparate."

"Apparate? I haven't been anywhere! You came here!" Harry looked off to where Ron was sleeping. He could see a dark shape in the corner. It wasn't stirring and he guessed that Ron had not woken up. Then it hit him. Ginny was here. With him. How it happened they could figure out later.

"Come here." Harry said and wrapped his arms round her tightly. She wrapped hers around him and they fell asleep, just pleased to be in each other's company.

When Harry woke up the next morning he was slightly surprised to see that Ginny had gone. Not only that but the side of the bed where she had slept looked completely untouched. He heard Ron waking up as well.

"Morning Harry." Ron yawned.

"Ron, did anyone come in here last night?" Harry asked.

"No... no don't think so." Ron said. "I would have heard. Why?"

"No reason." Harry said, more puzzled than ever.

Downstairs he saw Ginny looking at him thoughtfully. When breakfast was over he asked Ginny what had happened.

"No idea." Ginny said. "Hermione didn't hear anything at all. It's like we somehow just appeared in each other's rooms."

"Without leaving our own..." Harry was confused. He had certainly never heard of anything like this happening before and was sure that Hermione hadn't either. He and Ginny decided not to worry about it and just enjoy it, at least for the moment.

...

The following Monday, Harry reported back to work. He opened the door to the Auror department and was immediately met with a standing ovation. All the Aurors were there. Even McKendrick was cheering him.

"Ok ok that's enough. Back to work you lot!" Pearson barked and slowly the crowd dispersed. He turned to Harry. "Potter, can I have a quick word?"

Pearson led Harry into his office. To Harry it looked like a perfectly normal office, with a photo of Pearson's family on his desk and a bookshelf in the corner packed with books on defence and law. "Sit down Harry." Pearson said.

Once Harry sat down Pearson wasted no time. "Harry, if Weasley hadn't stopped you, would you have killed Lestrange?"

Harry thought back. He had certainly felt rage and despair at the time and remembered his mouth about to form the words. But would he really have gone through with it? "I... I don't know. Honestly I don't know."

Pearson looked at him for a second and nodded. "Six months after I joined the Aurors, we were called out on a mission. It was a bad one. A hostage situation. Several dark wizards had taken a family prisoner and were threatening to kill them." He closed his eyes with the memory.

Harry leaned forward in his seat as Pearson continued. "One of them was holding a child. Only three years old. A girl. He was pointing his wand at her and saying he would kill her. I'll never forget the look in his eyes. Mad, insane, unhinged, those words don't even come close. I knew that he would probably do it, if not deliberately then by accident. I didn't think. I... I cast the Killing Curse at him. Hit him square in the face. He just toppled over." Pearson sighed. "There was an inquiry. I was exonerated. They came to the conclusion that I had acted in defence of the child."

"But you did!" Harry blurted out. "If you hadn't that wizard might have..."

Pearson shook his head. "Come on Harry, you know as well as I do that there are at least fifty-seven spells which can be used to instantly incapacitate a target, all non-lethal. I could have stunned him, petrified him, tied him up, used the Imperius curse, anything. Instead I chose to kill him. And I can't even remember his name." Pearson looked Harry straight in the eye. "The point is, up to that moment I never would have thought that I could ever do something like that. Like I said to you before, we don't know what situations can arise."

Harry nodded. He could remember many times in the past where he would have done something unforgivable if Ron and Hermione hadn't been there to stop him. The thought made him extremely uncomfortable. Pearson saw it in his face.

"Look Potter, you're a good man. I'm almost tempted to say you're a better man than I am. Just remember you're still only human. Even you can fail at times in ways you would never think possible. So never drop your guard." Once again Harry could hear echoes of Mad-Eye Moody in Pearson's voice.

Harry stood up to go, but as he did so a question occurred to him. "Pearson, the child, what happened to her?"

Pearson looked up at him. "She became a Healer at St Mungo's. We haven't spoken since." Seeing Harry's questioning look he explained. "She was my goddaughter."

...

For the rest of the day Harry was unable to shake that conversation out of his head. Pearson had faced almost exactly the same situation as he had, only Pearson had killed. Whatever Harry said to Pearson about not knowing what he would do, he felt that deep down if Ron hadn't been there Lestrange would now be dead.

He and Ginny still visited each other in the same mysterious way in the night time and Harry was never more grateful that she was there. He told her about what Pearson had said and what happened with Lestrange and Ginny just held him tighter.

"Harry I know you. You're not a killer. No matter what happens I'll never stop loving you."

Harry didn't reply, he just buried his head into her shoulder.

On the Thursday night Harry was tossing and turning in his sleep. Ginny hadn't come to him. Instead he was having a nightmare.

He was walking through Hogwarts. It was his first year and he couldn't believe he was finally there. Something was wrong though. His body wasn't moving where he wanted it to. Instead it felt like he was being used like some sort of puppet. He stopped in a bathroom in front of a sink. To his surprise he found himself speaking a language he didn't fully know. The sink retracted into the wall, revealing a dark passage.

_This isn't right..._

He felt terrified. He didn't want to do this! He tried to stop himself but his body refused to obey him. The passage ended in a huge corridor-like chamber. Along each side were giant statues of snakes so lifelike he wanted to run away and hide. He carried on walking. At the end was a wide cavern, and at the centre of that was a giant image of a man, obviously old, who he had never seen before. His body stopped. Again he spoke in that language and the statue's mouth opened. He heard a loud hissing sound and somehow he knew what it was saying.

"_Kill.....kill..."_

A huge snake-like creature came out, it's eyes blazing yellow. He tried to scream as the snake looked at him but what came out of his mouth were words that, even though he couldn't understand them, chilled him to the bone. Having received what were obviously instructions, the snake went on its way.

_No that wasn't me..._

It was later. Much later. He knew what was happening to him as he walked back into the chamber but if anything he was even more helpless. Something inside him laughed horribly as his body moved to the foot of the statue and lay down. This was it. No one would ever find him here. No one was coming.

Harry's eyes shot open. He realised he was breathing heavily and his body was drenched with sweat. He was still feeling afraid. He sat up and put his hand to his head. What was that? It seemed so real, like he was reliving a bad memory. But he hadn't been used to control the basilisk, that had been Ginny...

It hit him with the force of the Hogwarts Express. That wasn't his nightmare, just as those weren't his memories.

It was Ginny's.

Harry didn't stop to think. He tore out of his room and dashed over to Ginny and Hermione's room. Not even bothering to knock he burst in. He gasped at the sight that met his eyes.

Hermione was kneeling by Ginny's bed, holding her hand and looking distressed and Ginny...

Ginny was writhing and thrashing around. She was still asleep. Still in the grip of her nightmare.

Harry practically jumped to where Hemione was and grabbed Ginny's hand from her. Hermione stood up. "I was just about to call you Harry. I put a _Muffliato _on the door because I didn't want to wake the rest of the house. What is it? What's wrong with her?"

"It's the Chamber of Secrets." Harry said quickly. "She's reliving those memories. The Dementor attack must have brought it back to her!" As he squeezed Ginny's hand with both of his and kissed it she became calmer until she was still, her chest rising and falling normally. As this happened Harry's feeling of fear also subsided and he had a vivid image of himself holding an eleven-year-old Ginny tightly and protecting her from the darkness. He turned to Hermione. "I'm sorry, would you mind...?"

Hermione nodded. "I'll sleep in Ron's room. Good night Harry."

Harry turned back to Ginny. Picking up her wand from the table he summoned Hermione's bed closer and managed to get into it, still holding her hand. He fell into a dreamless sleep.

...

When Harry woke the next morning he saw that Ginny was still asleep. With his free hand he summoned a parchment and quill and wrote a quick note. Whispering Fawkes's name he was pleased to see that the phoenix arrived just as quietly. He gave Fawkes the note, which was addressed to "Professor M. McGonagall", and sent him off. Ginny was finally stirring.

"Harry? What are you doing here?"

"You were having a nightmare. Don't you remember?" Harry said, coming and kneeling next to her.

Ginny shook her head. "I remember a huge dark room and lots of snakes and..." Realisation dawned in her eyes "It was that place wasn't it?" Harry nodded. He was about to speak when Fawkes returned with a reply from Hogwarts. Harry looked at it then at Ginny.

"Ginny do you trust me? Completely?" Ginny nodded. "I want you to come with me on Saturday."

"Where are we going?" Ginny asked although Harry could see understanding in her eyes.

"We're going back to Hogwarts." Harry sighed. "I'm sorry Gin, but we've got to face the Chamber of Secrets one last time."

* * *

**A/N The full name of this chapter was going to be "Sweet Dreams And Not So Beautiful Nightmares" but a) that seemed a bit too long and b) people might think I'm a Beyonce Knowles fan. Which I'm not let me hasten to add. But the song Sweet Dreams does seem to go with this chapter.**

**Next Chapter: Return To The Chamber  
**


	18. Return To The Chamber

**Disclaimer: All characters, places etc. belong to JK Rowling, apart from my own characters**

**Chapter 18 – Return To The Chamber**

Understandably, Ginny wasn't too keen on the idea of going back into the Chamber of Secrets. Another night of thrashing, screaming and Harry frantically trying to calm her down convinced her though and, early on Saturday morning, the two of them walked down the path from the Burrow and Apparated to Hogsmeade, Harry having finally remembered that no-one could access the main school that way.

Arriving at the huge iron gates Harry looked at Ginny. "Ready?" he asked.

Ginny smiled at him. "No, but let's do it anyway." She turned to look at the great castle beyond the gates. "Never thought I'd be back here like this."

"Me neither." Harry sent his Patronus up to the castle and they waited for a reply. Harry looked sidelong at Ginny. She seemed fine on the outside but Harry was starting to distinguish what she was feeling from what he himself was feeling. He still had no answer as to how it had happened, after all the mere fact of her being here standing beside him was always thought to be impossible. Instead he was simply thankful to whatever power or fate that they were still together and being able to sense each other's feelings through whatever connection they now shared definitely had its benefits, as the few nights they had shared together had shown. And right now she was feeling extremely nervous and apprehensive.

"Don't worry." he told her.

"I'm not worried. I'm with you." she replied.

He tightened his grip on her hand as the gates in front of them opened to allow entrance. They set off up the path together to Hogwarts.

...

Inside the school they walked passed huddled groups of students from various years. One or two of them noticed Harry and immediately whispered to their friends. Harry took this in his stride but occasionally he and Ginny caught snatches of other conversations. They walked near a quartet of second years and heard the following exchange:

"I can't believe that Mouthpiece! Two weeks detention!"

"What happened?"

"Just because I said _Expellimellius _instead of _Expelliarmus_! It was a mistake! How was I supposed to know it would set her arm on fire?"

Ginny and Harry shared a smile. Lucius Malfoy was definitely doing his job if students were complaining about him. Harry briefly wondered if Malfoy was as tough on the Gryffindors as Snape was, and decided that he probably was, but that he would also be as tough on the Slytherins. He probably wanted everyone to hate him equally.

They finally turned a corner and found themselves face to face with the door to the girl's bathroom. Harry had many fond memories of this place – Polyjuice potion, Hermione changing into a cat, and of course Moaning Myrtle.

Who coincidentally was the first thing they saw when they entered. She was floating around near the ceiling, wailing as usual although Harry knew this was partly put on. She stopped when he and Ginny came in and flew down to them.

"Oh... hi Harry. Finally remembered me have you?" she said in her mournful voice. Obviously she hadn't changed a bit.

"Hi Myrtle." Harry said unenthusiastically. Ginny squeezed his hand and smiled.

"Hi, I don't believe we've met. I'm Ginny, Harry's girlfriend." she said in a cheerful voice.

Myrtle wailed even louder and flew back into her cubicle. She disappeared down the toilet with a loud splash. Ginny grinned at Harry then her grin faded as she looked at the sink which haunted her dreams. She nodded at Harry when he looked at her.

Even though Harry could no longer speak Parseltongue – that particular 'gift' had been removed when the piece of Voldemort's soul which resided inside him had been destroyed – he could still remember the sounds and the mouth movements. And after all, he reasoned to himself, if Ron was able to open it then he should be able to, shouldn't he?

Harry made the sounds as best he could but the sink remained in place. He tried again and again but the sink refused to move. He was about to make a fourth attempt when Ginny put her finger over his mouth. She took a breath and closed her eyes. Opening them she exhaled and made a noise which sounded like hissing but was familiar to Harry. With a creak the sink retreated into the floor leaving the well-remembered tunnel gaping open. Harry looked at Ginny with surprise and concern. She smiled although he could sense she wasn't feeling too thrilled about what had just happened.

"It's been in my nightmares. How could I forget it?" she said in answer to his unasked question. Grasping his hand tightly she led him as they jumped into the tunnel. The trip down was as exhilarating and as terrifying as Harry remembered it, made doubly so by the fact that Ginny was feeling exactly the same.

At the end of the tunnel they picked themselves up and, lighting their wands, made their way through the stone passage. The passage ended at the door with the snakes entwined on it. Ginny again made the sound to open the door. The first thing that hit them was the smell. Rotting flesh from something that had died a long time ago. Harry knew what it was. The basilisk's body was still lying where he had killed it, undisturbed except for when Ron and Hermione removed its fangs. He briefly wondered if they had to cope with this awful smell.

After a few minutes they became accustomed to it, or at least they were able to tolerate it. They climbed through the door and stood in the place which had lain hidden for centuries and which had nearly claimed both their lives. Harry let Ginny go and she walked slowly through the Chamber of Secrets, as if she was back in her dream. The snake statues were as large and as hideous as ever and at the centre of the main chamber towered the statue of Salazar Slytherin. The high ceiling was smooth rock. Harry had never noticed that before, but then again he did have more pressing matters on his mind at the time, specifically trying to save his own and Ginny's lives.

Ginny had walked to the foot of the statue, near to which the dessicated corpse of the basilisk still lay. It was more skeleton now, with a few strands of disintegrating flesh hanging from it. Somehow it looked a lot less terrifying than when it was alive, although again that was probably due to the fact it currently wasn't trying to kill them. As Harry watched, Ginny fell to her knees over a particular spot on the ground. He went to her and sat down on the wet floor next to her.

"It was here. Right here." she was saying quietly. "I was sat here and then Riddle came out of the book, like he was trying to squeeze himself through a hole. Look, you can still see the ink." Sure enough there was a trail of dried ink from where Harry had stabbed the diary with the basilisk fang which had been embedded in his arm. Ginny ran her hands along the floor gently, as if trying to feel where she had lain on the ground. Harry caught them and held them in his own hands, squeezing them tightly. She lifted her head to look at him and in her eyes he saw not a seventeen-year-old national Quidditch star, nor the determined, strong woman he had grown to love, but a very frightened and vulnerable eleven-year-old little girl. He drew her in close then held her tightly, feeling her fear increase until she was sobbing into his shoulder. He didn't say anything but let his own feelings wash over her. Slowly her tears and her fear subsided until she finally drew back from him and in her eyes he once again saw the determination and fire that he had come to know and love.

Ginny stood up, pulling Harry up after her. She looked directly into his eyes and Harry needed no sort of mystical connection to understand what was going through her mind. She let go of his hands and in one swift, graceful motion, span round, drawing her wand as she did so, pointed it directly at the statue's head and cried out at the top of her voice "_Reducto_!"

The statue exploded into fine powder which rained down onto both Ginny and Harry. Far from satisfied, Ginny pointed her wand at the nearest snake statue which lined the walls. Harry also called his wand and joined her in the catharsis of destruction.

"_Bombarda_!"

"_Reducto_!"

"_Expulso_!"

"_Reducto_! _Reducto_! _Reducto Maxima_!"

Statue after statue exploded, disintegrated or was otherwise destroyed as Harry and Ginny fired spell after spell. For once accuracy was immaterial to them both as they systematically destroyed the place that had brought them, and their friends, so much pain and suffering. Harry fired an _Incendio _at the remains of the basilisk and it went up like so much matchwood.

"That one was for Hermione." he said as it burned away.

When the final snake statue was no more Harry and Ginny rejoined each other at the centre of the room, next to the remains of the late unlamented statue of the late unlamented founder. In unison they pointed their wands to the ceiling and called out at the same time "_Bombarda Maxima_!"

The combined spells impacted at the exact centre of the ceiling and, for a few seconds, nothing seemed to happen. Then a crack appeared. It grew larger and was joined by another and another until the whole smooth rock of the ceiling was covered with a web of cracks. A low rumble started and a few small pebbles started to fall.

"Ginny..." Harry grabbed her hand and backed off. She followed him. Suddenly a huge chunk of rock crashed down where they had just be standing. The rumbling became louder and louder and the entire chamber began to shake. Harry and Ginny looked at each other then turned and ran for the exit as more and more rocks began to fall.

They got to the main door and leapt through it as a huge boulder crashed down to block the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets. Harry breathed a sigh of relief. "That was a close o-" He stopped as a trickle of dust fell down onto his shoulder. He looked up. There were more cracks appearing in the ceiling here. "Run!" he cried and they both ran as the passageway started to cave in behind them. They reached the end of the pipe which led back to the bathroom but, as before, there was no way to climb up it.

"Fawkes!" Harry yelled at the top of his voice. Fawkes instantly flew down and Harry and Ginny each grabbed onto his tail. Fawkes then flapped his wings and, hanging on to him and to each other for dear life, Harry and Ginny were carried up through the pipe. Not a moment too soon as the passageway behind them finally collapsed and the pipe itself started to go the same way. Harry tried not to look down as he heard the crashing from just below him.

After what seemed like a long time Fawkes finally burst through back into the bathroom. Harry and Ginny let go and landed hard on the floor. The sink rose back into its normal place and then, to Harry's amazement, it toppled over and fell backwards into the pipe as if sucked down, leaving a blank space in the wall.

Ginny started giggling and Harry joined her and soon they were laughing uproariously, lying on their backs facing the ceiling.

It was gone. The Chamber of Secrets had been destroyed for good.

Harry felt no more fear, no more terror, either his own or Ginny's. Instead he felt like a huge weight had been lifted from both of them. He sat up and helped Ginny into a sitting position. He put his hand on her face.

"How do you feel now?" he asked. Of course he knew, and she knew that he knew, but he wanted to hear her say it.

"I feel... free." Ginny said and Harry leaned in to kiss her.

They were interrupted by a low moan. Myrtle had reappeared and she looked at them mournfully.

"Oh you're back. And you're still alive." she started to sulk.

Harry called up to her. "It's over Myrtle. The Chamber of Secrets is gone forever. You're free now."

Myrtle started to wail, not her usual mournful sound but this one seemed to be full of joy and relief. As they watched, her ghostly form started to dissolve and waft away until there was nothing there. The last thing they heard was a whisper, almost too low to hear. "Goodbye Harry."

"Well that would appear to be that." Harry said with a smile to Ginny. As he turned and regarded the space where the entrance to the chamber had been hidden he frowned slightly.

"What's wrong?" Ginny asked.

"It's always bugged me. It's nothing really, but if old man Slytherin created the chamber over a thousand years ago, what's the deal with all the sink and pipe business? The snakes were carved on hot and cold taps for Merlin's sake! Did they have indoor plumbing in those days and no-one else bothered to mention it?" Harry shook his head as Ginny laughed.

"Who cares? It doesn't matter now. No-one's ever going down there again." She took his hand and led him out of the bathroom.

Outside in the corridor they suddenly found themselves face to face with a group of teachers, including McGonagall, Malfoy and Arthur.

"Harry? Miss Weasley? What's going on? We heard such a commotion." McGonagall looked worried.

"Everything's fine." Ginny reassured her. "We've just destroyed the Chamber of Secrets for good."

McGonagall breathed a sigh of relief. Harry and Ginny took the opportunity to say hello to Arthur.

"Hi kids." he beamed. "I was just on my way to my lesson with the first years. We're going to be looking at loofahs today. Fascinating objects! I don't suppose you'd want to sit in?"

Harry smiled and shook his head. "Sorry, not this time Arthur. Although I do think it would be a perfect opportunity to introduce rubber ducks."

"You think so?" Arthur's eyes lit up.

"Yes, they're an integral part to the successful operation of the loofah."

Arthur thanked him and rushed off, brimming with excitement. Harry saw Ginny looking at him with a glint in her eye.

"Well they are!" Harry said in mock offense.

Ginny laughed. "You're wicked sometimes you know!"

Lucius made a grunting noise and left to teach his own lesson. McGonagall stayed behind. "Is there anything else we can do for you?"

Harry had a thought. "Actually Professor would it be ok if we used your office for an hour or so? I have a couple of things I want to ask Professor Dumbledore."

"Of course." McGonagall gave one of her rare smiles. "I was just on my way to a Transfiguration class anyway. Help yourselves. The password is 'redemption'"

"Thanks. Don't worry we'll leave it in a better state than we left the chamber." Harry said with a grin.

Harry and Ginny made their way to the entrance to the headmistress's office. Perhaps now they would finally be able to get some answers as to what had happened to cause the strange connection between them. Professor Dumbledore would know. He always did.

* * *

**A/N First off, that 'Mouthpiece' bit came from, of all people, my dad. We were watching Half Blood Prince and he either heard Malfoy's name wrong or couldn't pronounce it properly and he kept on calling him 'Mouthpiece'. So that's where that came from.**

**And that business about indoor plumbing in the Chamber of Secrets isn't helped by the film, where the Chamber is surrounded by a network of _concrete_ pipes, _iron _gratings and one descends to the main chamber from the door by an _iron_ ladder. And this was supposed to have been built a _thousand_ years ago. Clearly Salazar was a very progressive thinker for his time.**

**And there's no real reason why Harry wasn't able to open the Chamber and Ginny was (he would have managed it eventually), but I just thought it was a nice moment. Up to that point Harry had been leading Ginny through this but, when the crucial moment comes, Ginny has to take over and do it herself even though she doesn't really want to.**

**Next Chapter: Answers  
**


	19. Answers

**Disclaimer: All characters, places etc. belong to JK Rowling, apart from my own characters**

**Chapter 19 – Answers**

There was a new gargoyle guarding the entrance to McGonagall's office. If anything it looked fiercer and more regal than the previous one. When Harry and Ginny stopped in front of it it spoke in a deep, guttural voice.

"Password?"

"Redemption." Harry replied. The gargoyle slid aside and the spiral staircase rose up behind it. They went up the stairs and stopped before the familiar imposing door. Harry reached up and pushed it gently. It didn't budge. He pushed it harder. Still nothing. Ginny reached passed him and knocked politely. The door readily swung open. She smiled sweetly at Harry and he glared back playfully, then smiled himself.

Most of the office behind was exactly the same as Harry remembered – the portraits of the school's previous headmasters, the huge ornate desk, but instead of all the gadgets and intricate gizmos which Dumbledore was so fond of there were cushions and several cats wandering around or stretching themselves out.

_At least it's not pink_. Harry thought to himself, remembering Umbridge's office.

Harry and Ginny moved through to the interior of the office until they were stopped by a sound like someone clearing their throat.

"Well, well, Mr Potter. It seems you are even more of a celebrity now than you were eight years ago." The voice had a familiar sneering quality to it.

Harry looked at the section of the wall nearest to him. There, in a black frame, was a new portrait. Harry had never seen it before but the individual represented was someone he would never be able to forget. Long, greasy hair, a hooked nose, pallid skin and black eyes, wearing a black robe, it could only be one person.

"Snape?"

"Still as full of respect as always Potter? I would remind you that even though I am dead I would prefer to be addressed as _Professor_ Snape. I suppose I should be grateful to you and express my joy at being here in this august company but as we both know that would be a lie." Snape's sneer had survived intact at least. For some reason Harry found it comforting that even though the whole world could change, at least there was one person who would never change the way they treated him.

"I suppose you're here to see Professor Dumbledore? Well go on then. Even though I may not have much to occupy my time these days I do not appreciate it being wasted." Trying to suppress a smile, Harry and Ginny moved on until they stood in front of Albus Dumbledore's portrait.

Dumbledore, of course, was delighted to see them. "Ah Harry, and Miss Weasley... forgive me, I for one do not like to stand on ceremony anymore, no matter what some of my learned colleagues say." He glanced over to Snape's portrait, who glowered in return. "May I call you Ginny my dear?"

"Of course, Ginny is fine." Ginny said.

"Well then, Harry and Ginny. To what do I owe this pleasure? I trust you two are enjoying life together?"

"Actually sir it's funny you should say that." Harry began. He related the full description of the events surrounding the Quidditch match and its aftermath. Dumbledore's eyebrows rose as he heard the story.

"Dear me. I'd heard from McGonagall that Dementors were present but as I understand it the _Prophet _reported that there were no casualties of the attack. And you say they gave the Kiss to Ginny? Forgive me for asking my dear but what did it feel like?"

Ginny shuddered at the memory. "It felt like I was being sucked out of my body. Once it... once it was over I couldn't feel anything anymore. It was like I was floating in a black void, unable to see or hear anything."

Dumbledore frowned. "And we say that this is supposed to be a kinder alternative than execution? My my if this ever got out the Ministry would have some uncomfortable questions to answer, or at least the previous administrations would. And how did you... I'm sorry, how did you come back?"

Harry could sense Ginny's unease at these questions and squeezed her hand reassuringly, sending her his own feelings of confidence. Ginny smiled at him then resumed speaking to Dumbledore. "I heard Harry's voice talking to me. It's strange, I could hear him clearly. He said he was willing to die so that I could live," Harry went bright red at that although he was also surprised. He hadn't said that out loud he had only thought it. Ginny continued. "It was like he reached out for me and he pulled me back into my body."

"Hmmm... most fascinating. The Dementors consume the soul once they have extracted it so reuniting the soul and the body is not possible. And you say that since then you have been able to feel what the other is feeling and share each other's dreams?"

"It's more than that, it's like we're actually with each other, we can actually touch each other, even though we're not in the same room or the same place." Harry said.

"Hmmm..." Dumbledore looked thoughtful. "Well I've never heard of anything like that in all my years, which have been considerable if I do say so myself. And Miss Granger has been unable to help?"

"No she can't find anything either and she's been through almost the entire collection available at Flourish and Blott's." Harry couldn't help but feel a little bit of satisfaction that here was something that even Hermione's precious books would not be able to help with.

"If I might, Professor, I believe I may be of some assistance." It was Snape's portrait. Harry did a double take. Snape? Trying to help? He could tell that Ginny was shocked as well but they kept silent as Dumbledore nodded for Snape to continue. The other portraits in the office were beginning to take an interest as well now. After all, recovering from a Dementor's Kiss was unheard of.

"As I'm sure you are by now aware I was deeply in love with Lily Evans." Harry nodded. It had been that love which made possible the final victory over Voldemort. "Even after the... incident... in our fifth year I could not betray my feelings for her.

"After she and her husband were... murdered..." Harry could see that even now it was hard for Snape and he felt an unexpected pang of sympathy for him. Snape composed himself as if he was merely relaying a potions lesson and carried on. "After she was murdered I broke down. I knew that there was no magic which could bring a person back from the dead, except for a childish story about a stone, but I still searched. I thought that if I could look back far enough I could find something that someone else had overlooked.

"I briefly toyed with the idea of Horcruxes." Harry shifted uncomfortably and Ginny sent him a quick reassurance. "But from what I read they could not replace a person's life or act as their soul. They can only be used if the recipient is fully alive and intact." For some reason this came as a relief to Harry. He was even more thankful that Ron had been there to stop him from killing Rodolphus Lestrange.

"I could find nothing. Nothing about resurrecting someone who had died. The closest I came was in a manuscript so old that it crumbled even as I read it. It predated even the founding of Hogwarts, even older than the birth of the founders themselves." He now looked directly at Harry and Ginny, as if deciding whether or not to continue. Eventually he resumed speaking.

"It is called Soul-Binding. To summarise in the crude language of which Mr Potter is so fond, it is essentially the sharing of one soul between two people."

Harry gaped. "But... how...?"

"If you would let me continue." Snape snarled. "It is possible for a person to place part of their soul into another person. Not a torn piece like a Horcrux, although there is a theory that a Horcrux is a corrupted form of Soul-Binding motivated by greed and selfishness. In this case the soul remains intact, however it exists inside two people at the same time. It is one of the rarest forms of magic in existence, if not the most rare. There have only been three documented cases throughout history and the last one of those was over two thousand five hundred years ago. So you see Mr Potter, you and Miss Weasley should feel privileged. You have something else you can be famous for."

"But how did it happen?" Harry blurted. "I mean, I never cast a spell or said an incantation."

"Still obsessed with foolish wand waving Potter? No matter. Since you obviously cannot grasp it I will make it simple for you. From the few examples I was able to uncover, a Soul-Binding can only occur when a person is so devoted to the other person that they are willing to give up their own life for that person. It can also only be performed once between two people. As such it has been called one of the most intimate, profound and ultimate expressions of love in all of creation. It is also the only documented cure for the Dementor's Kiss."

Harry's mind flashed back to that day. He could remember the words vividly.

_ I want to die and give my life to you_.

Was that what Snape was talking about? He was shaken from his thoughts by Ginny's voice.

"But if that's all there is to it then why isn't it more common? There must be thousands who would do the same for the ones they love."

"Come come Miss Weasley." Snape sneered. "Everyone says that they would be willing to die in such a cause but how many of them would actually do it? One thing I have seen in Mr Potter over the years is a reckless sense of heroic self-sacrifice. I am sure that he would have allowed himself to die many hundreds of times over were someone not there to knock sense into him. Even then, the one time it was necessary for him to sacrifice himself there was a way for him to come back. All that is irrelevant though. What is pertinent to the discussion at hand is that it has happened and you and Mr Potter now have the same soul."

"So what can happen? Can we read each other's minds or what?" Harry asked. He noticed Snape did not deign to correct him on his use of the words read and minds.

"The available information is... sketchy... at best so I'm afraid I cannot answer all your little questions but the main points are as follows:

"You will be able to feel what the other person is feeling. The effect will become more pronounced the closer you are to each other. The more powerful the emotion the more keenly the other person will experience it. The state of the mind is also a factor. The clearer the mind the easier it is to attune yourselves to each other. When the mind is completely at rest, for example when you are asleep, or close to being asleep, you will find that you will be able to see and interact with each other as if you are next to each other. This is not literal, physical interaction. It exists only in your minds but, as an esteemed professor once said, that does not make it any less real."

So far it sounded great to Harry. As always though there had to be a catch. Snape promptly obliged.

"There are certain... side-effects. Even though you do not feel it, the soul is put under extra strain. As such you will both have shorter lifespans than you otherwise would. The sources are not clear on how much shorter however it seems to be on the order of ten to fifteen years less. In contrast to this, as long as one of you is alive the other cannot die, whether through illness or injury. When the time eventually comes for you to depart this existence you will do so together."

As far as catches went that did not sound at all bad to Harry. Not even the shorter life seemed to be a problem as he would now never know a time without Ginny. They would live together and they would die together. To him it sounded perfect. He felt Ginny's happiness and contentment and knew she felt exactly the same way.

"As to any other benefits or effects I am very much afraid that you are on your own. But I'm sure that it will present no problems to two such esteemed personages as yourselves."

"Professor..." for a moment Harry didn't know what to say.

"Don't thank me Potter." Snape snapped. "I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing this for the vestiges of your mother that I can see in your eyes and in Miss Weasley's hair." Snape's eyes narrowed. "Do not mess this up Potter. If you do I shall personally see to it that you regret it for the rest of what remains of your life." With that he turned his back on them.

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Well... I never thought... but this is marvellous!" he exclaimed. "Harry my boy, now you will never be alone again! I wish..." his eyes were shining and he looked to be on the verge of tears. Harry knew he was thinking about his dead sister and decided that it was time for them to take their leave.

...

They returned to the Burrow and found the place in chaos. People were rushing around, pinning up balloons, Molly was baking a huge cake, it was pandemoium.

"What's happening?" Harry caught Hermione as she was rushing past.

"Bill and Fleur! They've had a baby!" She was obviously excited.

Later that night they were introduced to Victoire Apolline Weasley. She was passed around by her beaming parents and everyone cooed over her. Most interesting was Teddy's reaction. When Victoire came near to him he crawled over to her and laid his pudgy hand on her arm. To everyone's surprise she turned her head to stare at him and he stared back. After a few minutes, seemingly without any effort on his part, his hair turned silver, and it stayed like that even after Victoire was moved on to someone else. His eyes continued to follow her though.

The party lasted until midnight, at which point Bill and Fleur excused themselves and returned to their home at Shell Cottage, carrying a sleeping Victoire. Harry was sat outside, looking at the moon. Ginny was sat next to him, cradling a sleeping Teddy, whose hair was still silver. Ginny smiled at Harry.

"Thank you Harry."

Harry smiled. "It was nothing. I'd do it all over again."

Ginny laughed. "No not just for that, for taking me back to the chamber. For letting me face the past."

Harry took her hand and kissed it gently. She pulled him in and they softly kissed each other, Teddy between them. Ginny moved her mouth to his ear and gently whispered into it.

"Now it's your turn."

Harry pulled back and looked at her questioningly.

"You've helped me face my past. Now let me help you face yours." She cupped his face in her hands.

"It's time for you to face the Dursleys."

* * *

**A/N Someone said in another fic that if you want something explained you put either Dumbledore or Hermione into a chapter. I just wanted to be a bit different. Besides I reckon Snape had a greater motivation for trying to bring someone back from the dead. I know Dumbledore had his sister but he would have reckoned on the Resurrection Stone and might not have looked any further. Anyway there's the explanation. Hope you enjoyed it.  
**

**Next Chapter: Harry's Turn  
**


	20. Harry's Turn

**Chapter 20 – Harry's Turn**

The next day saw Harry standing in front of a door he had hoped he would never see again. Ginny was stood next to him, as she had promised she would, and he took comfort from her presence and her feelings of reassurance. Harry looked at the number on the door, even though he had seen it countless times before throughout his life.

Number 4, Privet Drive.

Harry wanted to run away and never look back but he felt Ginny holding his hand. He had put her through the pain of coming to terms with her memories. How could he do any less? He still felt incredibly nervous though, probably more nervous than he had ever felt before.

Harry decided he couldn't put it off any longer and rang the doorbell. He briefly hoped that no-one would be in but a few moments later the door opened.

Dudley Dursley had changed a lot since Harry last saw him. The final few ounces of baby fat had completely disappeared and standing in the doorway was a fairly robust individual who instantly recognised the visitor.

"Ha... Harry?"

Suddenly remembering his manners, which Harry had not known he possessed, Dudley waved them in and, for the first time in what felt like a lifetime, Harry stood in the hallway of his old home.

"Who is it dear?" The well remembered voice of Harry's Aunt Petunia came out of the kitchen, shortly followed by the woman herself. She was carrying a tray which she had obviously been drying. She stopped short when she saw Harry, dropped the tray, and threw her hands up to her mouth in an audible gasp.

"What was that racke- You! What are you doing here? And who is that?" The portly form of Vernon Dursley entered from the living room and he too stood rooted to the spot, his little piggy eyes bursting from his face face, which itself was turning red.

"He... Hello Uncle Vernon." Harry said, hating how weak his voice sounded. Vernon wasn't in the mood for pleasantries.

"Don't you hello me boy! I asked you a question! Who is she? Is she one of your lot?" If anything, Vernon's eyes bulged even further at this new affront to his nice, quiet, distinctly non-magical life.

Harry was surprised to find that his fear had suddenly given way to anger. "_She_ is Ginny, my girlfriend. And _we_ are here to see if any of my stuff was still around." He could feel Ginny in his mind. It felt exactly the same as if she had put her arm round him.

Vernon looked like he was thinking, the veins bulging on his forehead. "Some of your stuff you say... well there may be something left upstairs in that room." _That room,_ Harry noticed. Not _your room_, _that room_. He noticed a slight glint in Vernon's eye as he led Ginny up the stairs to the door which led to his old room.

It wasn't the same door.

Harry remembered the door having many bolts and locks and a cat flap from the Dursleys' attempts to keep him out of their way. This door was brand new and unmarked. It was painted in a burgundy colour. Harry pushed the door open.

He didn't recognise the room. Nothing was familiar to him. The bed was new, and was against the opposite wall. There was a new study desk with a new chair and a new bookshelf. The lamp was new, the wallpaper was new, even the carpet and light fittings were new.

It was as if he'd never lived there at all.

Obviously there was nothing there for him so they went back downstairs. Harry saw Vernon trying to suppress a grin. Petunia and Dudley still looked a bit nervous and apprehensive.

Vernon spoke again. "No? Well maybe there's something in the cupboard under the stairs. You do remember where that is don't you boy?" This time Harry gritted his teeth. Vernon was playing with him, reminding him of his life here and making him relive the worst of it. This time Ginny did grab his hand in hers and she squeezed it tightly. He could feel her anger boiling but she seemed to be restraining herself, at least for now.

The cupboard had been completely changed as well. The bed, shelves, all of it had been replaced by a neat stack of towels, a bag of brand new golf clubs and a small cardboard box. On the box was printed the letter 'H'. Harry picked it up and opened it.

Inside were a few useless scraps of parchment and nothing else. Harry was seething now. By this time Vernon was grinning all over his face.

"Oh yes, that's all there is. We burnt everything else!" He laughed a horrible laugh. "Now take it and get out of my house! And take your freaky girlfriend with you!"

That did it. Harry saw red. He felt Ginny's fury explode like the force of a large Blasting Curse. She made to draw her wand but Harry got there first. Throwing the box down onto the coffee table he rounded on Vernon, extended his arm and curled his fingers. Petunia and Dudley started as Harry's wand appeared in his hand. He pointed it directly at Vernon's face. Vernon, however, just laughed all the more.

"Don't make me laugh boy! You can't use magic against us! It's against those pathetic regulations you call laws!" Vernon sneered at Harry.

"Oh really?" Harry turned, pointed his wand at the cardboard box on the table and said in a slow, deliberate, clear voice "_Cistem Inflamarae Maxima_!" The box was engulfed in a raging fireball and quickly disintegrated. When the fire died down all that remained was a large black scorch mark on the table. Petunia shrieked.

Harry turned his wand back to Vernon. "_Don't you ever insult Ginny like that_ _again_!" he hissed loudly. He had the satisfaction of seeing fear enter Vernon's face as his eyes darted to the table and back again. Harry put his wand away and reached for Ginny's hand. "Come on. There's nothing for us here."

...

They had walked about halfway down the street, Ginny's arm around Harry, when they heard the sound of footsteps running up behind them. They turned to see Dudley, out of breath, clutching what appeared to be a bundle of envelopes tied up with a brown string.

"Harry, wait." he said as he caught his breath. Harry said nothing. Dudley held out the bundle. "Here. Mum wanted me to give these to you. Dad never knew about these or he would have burnt them as well."

Harry took the bundle and looked at the top envelope. It was addressed to 'Petunia Evans'. He instantly recognised the handwriting. It was his mother's. He flipped through the rest of them. They were all addressed to Petunia. He looked back up to Dudley, suddenly unable to speak. "Th... thanks." he stammered.

"I'm sorry Harry." Dudley hung his head. "I'm sorry for everything I ever did to you. Mum is as well but she would never admit it in front of Dad." He raised his head again. "I never did thank you for saving my life from those... those things." Harry well remembered the Dementor attack from a few years ago. Dudley hadn't finished though. "I still have nightmares sometimes. I can see them with their ragged cloaks and their long cold fingers and those faces!"

Harry didn't know what to say so instead he extended his hand. Dudley shook it and they pulled into an embrace. Dudley then turned to Ginny. "So, Harry's girlfriend eh? You're lucky, he's one of the best."

Ginny's remaining anger dissipated and she beamed at him. "I know he is." and again Harry felt her love wash over him. She drew Dudley into a quick hug, which he returned.

When they released each other Dudley turned to Harry. "I'd better go. Dad doesn't know I'm here. He thinks I'm taking that table to the dump. Nice work on that by the way. I always hated it." Harry laughed with him and, with a final handshake, he went off back down the street.

Ginny looked at Harry and he gazed at her. It was done. They had both come to terms with their demons and now they could get on with their lives properly. They linked arms and Apparated back to the Burrow.

...

Later that evening Ginny and Harry were sat under a tree in the field surrounding the Burrow, going through Harry's mother's letters to her sister. Other people may have wanted to do so privately but Harry wanted to share everything with Ginny, and so they each read through them, reading out highlights.

"Listen to this one." Harry said. "Dear Tuney. The first week here has been amazing! We had Transfiguration, Potions, Charms and History of Magic. The teacher for that one is, well, you remember Old Elkington at our old school? Well imagine him but dead. That's what Professor Binns is like."

Ginny laughed. "Here's another one: Dear Tuney. That Potter's been put into detention again along with his friends Black, Lupin and Pettigrew. I don't know what they thought they were doing but Professor Flitwick says it'll take a week to get the smell out of the Great Hall!"

"That sounds about right." Harry grinned.

As they went through the letters it became apparent that, although Lily had written to her sister a lot, Petunia had never written back. There were certainly no references to any replies and, where the letters were quite frequent throughout the first couple of years of Lily's time at Hogwarts, they became less and less regular as time went on. Most of the latter ones normally contained Lily's frustration at James's advances towards her.

"He's been following me all day again..."

"Does he think a huge banner in the Entrance Hall will impress me?"

"I just wish he'd leave me alone."

Surprisingly there was no mention of Snape's altercation with her during their fifth year. Maybe Lily had chosen to pretend that it never happened.

Then Ginny found one particular letter. It had been written during Lily's seventh year was the last letter she had written to her sister. She read it out to Harry.

"Dear Tuney

"I know I've been saying that I hate Potter and his friends and I know I've been wishing that he would leave me alone but something's happened. I can't go into details but I never thought James would go to those lengths for his friends. If he ever got caught!

"I... I've changed my mind about him. I always thought he was an egotistical, self righteous arrogant fathead but now I can see that it was all an act. He's thoughtful, helpful, loyal to his friends and willing to risk everything to help them.

"I think I've fallen in love with him.

"Your loving sister.

"Lily."

"She kept them." Harry breathed once Ginny had finished. "She never replied but she kept them."

"You ok?" Ginny asked him, rubbing a hand over his back.

Harry smiled up at her. "Yeah, I think so. It's just seeing it written down here. It makes it seem like it was not all that long ago." He let Ginny put her arms around him as he re-read that last letter.

Finally Harry disentangled himself from Ginny and stood up. He collected up all the letters and retied the string around them. He found that his coat pocket was big enough to carry them and so he put them in there.

And stopped as his hand encountered something small and square.

He pulled it out. Where had that come from? He didn't remember putting that in his pocket! In fact he'd forgotten all about it. The last time he had seen it he had put it into his desk at the Ministry. Then he suddenly remembered.

He was wearing his Auror longcoat.

The coat that would provide him with whatever he needed in any situation.

The coat that had decided that what he needed in this situation was his grandmother's engagement ring. When had he been planning to give it to Ginny? Less than a month ago? Was that all it was?

Ginny hadn't noticed yet as Harry had his back to her. He stared at the ring remembering his conversation with Ron and Hermione. He could hear Hermione's words vividly as if she was standing right next to him.

_This just makes it official_.

"Ginny..." Harry started but his mouth dried up. What should he say? Thanks to their new-found connection he knew that she felt exactly the same way about him as he did about her and he knew that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. Ginny turned at the sound of her name and he heard her gasp as she saw the ring. Harry opened his mouth and tried again.

"Ginny, will you... marry me?"

The joy that filled him was made up of both his own and Ginny's. She threw herself at him and wrapped her arms round him tightly. "Yes! Yes I will!" She was crying and so was he. He pulled back from her for a second then placed the ring on her finger. She looked at it, then at him and smiled. He smiled back.

"Hi."

"Hi."

Then without any further words or even thoughts they kissed each other with a passion that was amplified as they fed each other their feelings of love and joy, their minds wrapped round each other as well as their bodies.

* * *

**A/N Bet you thought I'd forgotten about the ring!**

**Next Chapter: The Rejected Letter  
**


	21. The Rejected Letter

**Chapter 21 – The Rejected Letter**

The next few days seemed to Harry like one long celebration. First they broke the news of their engagement to Molly, who immediately started crying and held them both in a bone-crushing Weasley Super-Special, then they told Ron and Hermione, who reacted in pretty much the same way. Ron and Hermione then came out about being engaged themselves, which set Molly off again.

Molly instantly organised a party for the whole family. Everyone came. Bill, Fleur and Victoire, Charlie, Percy, George and Angelina, Arthur, even Andromeda and Teddy. It went on for most of the night. Most of the men insisted on interrogating and threatening Harry about what they would do if he ever hurt their sister - Harry never thought Percy could be so descriptive on the precise uses of a rubber chicken in these situations. The women however were all gathered round Ginny and Hermione, 'oooh'ing and 'aaaah'ing over their rings.

The next day the letters arrived. It seemed the whole world and his pet toad wanted to congratulate the newly-engaged couples. The entire staff and student body at Hogwarts, all their old friends and their families, they even got a polite card from the Malfoys. It merely read "Congratulations on your engagement" without any personal sentiments but it was still a surprise and more than they would have expected.

...

When Harry and Ron went back to the Auror department they found that the office had been decorated with wedding attire. Their chairs had huge red 'L' plates on the back, which Harry guessed must have been Dean's idea. That whole day became an impromptu party with Pearson and even Kingsley giving their congratulations.

The good news didn't end there. The following day Pearson walked into the office with the general air of someone who was floating on the clouds. He had a huge smile on his face.

"Someone's in a good mood." Ron quipped.

"It's my youngest daughter's birthday today." Pearson explained then paused for dramatic effect. "She's eleven."

"Eleven?" Harry was the one to break the silence. "Then that means..."

"Yes! She's got her Hogwarts letter! It came first thing this morning!" Everyone clapped and cheered and Pearson beamed with pride.

"Hang on though," Harry said when the applause died down, "One thing I never quite understood. We all get our letters during August, but our first letter always comes on our birthday no matter when it is. What's that all about?"

Pearson was still smiling. "Well it's a good present isn't it? Makes the child feel special and grown up. The official reason is that the family has a chance to decline the offer."

"Oh come on." Dean scoffed. "Who would ever give up the chance to go to Hogwarts?"

"You'd be surprised Thomas." Pearson said. "It doesn't happen very often I admit but it has been known. I believe the last time was, oh let me see, about eight years ago."

Ron's ears perked up. "Really? That's when we all started. Do you know who it was?"

"No not off the top of my head. I'll tell you what, I'll ask Records to send down the file this afternoon. Now back to work you lot!"

Something was starting to scratch at the back of Harry's mind. Something someone had said to him recently but he hadn't really been paying attention. Deciding that it was probably nothing, he pulled the nearest case folder in front of him, opened it and started reading.

...

When Harry came back from lunch there was an unmarked folder on his desk. It was obviously the file that Pearson had promised them. Settling down in his seat he opened it. And promptly felt his jaw drop in shock.

He suddenly realised what thought had been trying to attract his attention. _I still have nightmares sometimes. I can see them with their ragged cloaks and their long cold fingers and those faces_! Those had been Dudley's words. Dudley had been able to see the Dementors! Harry had never thought about it properly. He looked at the envelope sitting in front of him. In the top left corner was a large red stamp. "DECLINED". The address...

The letter was addressed to Mr D Dursley, 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey.

Harry could scarcely believe it but the evidence was right before his eyes.

Dudley was a wizard.

Suddenly a lot of Harry's treatment at the hands of the Dursleys made a lot of sense. It hadn't just been about trying to beat the magic out of him, it had also been about making Dudley feel as normal and ordinary as possible. Harry could imagine Petunia's fear on receiving the letter. He doubted Vernon had ever seen it, especially after his, er, reaction on seeing Harry's letter.

Harry just sat there, not knowing what to do.

...

"What are you going to do?" Ginny asked him. The four of them – Harry, Ginny, Hermione and Ron – were sat round the table in the Burrow with the unopened letter in the middle. Harry shook his head.

"I don't know. I think he deserves to know but I don't know what effect it'll have on the family. I'm not too bothered about Vernon but I don't know how Petunia will take it."

Hermione sighed. "It's like my parents all over again. Look Harry, I think you should send it to him. Like you said he does deserve to know. At the very least let him make his own decision on what to do."

Ron nodded. Harry looked at Ginny and she also nodded. Finally he nodded himself. That night he wrote his own letter, put that and the Hogwarts letter into an envelope and gave it to Fawkes to deliver.

...

Dudley was lying on the bed in his room with his stereo on full blast. He was dozing. His father had gone away for the weekend on some conference to do with drills or whatever. His mother had gone out to do some shopping.

He heard a faint but insistent tapping. He tried to ignore it but it wouldn't go away. Finally he turned his music down. The tapping was coming from the window. Dudley looked and cried out in shock as he saw a large red bird outside, using its beak to knock on the window. He then saw that the bird appeared to be carrying an envelope in his beak. Trembling, he slowly opened the window and the bird dropped the envelope on to his desk then flew away.

Dudley looked at the address. It was indeed addressed to him. Was that Harry's handwriting? Curious he opened the envelope. The first thing he pulled out was a square piece of some sort of stiff paper. He sat back on his bed to read it.

_Hi Dudley_

_ First off, many thanks for those letters. They really meant a lot to me and I really appreciate Aunt Petunia keeping them. Oh and by the way I'm engaged to Ginny now._

_ The real reason I'm writing to you is that I came across something at work today and I thought you needed to see it. I don't know if I'm doing right thing by sending it to you but you deserve to know._

_ Harry_

Something he needed to see? Something he deserved to know? Dudley had absolutely no idea what Harry could be talking about. He put his hand back into the envelope and found a smaller envelope. He pulled it out and stiffened in shock. He recognised the crest on the back of the envelope. After all, he had been brought up to hate the sight of it. Hands shaking he turned the envelope over and immediately dropped it. This couldn't possibly be right! He picked it up and read the address again in case he had made a mistake.

_Mr D Dursley_

_ 4 Privet Drive_

_ Little Whinging_

_ Surrey_

It was definitely him. There could be no doubt.

He slowly opened it, extracted the letter and read it

_HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY_

_ Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore_

_ (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. Of Wizards)_

_ Dear Mr Dursley_

_ We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_ Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July._

_ Yours sincerely_

_ Minerva McGonagall_

_ Deputy Headmistress_

Dudley was stunned. Him? He could have gone to Hogwarts? With Harry? He heard the door open and close downstairs and his mother's voice.

"Dudley? It's only me."

Dudley didn't move, still staring at the letter in his hand. The door to his room opened and Petunia came in.

"Dudley? What's the matter dear?"

Dudley turned his head slowly to look at her. He didn't say anything. He could feel tears starting to gather in his eyes. He held out the letter. Petunia took one look and gasped in shock. She came and sat down on his bed. Dudley finally broke down in tears and Petunia soon followed, wrapping her arms around her son as their combined tears fell onto the Hogwarts letter.

Later on Dudley penned a reply to Harry. He put it back into the envelope Harry's had come in, crossed out his own address and simply wrote "Harry Potter". He went to the window, opened it and stuck his head out.

"I, er, I have a reply for Harry?" He felt a little foolish but sure enough the same red bird reappeared and stuck its head out. Dudley held the letter out to the bird and it clamped its beak shut onto the envelope. Bowing its head once it turned and flew away. Dudley closed the window and sat back onto his bed. He had been given a lot to think about.

...

Fawkes arrived with Dudley's reply after dark. Harry took the letter and opened it, a bit nervous as to what effect his discovery had prompted. He opened the A4 sheet and started to read.

_Harry_

_ Thank you for letting me know. I really had no idea. If I had I would never have been as nasty to you._

_ Mum came in after I read it. She was speechless when I showed it to her. She asked me if I could ever forgive her. She said that she received the letter on my birthday and she knew instantly what it was and what it meant. She was so afraid. Not just because of me or because of you. She was afraid of Dad and what he would do if he found out._

_ She never told him. She simply wrote "Return to sender" on the envelope and left it outside on the doorstep. It was gone the next day. And after all this time she never told Dad or me about it._

_ I think I'm ok about it though. I don't know if I would have been able to fit in with you and your friends, especially after the way I had been brought up. I would probably have wound up in that group with the snake symbol!_

_ Both me and mum send our congratulations to you and Ginny._

_ Keep in touch_

_ Dudley_

Harry had to wipe his eyes. Ginny found him and he showed her the letter.

"Well?" she asked, "Are you going to keep in touch with him?"

"I dunno. Probably." Harry sighed. "He doesn't seem like the same old Dudley at least. Maybe this was for the best."

"Well I think it definitely turned out for the best." Ginny said, putting her arms around him and leaning on his shoulder, her ring glinting in the soft light.

* * *

**A/N I'm a bit surprised that only one person called me out on the Dudley-seeing-Dementors thing last chapter :P Anyway the idea for Dudley being a wizard came from a reference on the Harry Potter wiki and it got me thinking: If Dudley was a wizard what happened to his letter? Don't worry though he's not going to suddenly become an instant expert.  
**

**I may have made up that bit about the first letter coming on the person's birthday but it seems to work. And in context it does explain quite a bit about Dudley - Petunia spoiled him rotten because she was more afraid of him than of Harry. I don't think she knew for certain but the possiblity would have been there at the back of her mind.**

**Anyway I digress**

**Next Chapter: Plans And Preparations  
**


	22. Plans And Preparations

**Chapter 22 – Plans And Preparations**

Weddings! In Harry's opinion, whoever had decided, way back in the mists of time, that weddings should be elaborate affairs full of pomp and ceremony had never been married himself, or herself as was most probably the case. Whoever it was should also spend a year suspended upside down by his toenails. Harry thought Bill and Fleur's wedding had been a nightmare to plan and organise. Even George and Angelina's had been fairly frantic in the weeks beforehand, although Angelina's family took most of the strain of that occasion.

He realised that he knew nothing.

Molly had gone into overdrive. The wedding of her youngest child, and her only daughter to boot, had awakened some sort of fanaticism in her. She wanted everything to be perfect – the dress, the cake, the catering, even the invitations came under her intense scrutiny, with some possible options being dismissed as too garish, too blank, or just the wrong shade of pink or "that bell is just slightly out of place". She became the centre of a huge web of activity, shouting down the Floo at people who missed her intricately planned deadlines, taking Ginny and Hermione to try on upwards of fifty wedding and bridesmaid dresses at a time, sometimes in the space of an hour, clucking as the skirt was too high or the neckline was too low or the train was too long or too short. Harry himself was not excused, as he, Ron, George, Percy, Bill and even Charlie were put through measuring sessions and had to endure staying still for hours as tailors and clothiers, such as Madam Malkin, fitted them up for robes, suits, cravats, everything.

Sometimes Harry wished he had followed Ron and Hermione's example. Within two days of Molly starting to plan their wedding Ron had been overwhelmed by it all, so much so that he found himself unable to do even the simplest things. Then, as Molly was giving another lecture on the importance of floral arrangements and making Ron more and more agitated, Hermione suddenly sighed in exasperation, grabbed Ron's hand, immediately Disapparated with him, found a minister, got married there and then and came back, all within the space of an hour.

Molly had not been pleased.

Harry laughed to himself as he felt yet another pin stick into him. It was such a Hermione thing to do – brash, blunt, tactless – and he wished he was able to do the same. He knew though that Ginny would never hear of it. This was as important to her as it was to her mum and therefore it was important to Harry as well.

It was pretty uncomfortable though to say the least.

The venue for the wedding had been another sticking point. Molly was insistent that Harry and Ginny be married in the grounds of the Burrow, as most, if not all (she glowered at Ron as she said this), of her children had done so. Harry argued that it should be held at Hogwarts as that had been the first place that he had truly been able to call home. Ginny didn't want to take sides in this as she could see the merits of both places and it led to the first real shouting match between Harry and his mother-in-law-to-be. Eventually though they decided to hold off on making that decision in the hope that the most suitable place would become apparent as further arrangements were made. Harry then went and found Ginny and they said nothing, they just sat in front of the fireplace in each other's arms, letting their feelings play over each other.

The _Daily Prophet_ had caught wind as well. Predictable headlines like "_The Chosen One's Chosen One_" and "_Harpy Potter_" screamed at them from the front page along with pictures of Ginny playing in a match and Harry in full Auror gear and in one case a picture of them outside Fortean Fortescue's ice cream parlour in Diagon Alley with Harry feeding Ginny a spoonful of her favourite strawberry sundae.

And the cards kept on coming. They received cards not only from all the Harpies but also from every Quidditch team in the league. Even the Chudley Cannons sent their best, which made Ron's eyes bulge.

...

"I thought this would be a quiet wedding." Harry complained to Ginny that night. Thanks to their Soul-Binding they no longer needed to sneak into each other's rooms. Instead they found themselves in a dark bedroom-like area which seemed to be a combination of their own rooms, with dark shapes which could be either Ron or Hermione. They were used to it now and they found that they were able to not be distracted by each other's feelings without ignoring them completely. It was enough to know they were present and if they needed to they could send strong emotions to each other to calm each other down or share moments of joy and happiness.

"Did you really think the world would let you off that easily?" Ginny asked, stroking his cheek. Even though he knew it wasn't physically happening Harry still felt it perfectly, her hand warm and soft against him. Harry adjusted his arm round her and kissed her. This was still one of the things he would never get used to. Not only to know how it felt to kiss someone he loved but to feel what they themselves were feeling, the sensations bouncing off each other and amplifying until it became the biggest rush Harry had ever experienced. Knowing that Ginny could feel it too just made it all the more intense and passionate.

When Harry could think clearly enough to speak again he whispered into Ginny's ear. "There's still time you know. We could elope. Right now. Just like Ron and Hermione did."

Ginny laughed and Harry felt a fresh wave of love break over him. "I think my mum would quite literally kill us and then kill everyone else just for good measure. Besides." She looked into his eyes. "You want this as much as I do."

Harry could not disagree with her. He smiled. "You're right. So what's the plan for tomorrow then?"

"Invitations." Ginny said and laughed as Harry sighed.

...

The problem with the invitations turned out not to be deciding who to invite, as Harry had thought, but who not to invite.

There was the entire Dumbledore's Army of course and their families, there was the staff of Hogwarts, Ginny wanted the Harpies to come and Harry wanted his colleagues from the Ministry to come. The remainder of the Order of the Phoenix, all the Weasley relatives, "Yes, including Aunt Muriel" Ginny said exasperatedly, Madame Rosmerta, Aberforth Dumbledore, Ollivander, the list just went on and on. "Yes, even Cho." said Ginny to Harry's protest.

There was only one real point of contention with the list of invitees. Harry wanted to invite the Malfoys and he expected some resistance from Ginny but she readily agreed. No the sticking point came from Ginny herself.

Harry was quite willing to invite Dudley to the wedding but Ginny insisted that he extend the invitation to Petunia and Vernon.

"It's only polite." she said to him as they sat at the table poring over the list.

"But you heard what he called you! He hates us and our world and everything we stand for!" Harry protested.

Ginny shook her head. "I know that but if you don't make an attempt to reach him he's never going to see any different is he?"

Once again Harry couldn't argue but he did insist on posting the invitation via the muggle postal service rather than using an owl. At least that way Vernon wouldn't instantly burn it on sight.

There was one good thing to come of the huge list of people – Even Molly had to admit that there would be too many for the Burrow. As a result she grudgingly agreed that yes, perhaps Hogwarts would be the best place to hold the wedding.

That one decision also solved many other problems as well – catering could now be managed by the Hogwarts kitchen staff, namely the house-elves led by Kreacher, who positively squealed with delight when informed. Seating and accommodation would also be taken care of as the wedding would be taking place during the summer holidays and the houses would be free for use by guests.

It was decided, as this would be a high-profile event despite Harry's protests to the contrary, to hold a week long holiday at Hogwarts. This would give those who had to travel long distances time to get settled in and maybe hold one or two special events. Harry and Ginny were both quite keen to hold some sort of Quidditch match as a tribute to what had brought them together in the first place.

And so the invitations were finally sent out and all that remained was to wait for the replies. They didn't have long to wait. Barely hours after the last owl left the first reply arrived, and then the next and then the next until over three quarters of the replies had arrived and it wasn't even late evening. And all of them were acceptances. Apart from one.

The Malfoys sent a politely worded response to say that while they appreciated the invitation and sent their best wishes to the bride and groom, they would be unable to attend as they were visiting relatives in Bulgaria. Harry hadn't really been expecting anything else but at least they had replied.

By the end of the next day all but one of the invitations had been replied to and, with the exception of the Malfoys, the recipients were all planning to attend. The only one left now was the invitation sent to the Dursleys.

...

It was a typical morning in the Dursley household. Vernon was ploughing his way through a cooked breakfast, Dudley was eating a few slices of toast and Petunia had opened the door to pick up the mail and the morning newspaper. The paper she gave to Vernon who opened it and immediately started expressing his opinion on the state of the economy, politicians and the current celebrities of the day. Dudley had long since learned to ignore this and just carried on with his breakfast.

Petunia sorted through the envelopes, binning obvious junk mail, until she came to one addressed to 'The Dursleys, 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey'. What attracted her attention to this particular envelope was the delicate gold embroidery around the edge. The postmark read 'Ottery St. Catchpole'. She couldn't put her finger on it but for some reason she felt that this was not one she should give to Vernon. She dropped it into her apron and dutifully gave the rest to Vernon, who immediately started to express his opinion on the daylight robbery inherent in bills from the gas board and electric company. While this was going on Petunia gave Dudley a meaningful look.

Once Vernon had left for work, expressing his opinion on the shoddy state of the transport authority, especially as it pertained to traffic on the roads, Petunia showed Dudley the envelope she had hidden. Dudley opened it and pulled out an exquisitely decorated piece of card-like material, bordered in gold. He and his mother read it together.

_Mr A. Weasley & Mrs M. Weasley request the pleasure of the company of_

_Mr & Mrs Dursley and their son Dudley_

_at the wedding of their daughter_

_Ginevra Molly Weasley_

_to_

_Harry James Potter_

_to be held on_

_the 20__th__ day of July in the year 1999_

_at_

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

"Vernon can't know about this!" Petunia whispered, afraid that he might walk through the door that very moment having forgotten his keys or pager or something else that he didn't really need. She looked frantic for a second then her face cleared as she looked at Dudley.

"Do you want to go?" she asked, surprising him.

"Mum?"

"Look, you know what I did. I held that letter from you. I never told you about it. I'm not going to impose on you this time. I won't be able to go myself but if you want to you can. Do you want to go?"

Dudley thought about it for a few minutes then found that yes, he did indeed want to go. He informed Petunia of this. She nodded.

"Right. Well we obviously can't tell your father. We'll have to make up some story. I know, I know." She could see Dudley was about to protest. "I don't like lying to him either but you know what he's like about these things." She sighed. "Go on. Reply to them."

Dudley went up to his room and wrote his reply.

_Harry_

_ Many thanks for your invitation. I'd love to come. Mum would like to come but she won't be able to. Dad, well you know what Dad's like._

_ Mum does send her best wishes though._

_ Dudley._

He sealed it up in an envelope and opened his window. "Hello? Are you there?" he whispered to the air. With a loud _crack_ the big red bird, the same bird as last time, appeared. Dudley gave the bird the letter and it flew into the morning sun.

About two hours later Dudley heard a tapping on his window and opened it. The bird had another envelope in its beak. Dudley took the letter and opened it. It contained instructions for him together with a date. Dudley found he had become quite excited by the prospect of finally going to Hogwarts.

This was going to be an interesting experience.

* * *

**A/N As you've probably guessed I'm going to try something which I for one have never seen before in a Harry Potter fic. I'm hoping it goes well but judging by the reviews I got for the last chapter I'm feeling pretty confident.**

**Next Chapter: Dudley Goes To Hogwarts  
**


	23. Dudley Goes To Hogwarts

**Chapter 23 – Dudley Goes To Hogwarts**

A few weeks later Dudley found himself standing in King's Cross station, wondering if he had come to the right place. Looking round at the departure and arrival boards, the ticket barriers, the various coffee shops and magazine stands, and of course the trains themselves going to various destinations around the UK, he found it hard to believe that anything remotely magical, odd, or even slightly out of place could ever happen there.

He remembered times when he had come here with his mother and father to pick Harry up for another long summer but even then it had somehow seemed unreal that there was some hidden means of transportation to a school of magic somewhere far away. Of course that had partly been due to Vernon's fierce resistance to anything out of the ordinary happening within his presence.

He smiled to himself. As it turned out there had been no need to lie to his father. Through coincidence, providence, fate or just sheer luck Vernon had been called away to a European business conference and would be gone for at least a week. Dudley's mother still stood by her decision not to come with Dudley though as she didn't feel ready to face Harry yet. This left Dudley alone, carrying a small suitcase containing his best suit, waiting for who-knew-what to happen.

"Hey, there he is, over there! Hey, Dudley!" a voice called from behind him. Dudley turned to see Ginny waving to him. She was with Harry and two other people he didn't recognise – one was a boy with bright red hair, the resemblance to Ginny was enough for him to guess that this was her brother, and a pretty, intelligent looking girl with bushy dark brown hair. She was holding hands with the red-haired boy and Dudley thought he caught a flash of gold on their hands.

Dudley made his way over to them and was immediately greeted with a quick hug from Ginny and a handshake from Harry. Harry performed the introductions.

"Dudley, this is Ron and Hermione. Ron, Hermione, this is my cousin Dudley."

Dudley saw Ron's eyes narrow slightly and guessed that he must have heard stories of Harry's treatment at the Dursleys. Hermione, however, was the picture of good manners and nudged Ron into extending his hand, which Dudley shook.

"So... er..." Dudley started, still unsure as to what to do. "What happens now?"

Ginny smiled and took his arm. "This way. The Hogwarts Express is laying on a special service to get people up to the school."

"The what's what?" Dudley had never heard of a train like this. He had looked at all the boards and there was certainly nothing that looked like Hogwarts up there. Ginny laughed and led him along the station to platforms 9 and 10. When they got to the barrier between the two platforms Ginny nodded to Ron and Hermione and they walked forward. Dudley watched in amazement as they walked straight into the barrier and disappeared.

"Huh?" He asked, his brain having temporarily lost the capacity for legible speech. Instead of answering Ginny gently pulled him forward and he followed, his legs seemingly moving of their own accord. Before he knew it he had walked through the barrier and was now standing on a platform that looked like it had come straight from the nineteenth century. A sign above him read 'Platform 9 ¾' and in front of him stood a magnificent looking red steam engine pulling a number of old-fashioned carriages. A plate on the front of the train declared it to be the 'Hogwarts Express' and, through the steam issuing from the engine, Dudley could see small groups of people chatting to each other, helping to get luggage onto the train or climbing on themselves. His gaze briefly stopped on a group of about five girls, including one rather pretty girl with blonde pigtails. She looked to be about his age. She saw him staring and gave him a friendly smile. Dudley quickly looked away, feeling himself starting to turn red.

"Come on, we'd better find somewhere to sit or everywhere will be taken." Harry led their little group forward. Ron sniggered behind him.

"Why break the habit of a lifetime?" he quietly said to Hermione.

They found an empty compartment and stowed their luggage on the overhead racks. Dudley was still feeling a bit strange, like he was intruding on another world. At least the idea of a train was familiar enough to him. He had half been expecting something whacky like flying carpets or winged horses. He managed to settle down though and looked out of the window as the train started its journey.

...

Surprisingly, Dudley found he was quite enjoying the trip. There was something about watching the green landscape flying past that made him feel at ease and he even felt adventurous enough to try some of the strange sweets and snacks from the trolley when it came around. He quickly learned to be wary of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans when, after a rather pleasant combination of baked beans and sausage, he bit into one that was dogfood flavoured. He counted himself lucky though as Ron had managed to find one that tasted like tarmac.

After a couple of hours Harry declared that he and Ginny would move around the rest of the train to say hello to everyone. "Are you going to be alright? I mean, you're welcome to come as well if you want."

Dudley smiled. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. Anyway I like watching the world going past. It's sort of relaxing."

Harry nodded and he and Ginny left, closely followed by Ron and Hermione. Dudley was left on his own but he didn't mind too much. He looked up as the compartment door slid open again, wondering if Harry had forgotten something.

But it wasn't Harry. Instead some of the girls he had seen on the platform entered, including the pretty blonde girl. She noticed him sitting near the window.

"Oh, I'm sorry. We didn't realise there was anyone in here."

"No no it's ok." Dudley said politely and the girls sat down. He kept his attention focussed out the window as they immediately started chatting.

"Do you remember the time when...?"

"And those mandrakes!"

"The Blast-Ended Skrewts! Remember those?"

Dudley didn't have any idea what they were talking about and found himself wishing that he did. He sighed, wondering to himself about what might have been.

...

The train eventually pulled into a platform at a station apparently called Hogsmeade. Dudley followed the girls as they alighted the train. He saw Harry and Ginny across the platform and his jaw dropped as he took in who they were talking to. A large person, a giant in fact, who Dudley remembered very well. Unconsciously his hand reached round to scratch his backside, where a pig's tail had once been. Harry saw him and waved him over. Nervously, Dudley went across to them.

"Hagrid, you remember Dudley don't you?"

"Course I do. Stuck a tail on 'im once dint I?" Hagrid boomed, but he seemed jovial enough and patted Dudley on the shoulder, causing him to wonder if his shoulder was now dislocated. Hagrid looked up. "Blimey you'd better go. Professor McGonagall is sortin' out where people are goin' t' stay!"

They joined the main crowd at a giant pair of iron gates in front of an imposing castle as an elderly looking woman with a pointed hat, obviously the Professor Hagrid had mentioned, read from a scroll. "The wedding party, that's the bride, the groom, the best man etcetera, will be staying in Gryffindor. The rest of you please listen for your names." Dudley lost track of the names until he was suddenly jolted by the Professor saying "Mr Dudley Dursley."

"Uh, present!" Dudley snapped his back straight, his years at St Smeltings coming back to him. Some of the others laughed and he went red.

Professor McGonagall smiled slightly. "Mr Dursley, you will be staying in Hufflepuff house. I trust that is acceptable?" Dudley stammered his agreement and went to follow the others as they entered the castle.

It took him approximately twenty minutes before he realised he was hopelessly lost.

He had tried to keep up with the people in front of him, reasoning that there must be at least someone who was going to the same place he was, but the maze of corridors and the moving stairs (moving stairs! He would never have believed that if he hadn't seen it!) quickly separated him from them. After passing the same suit of armour for what must have been the sixth time he stopped and caught his breath, leaning against the wall. _I must be losing it!_ He thought to himself. _That portrait looks like it's waving at me!_

"Excuse me?" a voice came from behind him. He turned round and saw the blonde girl from the train standing there. "Hi. Are you lost?"

Relief flooded Dudley like a wave of the sea. "Yes. I'm supposed to go to, er, Hufflepuff?"

The girl smiled and for some reason Dudley's heart leapt. "That's great! I'm going there myself!" She gently took Dudley by the arm and started to lead him through the labyrinth.

"My name's Hannah by the way." she said to him.

"I'm Dudley. I'm, er, Harry's cousin." he said haltingly.

"Oh that's wonderful!" The girl was incredibly cheerful, not like anything Dudley had been taught to expect from people like her. He had endured lectures from his father on how wizards thought they were above everyone else and how they would look down on you like insects. Well, if this Hannah was anything to go by his father was sorely mistaken.

In due time they were standing before what looked like a blank wall set in an alcove. "Well here we are." Hannah said and knocked on the wall. After a few knocks a door appeared and opened, seemingly by itself. Noticing Dudley's puzzled look Hannah explained. "The door opens after you've knocked enough times. The trouble is you never know how many knocks it'll take and it's never the same twice. Once I was stood here knocking for fifteen minutes straight before it would open. It's about persevering and never giving up you see." It sounded daft to Dudley but he didn't say anything and followed the girl into a great room ornately decorated in shades of yellow and brown. There were armchairs, tables, sofas and a roaring fire and stairways led off to other floors.

"You'll most likely be in the boy's dormitories. Up there on your right." Hannah pointed him up a set of stairs. "Your luggage should be there already. Go on, I'll wait here." Gratefully Dudley mounted the stairs and one of the doors opened for him.

Entering he saw a number of large four poster beds decked out with curtains in the same yellowy brown colour. His suitcase was indeed by one of the beds. It took him very little time to unpack and he hung up his suit next to his bed. Coming back downstairs he saw Hannah sat in one of the armchairs. She smiled as he entered.

"So what do you think?" she asked.

"It's amazing." Dudley said, feeling that he was stating the rather obvious. Hannah laughed.

"Come on, I'll show you round." Again she took him by the arm and led him back out of the common room.

...

As Hannah took Dudley around the school they talked about their backgrounds. Dudley found himself paying more attention to her than to the places she was taking him, fantastic though they were – Dudley knew he wouldn't forget the venomous tentacular plants in a hurry. Hannah was curious to know why Dudley hadn't come to Hogwarts. Dudley found himself telling her, somewhat to his own surprise.

"It's my father. He doesn't like... people like... us." He was going to say 'people like you' but remembered that he too was one of those people, even if he had been kept back from it. He carried on telling her about how his mother had intercepted his Hogwarts letter and how he had never known about it until now. He told her about St Smeltings and felt very foolish in doing so as he was sure that in comparison to this place it must sound very boring.

To his surprise he found that Hannah listened to every word. She told him that her mother was a witch, whereas her father was a muggle. Dudley remembered this to mean that such a person had no magical capabilities at all. According to Hannah this made her a half-blood. For some reason the term sounded racist to Dudley. He could imagine his own father leaping onto it and decrying Harry as a half-blood in his loudest voice. Hannah seemed ok with it though and joked about the magical pranks she pulled on her father's relatives.

Dudley slowly realised that he was actually enjoying Hannah's company. He felt disappointed when they returned to the wall hiding the Hufflepuff entrance. "Let me have a go." he said and started knocking. After about twelve knocks the door opened.

"It must like you." Hannah mused. When Dudley asked her why she said that she grinned. "My first time it took me about seventy-three before it finally let me in."

...

A short time later they were in the Great Hall. Dudley looked around in wide-eyed astonishment at the enchanted ceiling showing the sky outside. He saw a plaque at the front of the hall with names engraved on it and asked Hannah what it was. She quietly told him it was a memorial to those who died fighting Voldemort, and Dudley realised for the first time the pressure that had been on Harry, having to see all those people die and still carrying on. He saw Harry and Ginny sat with Ron and Hermione at another table. They waved to him and he waved back.

He was further impressed at the food which magically appeared. The mouthfuls of steak pie nearly exploded out from him when he first saw the ghosts appearing and talking to those present but he was starting to get the idea that anything was possible here. Indeed when one portly figure who Hannah called the Fat Friar came up and introduced himself Dudley found that he was able to hold quite a pleasant conversation on the subject of his favourite foods.

At the end of the meal the remains disappeared and Professor McGonagall stood to welcome everyone to this special occasion. Dudley was only half listening as he was still taking in his surroundings. He heard the words "Quidditch match" and heard Hannah squeal with delight next to him. He vaguely remembered that Quidditch was the sport Harry always talked about, and that he had once been to the 'Quidditch World Cup Final'. He had always wondered what it was about. Well now it looked like he was going to find out.

What an amazing place this was. Why couldn't he have come here instead of Smeltings?

* * *

**A/N The very first idea I had, even before I'd decided to write a fic, was a muggle in Hogwarts. Then of course there were all the problems about why was he there, how did he get there etc. so I put it on the back burner and started concentrating on my second idea, which was Ginny getting hit by the Dementors and Harry bringing her back. Then Dudley conveniently popped up and one thing led to another and there he is.**

**And I know they could have Apparated or Flooed to Hogwarts but hey its the Hogwarts Express! Who doesn't like a bit of nostalgia?  
**

**Next Chapter: All-Star Quidditch  
**


	24. All Star Quidditch

**Chapter 24 – All-Star Quidditch**

That night Dudley dreamed of bright red trains and lots of children all going to learn how to be wizards and he wanted to go as well but he was too old and his parents threw him out and his father screamed at him and...

There was a soft knocking at the door. With an effort Dudley swung his legs out of the huge four-poster bed and, still wearing his pyjamas, walked over and opened it. Hannah was outside, her face beaming.

"Come on!" she said, bouncing up and down, "It's the Quidditch match today! Everyone's down at breakfast!" Her enthusiasm must have rubbed off on to him as a few minutes later he was sat in the Great Hall scoffing sausages and bacon and hash browns washed down with orange juice. Hannah was sat next to him and eating just as ravenously. They must have looked a proper sight but they didn't mind too much and no one else seemed to be offended. The only topic of conversation this morning was the upcoming game. Dudley suddenly realised he still didn't know what Quidditch was about and, deciding that now was as good a time as any to find out, asked Hannah.

"It's easy enough. You see there's this big field and at each end are three hoops, each set a way up off the ground. Each team has seven players, a Keeper, two Beaters, three Chasers and a Seeker. The Keeper defends the hoops, the Chasers try to score points with the quaffle, the Beaters defend their team and attack the other team with bludgers and the Seeker has to try to catch the golden snitch before the other team's Seeker. Easy, see?"

Dudley's head was spinning as he tried to take all this in. Beaters? Bludgers? Golden what now? Hannah took pity on him though and smiled. "Look, did you ever play basketball?" Dudley was startled at the mention of such a commonplace thing then realised she must have known about that sport from her father. He nodded and she carried on. "Well it's sort of like that but, well, you'll see."

The buzz of chatter got louder and louder as breakfast neared its end. Eventually though everyone left the Great Hall. Hannah led Dudley out of the castle and down to what looked like an oval playing field with stands around it. There were already a number of people sat down and Dudley could feel the anticipation in the air. Hannah managed to get him to a seat near the front of one of the stands and settled down next to him. There was nothing left to do now but wait and see what would happen.

After about fifteen minutes what sounded like a brass band struck up a grand fanfare and a voice reverberated around the pitch.

"The sun is out and it's a beautiful day for this, the first ever Hogwarts All-Stars Qudditch Match!" The crowd erupted in cheers.

"That's Lee Jordan!" Hannah whispered to Dudley. Seeing his blank look she explained. "He was a couple of years above us. He always loved to commentate a Quidditch match." Hannah stopped as the voice continued.

"Today we bring you some of the best players Hogwarts has ever seen in recent history! But first, please, a big hand for Harry and Ginny, without whom we would not be here today!" This time the noise was deafening as the entire crowd gave a standing ovation. After the applause eventually died down Lee resumed speaking. "Today's game will be a straight match between a men's team and a ladies' team. No league, no tournament, winner takes all! Every one of our players today has excelled themselves here on this very pitch!"

The band changed their tune as the first person entered the field. Dudley had never actually seen a broom flying before and he was stunned as it, and the person riding it, flew a lap round the field. More and more players came on as Lee introduced them. As each player was announced a fresh wave of applause swept the crowd.

"From Puddlemere United, making his return to Hogwarts, please welcome Keeper Oliver Wood!

"Our first Beater on the field, and it's none other than our favourite purveyor of the finest pranks and practical jokes, George Weasley!"

The applause got louder and louder as Anthony Rickett took his place as the second Beater, then Roger Davies, Malcolm Preece and Jeremy Stretton were announced as Chasers. The biggest round of applause came as the Seeker was announced.

"And the Seeker for the men's team, it gives me great pleasure to present Harry Potter!"

If the noise had been loud before it became truly deafening as everyone stood as one and applauded and cheered and whistled. Harry gave a wave to them all. Even Dudley found himself crying out Harry's name at the top of his voice. Hannah was jumping up and down in her seat waving her arms.

When the noise finally died down Lee went on to announce the ladies' team.

"Please welcome Katie Bell as Keeper!"

As he went on introducing the rest of the team, Maxine O'Flaherty and Tamsin Applebee came on as Beaters, and Angelina Weasley, Heidi Macavoy and Melissa Bradley came on as Chasers, and then the stadium went quiet, awaiting the arrival of the Seeker for the ladies' team.

"And now, retaking her place as Seeker, please welcome the Chosen One's chosen one, everyone's favourite Holyhead Harpy, Ginny Weasley!"

And again the stadium erupted as Ginny took her lap around the stadium, her hair streaming gracefully behind her. Dudley distinctly saw her give him a smile as she flew past where he and Hannah were sitting.

As the last of the players took their places, with the keepers in front of their hoops, the beaters in front of them, the chasers near the centre and Harry and Ginny a little way above the field as seekers, an older witch who Hannah identified as Madam Hooch strode onto the field carrying a chest. The crowd went quiet with expectation. She opened the chest and let two cannonball-like objects loose. These immediately began circling the field at speed. "The Bludgers" Hannah murmured. Next came a tiny golden ball which flew off into the distance. "That's the golden snitch. One hundred and fifty points to whichever team catches it." Finally Madam Hooch held up a large red ball. "The Quaffle." again Hannah was murmuring to Dudley. He watched as the witch threw the ball high up into the air.

And the game started.

Dudley had done several sports in his time at St Smeltings – boxing, rugby (in which he had taken great delight in stomping on smaller children) – but nothing had ever come close to this. The players flew at each other and pretty soon all Dudley could make out was nothing so much as a multicoloured whirlwind punctuated by thumps, crashes and cries of "oof" and "ouch". He tried to listen to Lee's commentary but even that seemed to be lagging behind what was happening on the pitch.

"And that's a beautiful pass by Angelina!

"Roger Davies intercepts and goes for the hoops! Oh now he's showing off!"

Dudley couldn't believe his eyes. Roger had stood up and was now using his broom like a surf board, twisting and turning as he zoomed towards the opposing team's hoops.

"Ouch! that must have hurt! Hard luck Roger!"

Dudley saw one of the Bludgers fly straight at Roger. He managed to dodge it easily but it was hit back at him by one of the opposing beaters. It slammed into his head and he dropped the quaffle, which was then caught by Heidi Macavoy and the game went on. Roger himself landed full on his broom which floated lazily to the ground.

"Is he ok?" Dudley asked Hannah.

"He'll be fine. This happens all the time." she reassured him. Dudley turned his attention back to the game. The hoops at each end of the field were being bombarded with red blurs and Lee was obviously struggling to keep up with the score.

"50-40! No! 50-50! This is some game ladies and gentlemen!"

Dudley saw that Harry and Ginny had not moved an inch from their starting positions. He mentioned this to Hannah.

"No their job is to go after the snitch. That's when the game really begins. All this is just warming up." Warming up? If this was what Hannah called warming up then something spectacular must be about to happen.

After about half an hour of glorious chaos, at the end of which Lee announced the score to be "150 to both sides!" a hush fell across the crowd. Dudley wondered what had caused it then he saw a flash of gold above them.

The snitch had entered play.

Immediately Harry and Ginny were off, racing side by side as they chased the tiny golden ball. Neither one of them was gaining a lead. As Dudley watched he was amazed as Harry and Ginny flew around each other, cut across each other's paths and corkscrewed over each other at dizzying speeds and perfectly synchronised turns. Slowly the chaos on the field below died down as all eyes, including the players themselves, slowly turned to the display above them. The Bludgers flew around a bit more until they too were finally caught by the beaters. Everyone's attention was firmly fixed on the two flyers in the sky. Even Dudley could tell that this wasn't just flying.

This was _ballet_.

It was as if they each instinctively knew what the other would do. They flew dangerously close to each other one second, then instantly pulled away only to converge again. And all the time the snitch danced just out of reach.

There was a loud gasp from the entire crowd as the snitch suddenly dived to the ground, closely followed by Harry and Ginny. Faster and faster they plummeted to the ground, brooms pointing vertically downwards, arms outstretched. There seemed to be no way that they would be able to pull out in time. Dudley realised he was holding his breath.

Then at the last second they both lunged forward, made a grab, and landed hard on the ground, their hands tightly clasped together. There was dead silence as they both stood up slowly, almost painfully. Then, as one, they raised their arms and opened their hands.

The snitch fluttered its wings, firmly gripped in both their hands. Lee's voice broke the silence. "300-300! It's a draw!"

The crowd went wild.

Dudley was one of the first on his feet, applauding, pounding the air, cheering until his voice felt hoarse and still not stopping, and yet he could still not hear himself above the combined roars and cheers of what must have been hundreds of people. Lee was cheering, but even his amplified voice was lost. Dudley turned to Hannah, who was laughing and screaming. Then, to his everlasting surprise, she turned to him and wrapped her arms around him tightly, still laughing. Dudley froze for a second then he responded in kind, putting his arms around her. The noise of the crowd seemed to fade away as they pulled apart and looked into each other's eyes for a long moment. Then the noise came back and they let go of each other, resuming their cheering.

...

"Come on! Everyone's going to the Three Broomsticks to celebrate!" Hannah was pulling Dudley along by his hands. He allowed himself to be led as they followed everyone else into the village which he had learned was called Hogsmeade. He hadn't forgotten their hug and was wondering when would be the best time to bring it up. For now though he was still feeling the exhilaration from the match.

The Three Broomsticks, like most other places here, put Dudley in mind of an old fashioned inn. Hannah ordered something called butterbeer for both of them as Dudley looked for the least crowded spot.

"Hey! Over here!"

Dudley saw Harry waving at him. He was sat at a table with Ginny, Ron and Hermione and they budged up to make room. As Dudley sat down he saw that Harry and Ginny were sporting a few bruises but they didn't seem to be bothered by them. Instead they were laughing as they relived the highlights of the match. Hannah joined them and sat down next to Dudley, giving him a smile. Ginny noticed this and she and Hermione shared a furtive grin.

...

Dudley was lying in his bed, wide awake. He had no idea what time it was and at the moment he didn't care. There was too much going on in his mind.

There was a knock and, not having anything better to do, he answered it. Hannah was stood there in her dressing gown. She looked like she was having trouble sleeping as well.

"Come with me. There's something I want to show you."

She took him through the castle up to a tall tower which, at the top, was open to the sky. "This is the Astronomy Tower. I used to come here quite a lot when I had something on my mind." She lay back onto the stone floor. "On a good night you can see Jupiter and Saturn from here. It's one of the most beautiful sights in the world." She looked straight at him. "What's wrong Dudley? It seems like something's bothering you. It's like you're holding back for some reason."

Something broke deep inside Dudley and he started crying as he told Hannah all about his and Harry's life at the Dursleys, how they had taken every opportunity to belittle him and make him miserable, how they had forced him to live in a tiny cupboard for most of his life and generally treated him like a cross between a slave and an unwanted piece of garbage.

Hannah said nothing, she just let him pour his feelings out, and when he finally finished she put her arm round him and held him close as he cried, feeling tears pricking her own eyes. She looked up at the sky, just in time to see a shooting star. She smiled then turned her gaze back down to the boy sobbing in her arms and gently rocked him until sleep overtook them both.

* * *

**A/N I've always liked the image of someone surfing on their broom. Harry did it in the Philosopher's Stone film and I thought it was quite effective.** **And I thought the match should finish in a draw - it seemed appropriate.**

**Anyway next up is the one you've (probably) all been waiting for!  
**

**Next Chapter: Mr & Mrs Harry Potter  
**


	25. Mr & Mrs Harry Potter

**Chapter 25 – Mr & Mrs Harry Potter**

Ginny stood in front of the mirror in her old bedroom in Gryffindor, studying her reflection for what must have been the fourteenth time that morning. She couldn't believe that the day was finally here. The day when she fulfilled a lifelong dream.

The day when she was going to marry Harry Potter.

"Stop fussing! I told you already, you look perfect!" Hermione stood behind her, putting the final touches to Luna's hair. Ginny looked down at herself. She had to admit the dress was fantastic, especially after all the effort her mother had put into getting it made.

It was a simple dress, pure white and strapless. The skirt had gentle pleats which led into the train but other than that the dress was mostly unembellished and flawless. A thin line of tiny flowers fashioned from white lace started from the top left and wove its way down and across to end at the bottom right where it led straight into one of the folds on the skirt. The decoration was almost invisible, designed that way so that it wouldn't dominate the overall effect. White sleeves which started from the wrist and ended just above the elbow completed the dress and Hermione had spent the last half an hour weaving delicate lace lilies into her hair. According to Madam Malkin, who had made the dress, the idea was to keep it as simple as possible so as to allow the natural beauty of the one wearing it to shine through unhindered.

Ginny gazed over at Hermione and Luna. As bridesmaids they had been given dresses made from shimmering gold cloth. The dresses were just as simple as hers was and she had to admit that they almost put her to shame. Almost.

"But are you sure Harry will like it?" Ginny asked. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Yes he'll think it's wonderful. But he won't be looking at it will he? The dress is for everyone else to look at. He'll be looking at you and only you. Oh that reminds me, I have something for you." She pulled out a small box and handed it to Ginny. "I'm afraid the phoenix feather was completely destroyed but the jeweller was able to do something with what was left of the casing."

Ginny opened the box. Inside was the phoenix pendant she had bought as part of Harry's present but it was different. Instead of the bird spreading its wings, now it had its wings folded over its body so that it formed the shape of a heart. Ginny saw a glint of green where the wings met the body. Looking at it closely she saw that the wings enclosed a tiny emerald, exactly the same shade of green as Harry's eyes. "Oh Hermione it's perfect! Thank you so much!" She leapt to hug Hermione but Hermione backed away.

"Careful Ginny, do you know how long it took to get those flowers into your hair?" She smiled as she put the necklace around Ginny's neck as Ginny held up her hair. They had decided to leave her long red hair down in contrast to the bridesmaids who would wear their hair up. Finally Hermione stood back, satisfied. As she did so there was a knock at the door and Molly's voice could be heard.

"Dear? They're ready for you now."

Ginny opened the door to her mother and father. Molly took one look and immediately started tearing up, with Arthur soon dabbing at his own eyes.

"Oh my little girl! Look at you! You've made us so proud!" Molly couldn't help herself and threw her arms around Ginny and held her tightly. Arthur joined the hug as Hermione called from inside the bedroom to be careful of the hair.

"Come on. It's time." Arthur offered Ginny his arm and led her down the stairs, through the Gryffindor common room and headed for the Great Hall.

...

When the party entered the Great Hall Ginny was stunned speechless. She hadn't quite appreciated up to now how many people had gathered to see her marry the one she loved. As she surveyed the rows and rows of seats, every one of which was filled, she felt a tear gather in her eye and run down her cheek.

Not only were there students past and present, their families, residents of Hogsmeade, her teammates and Harry's co-workers, including Kingsley Shacklebolt, but she could also see house elves, all wearing white linen smocks, with Kreacher at their head, and looking through a window she could see the massive head of Grawp peering in.

And then she looked at the walls.

They were covered with portraits. Every single square inch was taken up with the many portraits from around the castle. There was the Fat Lady who guarded the entrance to Gryffindor Tower, Sir Cadogan, all the headmasters from McGonagall's office, including Snape who was looking as if he'd rather be somewhere else, and many many more besides.

In short, everyone who could possibly have been there was there.

Ginny's gaze moved towards the front of the Hall. There, waiting for her, were her brother and the man she had come to love above all else. Harry. And next to him...

Ginny vaguely remembered expressing concern at some point about who would be performing the service. She didn't really want some nameless official who would trot out a lot of meaningless words. Harry didn't have any ideas but he was confident that the right person would present themselves.

Next to Harry was a life-size portrait of none other than Albus Dumbledore himself. He was wearing his most elaborate dress robes and had his usual half-moon spectacles on. He smiled as Ginny and her bridesmaids and parents started to walk down the aisle.

...

Harry had spent the entire morning pacing up and down in the common room, thoroughly annoying Ron who was sat on one of the big armchairs, going over his best man speech.

"Look if you're so agitated then why not do that mind link thing? At least that way you'll know she's ok and there's nothing to worry about."

Harry shook his head. He and Ginny had taken the decision to not use their soul-bond to contact each other before the wedding, and as such had spent the night truly apart for the first time in ages. It had been hard but Harry knew it would make it that much sweeter when they saw each other at the wedding.

Harry still didn't know who would be taking the service. When he raised the matter with Professor McGonagall she simply smiled and said it would be taken care of. And so, when Harry and Ron arrived at the Great Hall to meet and greet guests, he had been most surprised to see Professor Dumbledore in a new, life size portrait waiting for him.

"Sir?" Harry asked.

Dumbledore smiled. "My dear Harry, Professor McGonagall has told me of the situation and I would consider it the highest honour if you would allow me to conduct the service."

"Is that allowed? I mean, with you being..." Harry asked.

"Well there's nothing in any laws to say it's not legal. I'd be delighted to assist, if you'll have me that is."

Harry grinned widely. "I don't think there's anyone we'd rather have. The honour is all mine sir."

After all the guests had arrived and were seated there was nothing to do but wait. Eventually Harry was rewarded with the sound of the great doors opening. He turned and for a moment the whole world stopped.

Leading the procession through the hall, although Harry was sure he was the only one who could see them, were ghostly figures of a dark stag with brown eyes and a red-brown doe with green eyes. Behind them were Hermione and Luna, both resplendent in their golden dresses. Harry distinctly heard an intake of breath from Ron beside him. And behind them...

Harry had never really believed in angels. He had heard of them of course, but until this moment he did not believe that anyone could be as beautiful as they were described to be. If angels did exist then the vision walking towards him was most definitely an angel. It wasn't just the dress, it wasn't just the sleeves, it wasn't just the bouquet of lilies in her hands, it wasn't just the heart-shaped necklace or the flowers in the long flowing red hair or the flawless pale skin or the brown eyes that looked only at him. It was all of them together. Harry tentatively opened his mind to her and was nearly overwhelmed by the feelings of love which radiated from her.

Somehow he noticed that they had reached the front of the hall and she was now standing next to him, her hand in his as Dumbledore began to speak.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Harry James Potter to Ginevra Molly Weasley..."

Harry lost track of what Dumbledore was saying. All that filled his mind was Ginny. It was as if they were the only two people in the world. As he lost himself in her eyes he basked in her love and sent back his own feelings which were just as strong. He was suddenly brought back to earth by a nudge from Ron. "Hmm... huh?" he stammered.

Dumbledore smiled. "I said, do you, Harry James Potter, take Ginevra Molly Weasley to be your wedded wife? To have and to hold, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

"I do." Harry kept his gaze firmly fixed on Ginny as he said this.

"And do you, Ginevra Molly Weasley, take Harry James Potter to be your wedded husband? To have and to hold, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

"I do." Ginny's eyes were just as firmly fixed on Harry's. They put the rings on each other's fingers and as they did so he knew the same single thought was running through both their minds. _Not even death can part us now_.

"Then by the authority vested in me I hereby pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the... oh you are."

Harry couldn't wait any longer. As soon as Dumbledore said those magic words he pulled Ginny into his arms and kissed her for all he was worth, opening his mind to her completely. He could feel that she did the same and love washed over both of them like the waves of a mighty ocean, bouncing off them and reinforcing and magnifying itself until it was all they knew. They only stopped when Dumbledore cleared his throat, and even then they pulled apart slowly, not breaking eye contact. This was true magic.

...

Everyone went outside for photographs while the Hall was made ready for the reception. Harry and Ginny had requested that Dennis Creavey be the official wedding photographer. He had certainly inherited his brother's knack for knowing exactly how to use a camera. He snapped picture after picture and looked to be thoroughly enjoying himself.

Finally the Hall was ready and everyone filed back in for the reception. Instead of the food magically appearing before them as was normally the case Harry had insisted that the house-elves serve the food themselves to show everyone the contribution they made to make people's lives easier. Kreacher himself served the head table, the locket belonging to his former master Regulus Black still around his neck. Veal, potatoes, carrots, peas with treacle tart afterwards, the food was exquisite and perfectly cooked.

After the meal was over it was time for the speeches. Ron stood up and the hall went quiet. He fumbled in his pocket for his notes and there was a murmur of laughter as Hermione pulled them out of her dress and handed them to him. Ron cleared his throat and began.

"Ginny always said this day would come. I reckon she must have been about four when she declared to all of us that she would one day marry the great Harry Potter." Ginny went bright red and Harry put his arm round her. Ron carried on without stopping. "Well we all wondered what this Harry Potter would be like and would he be good enough for our little sister? From the moment I sat in the same carriage as him on our first trip to Hogwarts I had the answer." He turned to the happy couple. "Harry, for many years now you've been more than a friend to me, you've been my brother in all but name and it fills me with joy to know that I can now officially call you my brother. I couldn't have asked for a better man for my sister. Ginny, for so long I've only seen you as my little sister but now, sitting there, married to the best mate I could ever have hoped to have, I can see you for what you truly are. A beautiful strong woman who has everything she's ever dreamed of. I know you'll both be very happy together." As he sat down there was a loud round of applause. Ginny leaned over and thanked her brother.

After more speeches were made, in which Harry and Ginny were thoroughly embarrassed, vowing painful retribution on George, the tables and chairs disappeared leaving a space in the middle of the hall. This was the part Harry had most been looking forward to. The wedding guests stood around the edges of the room and an orchestra made up of Hogwarts students struck up a tune which was very familiar to both Harry and Ginny. It was the waltz which had been played at the Yule Ball a long time ago.

Harry led Ginny out onto the dance floor. As the bride and groom they had the privilege of the first dance. He put his left hand on her waist and took her outstretched left hand in his right and together they started to move.

It was just like the Quidditch match the day before. Their movements were so perfectly synchronised that to everyone gathered it looked like one person was dancing with two bodies. Even though their eyes were firmly fixed in a loving gaze they never faltered and their feet always stepped in exactly the right place, coming close to but never quite managing to step on each other.

_This is how it should have been all those years ago_ Harry thought to himself as he lost himself in the music and in the woman in front of him.

When the piece finally ended there was a large round of applause. Harry became aware that no one else had gone out to dance. They had all been entranced by the two of them. He bowed and Ginny curtseyed.

The orchestra played some more music, during which more couples came out onto the dance floor, among them Ron and Hermione, Molly and Arthur, Bill and Fleur and even Neville and Luna. Then they were replaced by a band that Harry knew at once – the Weird Sisters. The band began a song which was also very familiar to Harry as it had also been played at the Yule Ball. As he held Ginny close and swayed with her to the strains of 'Magic Works' he felt her nudge him. Harry turned in the direction she was looking and smiled as he saw Dudley and Hannah, arms round each other as they gently rocked to the music. He saw Hannah reach her head up and plant a soft kiss onto Dudley's cheek.

"Who would have thought it?" Ginny murmured to him. Harry turned back to her and held her tighter.

"I'm happy for him. I really am." he replied softly. Then there were no more words as he tilted her head up and kissed her lovingly. This was truly the happiest day of his life.

After a few more songs the ball was over but there were still one or two items of business to attend to. Ginny threw the bouquet into the crowd and it was caught by Luna, who plucked it out of the air and looked at it with a bemused expression, probably expecting it to be full of wrackspurts. She didn't even look round when everyone burst into whistles and cat calls, the noise making Neville turn bright red.

Finally it was time for the bride and groom to leave. Dumbledore had instructed Harry in the spell to temporarily remove the anti-Apparition charm so that they did not need to waste any time in departing. Harry shook hands with Dudley, hugged Ron and Hermione, then he took Ginny's hand and with a wave to the assembled throng they Disapparated with a loud crack.

...

They reappeared in front of a cabin on the banks of a sea. Harry had previously asked Arthur if there was anywhere special to Ginny that she would love to go again. Arthur told him about their trip to Egypt and how Ginny had always wanted to return but had never been able to. Arthur had taken Harry there briefly to see the place for himself so that when the time came he could perform a side-along Apparition. Ginny was looking around her with delight.

"This isn't... Egypt?" she asked, hardly daring to believe it. Harry nodded.

"And I believe that is the Red Sea." he said.

Ginny squealed and threw her arms around him, no longer caring about how much it would crease her dress. They entered the cabin and saw various trunks and cases waiting for them, including a small box which had an envelope attached to it. They ignored these though as they were too busy kissing each other senseless.

Ginny pulled back from Harry and smiled at him. She took his hands in both of hers and gently led him into the bedroom. Once they were inside the door closed, shutting the rest of the world out for their first night as man and wife. This time there was no distance separating them, no ancient mystical connections allowing their minds to join. This time it was for real.

* * *

**A/N A few things to say here.**

**First, I went back to Harry/Ginny's POV since I really wanted to be with them for the wedding rather than have someone just observing it. I always like to know what the two people concerned are feeling.**

**Second, it may seem a little off that Dumbledore's portrait is conducting the service but I didn't really want anyone else to do it, certainly not some nameless ministry mook and anyway if Dumbledore had still been alive he would definitely have performed the ceremony.**

**Finally, go and get your copy of the soundtrack to Goblet of Fire. Go on. If you haven't got one go and buy one. Right now. I'll wait.**

**The waltz they were dancing to is track 13 - called Potter Waltz, but the one i'm interested in is the final track - 24, Magic Works by Jarvis Cocker as the Weird Sisters. Listen to that and tell me that it doesn't just sum up Harry and Ginny's relationship perfectly!**

**Next Chapter: An Old Favourite  
**


	26. An Old Favourite

**Chapter 26 – An Old Favourite**

Harry woke up the next day and turned to the sleeping form next to him. Her eyes had dark rings around them, her hair, which had been so immaculate the day before, was now thoroughly bedraggled and her mouth was curled up in a slight smile.

He thought Ginny had never looked more perfect.

He sensed that she was starting to come round and fixed his gaze onto her, wanting to be the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes. She did so and her smile deepened as she focussed on him.

"Hi." she said.

"Hi." Harry replied, then couldn't resist adding "Mrs Potter."

Ginny grinned widely and Harry felt the joy that flooded her at his words. It was the same joy he himself was feeling. She put her arm round him and pulled him as close as she could and they shared a tender kiss.

"So, our first day as husband and wife." Harry whispered to her. "What do you want to do?"

"Stay right here all day of course!" Ginny smiled and fluttered her eyelids at him.

Harry laughed. "Hold onto that thought." he said as he started to disentangle himself from the bed. Ginny moaned in protest but he put his finger on her lips. "Shhh it's ok I'm not going far. I just thought I'd better tidy up a bit." He stood up and put his dressing gown on and as he did so he surveyed the mess in the room.

There were his suit trousers and jacket and there was Ginny's wedding dress, now sporting a rather large rip down the side. The flowers which had been in her hair had been strewn all over the room. Harry smiled at the memory of the previous night as he gathered up as much as he could and carried it into the next room. As he found a place to set it down his eyes again fell on to the small box he had briefly glanced at the night before. He had been too, er, preoccupied to give it much thought then but now curiosity got the better of him. He picked up the note on top and opened it.

_Hi Harry and Ginny_

_ Here's my wedding present to you. Hope you get some use out of these._

_ Love_

_ Neville_

Neville? What could he have sent? Harry didn't wait any longer. He popped open the box and his eyebrows raised in surprise.

"What is it love?" Ginny called from the next room. She must have picked up on his reaction.

Harry found his voice and called back to her. "It's from Neville. Apparently it's his wedding present. It's a box full of Gillyweed! Hang on, there's another note here. Guaranteed for one hour each! This is amazing!" He wanted to use them as quickly as possible but he remembered that breakfast would be required first. Putting his egg-frying skills to good use he soon had a tray ready for Ginny and took it into the bedroom.

Ginny was sat up in bed with the sheet draped around her and at the sight of her Harry forgot for a moment that he was carrying food. He quickly remembered and presented it to her. "Still want to stay in bed?" he asked her.

She smiled mischievously at him. "Well I think it would be rude not to try out Neville's gift, don't you?"

...

After breakfast Harry started to dig through the luggage searching for his wand and a pair of trunks or shorts. He found a maroon pair and quickly got changed into them and waited for Ginny to appear. Soon, but not soon enough for him, the bedroom door opened.

"Wow! Ginny! You look amazing!" were the words Harry had been intending to say, however his brain had chosen that moment to disconnect itself from his mouth and all that came out was a high pitched, whistling "Huurrrhnhhnh" sort of noise.

Ginny smiled shyly at him. "Do you like it?" she asked quietly as she turned slowly letting him see what she was wearing from all angles. Harry fought to regain control of his mouth, which was now opening and closing like a goldfish. Ginny was wearing a string bikini, emerald green in colour, which went perfectly with her long flaming red hair. Around her neck she was wearing the same heart-shaped pendant from the wedding which Harry now knew was made from the remains of her phoenix pendant.

Harry finally clamped his mouth closed, not trusting himself to speak. Instead he allowed his feelings to surround her and permeate her and she closed her eyes and sighed with happiness. Picking up the box of Gillyweed and his wand in one hand he offered her his other hand. She took it and allowed him to lead her out of the cabin onto the shores of the Red Sea. Harry gave her the box to hold for a moment as he pointed his wand to the water and conjured a boat for the two of them. He guided Ginny into it and when they were sat comfortably the boat set off and floated to the middle of the sea.

When the boat was stationary Harry looked down into the water and could see the tops of some magnificent coral reefs. He turned back to Ginny, who had opened the box and was looking a little apprehensively at its contents.

"It's ok." Harry reassured her. "You just swallow it and about a minute later you're all set. I'm afraid it's a bit painful at first but that soon goes." He picked up a lump of the green slimy substance and held it out to her. She leaned her head forward and snatched it out of his hands with her mouth. She managed to swallow it with some difficulty and grimaced as the magical properties of the plant began their work. Her face cleared after a few seconds but then she started to have trouble breathing, as Harry knew she would. Even so she stood up, smiled at Harry, then executed the most graceful dive he had ever seen, hitting the water with barely a splash.

Harry took a piece of Gillyweed himself, bracing for the discomfort. He found to his surprise that it went down easily and, although he could feel the gills starting to form at the sides of his neck, there was no pain. He reasoned that it might be that his body was used to this effect and willingly accepted the change. Then he gave up reasoning and dove into the water.

The coral reef was truly magnificent, Harry thought to himself as he swam further and further down. It looked like it had been sculpted by an artist. His first thought however was finding Ginny. He could feel her wonder at this new sensation and quickened his pace to catch up with her. He finally saw her ahead and stopped to admire her.

She was moving elegantly through the water, the flippers, which had once been her feet, driving her effortlessly onward, her red hair streaming behind her head. She looked like the perfect mermaid. She sensed Harry behind her and turned to swim to him. Her chocolate eyes were wide open with wonder. As she got closer Harry reached out and took hold of her hands. He looked straight into her eyes.

"I love you." His voice sounded like he was gargling but it was still perfectly clear through the water. Ginny's eyes got even wider.

"We can... we can talk?" She asked haltingly. Her hair was now billowing around her head like a fiery halo. Harry felt her amazement bounce off him and he smiled and nodded at her. They drew closer and then there was no more talking as their lips met each other and they kissed like they had never kissed before.

...

Harry could tell that the hour was nearly up as he felt a tingling on the sides of his neck. He looked at Ginny and pointed up to the surface. She nodded and, hand in hand, they kicked upwards. Their heads broke the surface of the water and they inhaled the first breath of air for what seemed like an eternity. After breathing water for the last hour air tasted strange to them. They swam to the boat and held on to the side.

Harry looked at Ginny and Ginny looked right back at him. They did not need to read each other's feelings to know what they were thinking. At the same moment they both lunged for the box and wolfed down another helping of Gillyweed. Without waiting for it to take effect they dove straight back down into the depths again.

And when that hour was up they went down again.

And again.

And again.

That night Harry flopped onto the bed, tired but thoroughly exhilarated. Ginny lay next to him, her finger tracing circles on his chest.

"We'll have to go back down tomorrow." she said to him.

"Really? Whatever for?" Harry asked with a grin.

"I think I left my bikini down there." she said with a twinkle in her eye. She laughed as he rolled over and wrapped his arms tightly round her.

...

They did quite a bit of sightseeing during the week they were there. They went to Cairo and spent a pleasant afternoon going through the bazaar, laughing as they looked at the various artifacts on sale. Once word got around that they were newlyweds they were inundated with gifts from the sellers, all of which Harry accepted graciously. Ginny couldn't help giggling as Harry suddenly became more and more burdened with various trinkets and souvenirs, knowing full well that he couldn't use any sort of charm to make the load easier as they were, of course, in a completely muggle environment. The first chance he got though Harry enchanted a bag with an Extension Charm and put all of the items into it.

Ginny saw that a tour of the pyramids was about to leave and she persuaded Harry to join it. The tour was interesting to Harry, who of course had never been here before, but Ginny found it a bit dull, which was hardly surprising as she had been here before with her family to visit Bill, who as Harry remembered had spent some time out here. Bill must have shown them the parts that the usual tourists weren't allowed to see or even know about. Nevertheless Ginny was perfectly happy to be here with Harry and at one point the tour guide even led the others in a round of applause when Harry let it slip that he and Ginny were here on their honeymoon.

They also found time to take a day cruise down the Nile. The sights were magnificent as they passed various ancient sites and monuments, the likes of which they had only ever heard about and seen in pictures in textbooks. It truly was something else to be there and Harry was reminded of a phrase he had once heard - "A thousand guidebooks aren't worth one trip." Not for the first time he fully appreciated what the speaker had been talking about.

When it was finally time to leave the boat he and Ginny didn't rush to Apparate back to the cabin, instead they spent some time taking in their surroundings and exploring the ruins.

"And they did all this without magic?" Ginny breathed in amazement as they stood inside what remained of a vast temple. Harry nodded but said nothing as he too was struck by the awe and majesty of the place. This had definitely been the right place to come to and he started to wonder when he would be able to bring them both back, or maybe their family, if they had one, which they would of course... He started dreaming about what his and Ginny's child would look like and whether they would be most like their mother or father.

...

No matter what they did each day they always made time first thing in the morning and last thing at night to explore the coral reef in the Red Sea and make full use of the Gillyweed that Neville had provided them with. The night times were especially good as the moon and stars shone overhead through a completely clear sky. The moonlight reflected off the water and Ginny said she thought it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

Harry feigned hurt at that but of course she knew he was only joking. Even so she smiled at him and told him he didn't count as he was the most beautiful _person_ she had ever seen. Harry found he couldn't disagree and, while they were catching their breath on the sand, he took her in his arms as they gazed up at the wonders of the sky around them.

Eventually though the week was over and it was time to return to the real world. Packing was a sombre and reluctant affair for both of them. At one point Ginny put her clothes down and looked straight at Harry.

"I don't want to leave." she said and Harry could hear and feel her sadness. He went over to her and hugged her tightly. He did, however, have one last surprise for her.

"I've bought this cabin. This is now our place and ours alone." Ginny looked up at him. "I promise you we're coming back here and we're going to bring our children here and our grandchildren and..." He stopped as Ginny flung herself into him and wrapped her arms so tightly round him he found it hard to breathe. He didn't dream of making her stop however. Instead he returned the embrace until eventually they realised that they still had to finish packing.

"What's Mum going to say when she sees my wedding dress?" Ginny asked as she held up the garment. The rip had gone right down the dress, severing it completely. It was repairable but Harry knew that neither he nor Ginny would have the skill for so delicate a task and he found he didn't really fancy telling Molly that it was his fault it was in that state.

"I dunno but I can guess what Hermione's going to say when we tell her what happened to those flowers she spent all that time putting in your hair." Harry said with a grin.

Finally though they were packed and they closed the door on the cabin, preparing to make the trip back to England and the Burrow, laden with gifts for the family and something extra special for Neville as a thankyou for his present.

They never did find Ginny's bikini.

* * *

**A/N Just letting you know that this is the end of the main story. The next couple of chapters form sort of an extended epilogue which is going to pick up some years later.**

**Oh and if anyone feels inspired to do some fanart you have my permission to steal any ideas you want :D**

**Next Chapter: McGonagall's Offer  
**


	27. McGonagall's Offer

**Chapter 27 – McGonagall's Offer**

The years went past quite quickly. Which is not to say that they were uneventful.

Ginny continued to play for the Holyhead Harpies and led a very successful career. As a wedding present the team had made a new uniform for her, which now had emblazoned across the back "POTTER" rather than "WEASLEY". It became synonymous with the grace, fire and passion which came to be known as her trademarks.

Two years after the wedding the wizarding world of sports was shocked when Gwenog Jones announced that she was stepping down as captain of the Holyhead Harpies and that subsequently she was retiring from professional Quidditch. The player she nominated as her successor, however, came as a surprise to no-one and, after a unanimous vote, Ginny Potter took on the responsibility of Team Captain of the Holyhead Harpies. Under her leadership the team entered what commentators would later call the Golden Age of the Harpies, with victory and glory aplenty at both the national and international level and Ginny herself led the England team at the 2003 Quidditch World Cup, bringing home the trophy for the first time in two and a half centuries.

For five years Ginny led her team to triumph after triumph until 2006 when she too caused a stir by suddenly announcing her own retirement. The reason for this soon became apparent as shortly afterwards she gave birth to her and Harry's first child, a boy who they named James Sirius after the two fathers in Harry's life – James Potter and Sirius Black. Ginny was later approached by the _Daily Prophet_ to take the post of Senior Quidditch Correspondent – a position she gladly accepted – and her articles became well-known for their insight, knowledge and the same passion which she had brought to her Quidditch career, which in itself became the stuff of legend.

...

Harry forged a successful career of his own in the Criminal Investigations Department of the Aurors, rapidly becoming a name to be feared and respected among the criminal classes. He even dabbled a couple of times in Muggle law enforcement, particularly when it involved serious crimes towards not just wizards but muggles as well.

When Pearson retired he had no reservations about offering up Harry's name to replace him as Department Head. Harry eventually rose from there to Head Auror, with Ron as his deputy. Thanks to Hermione's own meteoric and unprecented rise through the Ministry to become the first female Minister of Magic, the Golden Trio were together again and proved to be an unstoppable force, working to bring reform to Wizarding Britain. They were less like superior and subordinates and more like the partners and team mates they had always been. Indeed it became common in the Ministry to see the three of them together all the time, whether discussing security for visiting dignitaries, new laws governing the use of magical creatures in domestic service, or even just chatting about the old days.

After the birth of James, who was followed in due time by Albus Severus and Lily Luna, Harry began to step back from the day to day running of the Auror department, passing more of his duties to Ron, until eventually he decided to retire and allowed Ron to take up his post.

Ron and Hermione showed an amazing ability to juggle their professional and personal lives, a feat made even more difficult by the arrival of Rose, their first daughter. They succeeded, much to Harry's astonishment, so much so that Rose was later joined by Hugo. Harry did hear rumours, passed to him by Justin who was now Senior Forensic Specialist along with his wife Eleanor and brother-in-law Edward, that Hermione and Ron spent a lot of time in closed meetings with each other and the house-elves employed to clean the offices had complained once or twice about papers, folders and staionery scattered across the floor as opposed to being situated on the Minister's desk, which would have been swept clean for some reason.

After his retirement Harry made the decision to rebuild his family home in Godric's Hollow. It was difficult returning to a place which held such painful memories for him but he had long since learned that the past was nothing to be frightened of. The resident muggle and wizard communities alike welcomed him and his family with open arms and Harry knew that he had made the right decision.

They stayed in close contact with Neville, who chose to resign from the Aurors to return to his first calling – Herbology. He accepted the post of Master of Herbology at Hogwarts and became the youngest Professor of that subject in the school's history. They had a wonderful time at his wedding to Luna after a world trip researching herbs and strange creatures. Luna in fact took over as Care of Magical Creatures Professor at the school and her lessons quickly became the most popular in the school thanks to her unique blend of eccentricity, daydreaming and occasional stark insights.

...

Perhaps the most surprising development of all concerned Dudley Dursley. After Harry and Ginny's wedding he kept in close contact with Hannah Abbott and saw quite a lot of her. Eventually this led to a serious argument between him and his father who refused to accept his son courting an "abominable freak" as he called her. Dudley left Privet Drive and found lodgings in London, as luck would have it right next to the Leaky Cauldron where Hannah was working. He kept in touch with Petunia and more than once asked her to come live with him, but she refused to leave Vernon, who had sunk into a depression following Dudley's departure.

Dudley and Hannah soon got married and together they bought the Leaky Cauldron. Dudley expressed interest in private tuition to try to salvage whatever was left of his gift for magic, which had been neglected for all his life, and was a frequent visitor to Diagon Alley and in particular to Ollivander who promised to do all he could to help him.

...

Harry couldn't sleep. He lay awake in bed wondering what time it was. He didn't toss and turn in an attempt to prevent himself from waking Ginny, but it was no good. Ginny had sensed that he was awake and her eyes were even now slowly fluttering open.

"Hi." she said sleepily.

"Hi." he replied. "What time is it?"

"No idea." She smiled. "Can't sleep again?"

"You know I never can at times like this." Harry ran a hand through her hair, bringing her more fully awake.

"We've done this how many times before? Two? And you still can't get used to it?" Ginny put her hand on his chest, feeling the various scars that had accumulated there.

"It wasn't so bad when it was just James. I just about got used to it. But now it's Albus as well! And then two more years and it'll be Lily's turn! I just..." he stopped as Ginny put a finger on his lips.

"Shhh. You know they have to grow up sometime. We can't be there for them forever you know."

"I know. I just wish... I just wish we could have more time with them before we have to let them go like this. And anyway, you know how worried Albus is about the Sorting. He's terrified he'll be put into Slytherin."

Ginny didn't say anything, she just put her arm around Harry and snuggled into him. Harry let her calmness wash over him and through him and slowly he dropped off to sleep. Everything would be fine.

...

They watched the Hogwarts Express as it disappeared into the distance, the steam from the great red engine finally obscuring it. Lily had tears in her eyes as she held tightly onto Harry and Ginny's hands. Ron and Hermione had to leave as they had business back at the Ministry and so they waved goodbye to Harry, Ginny and Lily and Apparated away with Hugo waving frantically at Lily. The Potters on the other hand took their time and re-entered the main part of the station through the barrier between platforms 9 and 10.

As they passed a cafe Lily tugged on her father's sleeve. "Daddy! I'm hungry! Can we go in there please?" Harry agreed and the three of them entered.

Ginny nudged her husband and pointed. Sat at a table in the corner of the shop was none other than Draco Malfoy. Harry was again struck by how much his appearance had changed over the years, his chin and cheekbones sharpened by age and his white hair starting to recede. He looked miserable. His wife was nowhere in sight. Harry glanced at Ginny and she took Lily to look at the various cakes and pastries on offer while he bought two steaming mugs of hot chocolate and took them over to where Draco was sitting.

Draco didn't look up as Harry sat down next to him and slid one of the mugs across. "Drink this, it'll help." Harry told him. Draco mumbled his thanks, picked up the mug and sipped at it.

Finally Draco broke the silence. "Seems like yesterday doesn't it?"

Harry nodded. It did indeed not seem that long since he had taken his own first trip on the Hogwarts Express, still ignorant of the world he was on the threshold of entering. Draco spoke again.

"Do you... do you ever wish things had gone differently?"

Harry nodded. "Some of it definitely." he smiled. "Some of it I wouldn't change for anything."

They looked up to see Ginny approaching with Lily, who both sat down at the table. Lily had a huge doughnut with pink icing and a strawberry milkshake and wasted no time in demolishing both of them. Draco smiled, but Harry could see the sadness in his face.

"You're a lucky man Harry." Harry was startled at the use of his first name, the first time he could remember Draco ever using it. "I wish I could have been as lucky."

"What are you talking about?" Ginny cut in. "You have a wife and a son!"

Draco grimaced and shook his head. "Wife? Pah! We haven't spoken properly for two years. I was left to bring Scorpius up on my own. She only came today because Scorpius begged her."

"Oh Draco I'm sorry, I didn't realise."

"No no it's ok. You weren't to know. I haven't exactly been broadcasting it to everyone. Anyway there's not really that many people I could have told. You may remember I've never been exactly inundated with friends. They all pretended to like me because of my family."

Harry was about to respond when he was interrupted by Lily.

"Mummy, that funny cat over there is looking at us."

Harry turned and yes, there was a cat, sat a couple of tables away from them and yes, it did indeed appear to be scrutinising them. It had a stripy dark brown pattern down its back and what looked like yellowish rings around its eyes. Harry smiled and, after looking round to make sure no one was watching them, spoke in a low voice.

"It's ok Professor, we're alone."

Lily gasped in amazement as the cat came over to them. As it did so it grew and changed until it became the imposing figure of Professor McGonagall, now much older but still with the air of authority that she had always had. She nodded at them in greeting.

"Mr Potter, Mrs Potter and Mr Malfoy. I see you're all together. That makes it a bit easier for me. I'm not as young as I once was." Harry suppressed a snigger as she continued. "Mr Potter I wondered if you'd thought any more about my offer?"

Harry looked at Ginny. They had discussed it at great length for the past few weeks. "But what about Lily?" Ginny asked.

McGonagall smiled. "There's no need to worry. Madam Rosmerta has already indicated that she would be willing to look after your daughter during the day."

Lily looked between them. "Mummy? Daddy? What's happening?"

Harry smiled at her. "We're thinking of taking a job and we'd like you to come with us."

"Will I see James and Albus?"

Ginny nodded. "Yes you'll see quite a lot of them." Lily smiled and nodded her head.

Harry turned to the professor. "I think that's a yes then. We'd be happy to accept your offer."

McGonagall smiled again. "Thank you Harry. It means a great deal to me. And you Mr Malfoy?"

Draco sighed. "Yes I'll do it. There's nothing for me here anyway."

"Excellent. I expect I'll be seeing you quite soon then." With that she disappeared with a loud _crack_. Harry and Ginny said goodbye to Draco as they now had to return home to pack.

...

The Sorting was over. Albus's fears had come true and he was placed in Slytherin. To his surprise though he found that there was another new boy there who had been nervous about being placed in that house and they quickly started chatting to each other. Albus was even more surprised to learn that the other boy's name was Scorpius Malfoy. He had heard the stories of the Malfoy family from his uncle Ron but his father had told him that they weren't all bad. In fact he found he got on with Scorpius quite well. Maybe Slytherin wouldn't be so bad after all. He looked up and grinned at Rose who was sat at the Gryffindor table. Scorpius followed his gaze and smiled at Rose, who quickly looked away, her face becoming bright red.

They were interrupted by the Headmistress, Professor McGonagall, who called for quiet.

"Now as I'm sure you're aware this year we have some staffing changes due to retirement. Taking over as Potions Master will be Professor Draco Malfoy." Scorpius was wide eyed as he saw his father stand and nod to the assembled students. McGonagall continued. "Flight lessons will be taught this year by Professor Ginny Potter." Now it was Albus's turn to be surprised. He saw James across the hall, his jaw wide open. But McGonagall still hadn't finished. "And our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher is Professor Harry Potter." Harry stood up as the hall erupted in cheers. Albus was on his feet cheering and clapping and he saw James and Rose doing the same at their table.

It looked like it was going to be a good year after all.

* * *

**A/N There's probably a lot more I could or should have written, but I think it's time to start wrapping up this story. I've left plot hooks open for other stories though as you can see. I for one would like to see what happened on Neville and Luna's journey and how Dudley gets on having officially joined the wizarding world. ****So it's not quite the end of me writing.**

**Next Chapter: Professor Harry Potter  
**


	28. Professor Harry Potter

**Chapter 28 – Professor Harry Potter**

Harry found that he enjoyed teaching. It was a very different experience, being the teacher rather than the taught. He had a taste of it in his fifth year with Dumbledore's Army and it turned out to be quite successful. This was of course before it was shut down by Dolores Umbridge, who thought that the best way to equip someone to defend themselves against evil was to in effect give them a blindfold and teach them how to correctly tie it so that they would be prevented from seeing anything that might alarm them.

The more Harry thought about how best to teach his students the more he came to appreciate that in all his time at Hogwarts, the best and most important defence he had ever had against the forces of evil were his friends. Ron and Hermione had stood by him when no one else would, even when he told them in no uncertain terms that he wanted no help, and he knew that without them he would have been killed as far back as his first year. He decided that would be the emphasis for his lessons, that as long as a person had friends who would support them and help them, they could never fall to the dark arts. Satisfied, he began to map out his first few sessions.

...

Life at Hogwarts was pretty much as he remembered it, only now he was the one giving out house points and detentions. Ginny had jumped straight into her own lessons, eagerly teaching nervous students on the best way to mount a broom and the best posture for speed and manoeuvrability and her classes quickly gained a reputation for being the most fun. Even Draco's potions classes seemed to be a success, although he modelled his teaching methods on Professor Snape, demanding constant perfection and excellence. He avoided the temptation to give preferential treatment to his own house at the expense of the others. Instead he was equally harsh and demanding to everyone and as such became a well-respected, if quietly loathed, teacher.

Harry and Ginny stayed in rented accommodation in Hogsmeade, where they lived with Lily. Lily loved her new life. Madam Rosmerta allowed her to help with the running of the Three Broomsticks, carrying drinks and returning empty glasses and tankards. She quickly became a favourite among the patrons and it was becoming quite common for her to be given one or two sickles on the side. Her parents took her up to the school for Quidditch matches and she sat in the teacher's box, cheering on her brother James, who had become one of the Gryffindor Chasers. She looked forward to these occasions when she could see her brothers and made the most of them.

Even though Harry thoroughly enjoyed being a teacher there were some sticky moments, mostly involving his own family. He had made it clear to James and Albus that while at school they were not to see him as their father and they were to address him as "Professor Potter" or "sir", and they would not be treated differently to any other student. To his delight, Albus and Scorpius became great friends and were rarely seen apart. Most often they were in the company of Rose as well, although she tended to come over quite shy when Scorpius tried to talk to her. Even Draco had to smile at that, and the thought of Ron's face when he learned that his precious daughter was friendly with an "evil Malfoy" made Harry and Ginny laugh.

That is not to say that there were no problems though. James appeared to have taken it upon himself to take the position of "Official Hogwarts Prankster", like the Weasley twins and Harry's own father before him. James would often get deliveries from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, Hogsmeade Branch. Attempts to confiscate them were often foiled by the fact that the pranks would often be disguised as fairly innocuous items such as textbooks or stationery supplies. Harry and Ginny had received plenty of letters during the previous two years detailing their son's conduct and this year was no different. The results were often spectacular and explosive and more often than not landed James in detention along with his best friend - Fred Weasley II - and his new recruits – Albus, Scorpius and, surprisingly, Rose.

One such occasion had the five of them stood before Harry's desk in his office. They knew that even though he was James's and Albus's father and Rose's uncle, this would not mitigate any punishments. They had been caught trying to hide Dungbombs in the rafters of the Great Hall, with James, Fred, Scorpius and Rose trying to levitate Albus up to the ceiling.

Harry had not been happy.

He spent at least twenty minutes impressing on them the seriousness of what they had done and how it could have ended in injury if they hadn't been seen and reported. The five of them stood there in silence – Albus, Scorpius and Rose looking down at their shoes and James and Fred standing ramrod straight, showing no emotion on their faces.

Eventually Harry sent them all back to their houses having taken twenty points from each of them. On their way out though he asked James to wait for a moment. James returned to Harry's desk, wondering what else was going to happen to him. Harry shut the door and sat down, gazing at his son.

"Look James, you have some of the greatest potential I've ever seen. You and the others can do great things at this school. But there are rules that you have to follow." James was still standing straight and looking straight ahead. Harry continued. "The first and most important rule is Don't Get Caught."

James looked at his father in surprise. Harry smiled and opened his drawer. He pulled out what looked to James like a blank sheet of parchment and a bundle of cloth. These were put on the desk in between them. James looked at them and Harry could tell he was wondering what they were.

Harry held up the cloth first. "This was my father's, passed down through his family. It was given to me in my first year here and it's probably been the most useful thing I've ever had. And now it's time I passed it on to you." He handed it to James who looked puzzled. Harry motioned for him to try it on. James unfolded it and draped it around his body and gasped as he saw his body disappear. Harry grinned at him. "It's an Invisibility Cloak. A very special one. And then there's this." He pointed at the parchment with his wand and spoke the words to reveal the secret hidden within it. James gasped again as the blank page slowly covered itself with lines until it became a map of Hogwarts. James picked it up slowly, almost reverentially, as Harry explained. "The Marauders Map. It shows every detail of the castle along with the location of everyone within it. It's yours now."

James put them into his pockets as Harry spoke seriously. "James, I'm giving these to you because you're my son and because I think you can make use of them. Just be careful. Don't let things get too out of hand that someone gets hurt. You're the new Marauders now and I'm expecting you to live up to their name."

James didn't say anything. Instead he rushed forward and hugged his father. Harry shooed him out and he ran back to meet the others. Harry turned as he heard a throat clear behind him. Mounted on the wall behind his desk was a small portrait of Albus Dumbledore.

"Are you sure that's wise Harry?" Dumbledore asked.

Harry nodded. "We can't let them forget that life is about fun just as much as work. Hogwarts has always had its jokers, people who somehow managed to find the lighter side in any situation. Well now it's their turn to take up that responsibility."

...

As the year passed Harry was pleased to see that James's pranks became more sophisticated and, while they often resulted in detentions and deductions of house points, no one was hurt and everyone, staff and students alike, agreed that life at Hogwarts would be so much duller without them. Some of the younger staff, among them Ginny and Neville, spoke in hushed tones making comparisons with Fred and George, calling James, Fred, Albus, Scorpius and Rose the Heirs of Weasley.

One change that Harry suggested to the way Hogwarts worked was to do with houses. Traditionally a student's house was like their family and, even though friendships were made across houses, there was always a sense of being an outsider, made even more difficult by the fact that students from one house were not generally permitted to enter another house.

Harry had the idea for a reform to address that problem. He tentatively broached the subject with Professor McGonagall and then with the rest of the staff, particularly with the heads of houses – Draco for Slytherin, Luna for Ravenclaw and the aging Professor Flitwick (who by now was nearly as old as Professor Dumbledore) for Hufflepuff, having been made head of that House in the absence of other, more suitable teachers. Harry himself represented Gryffindor. They were surprisingly receptive, probably due to the fact that they had faced the same frustrations when they were at school.

Harry's scheme was simple in principle but would need some thought to make work in practice. The idea was this: House Guests. A student would be able to make an application to register another student from a different house and, subject to the approval of both house masters, that student would become a guest of the requester. There would be very stringent limitations in place, for example the guest would have to be in the company of the student who requested them at all times while visiting the house, and they would only be allowed in the house common room, and would still need to be back at their own house at the appropriate hour, but over time, provided both the student and their guest kept a clean record, these limitations could be gradually lifted. The privilege would not work both ways – a student who was a guest of one house would have to make a separate application for their friend to be a guest of their own house. It was agreed to introduce a trial period for the scheme, after which the masters would compare notes and re-evaluate if necessary.

The announcement was made in the first week of January to the whole school, along with a warning that such privileges could be withdrawn if abused. Harry had half expected the first requests to come from James and Albus to be allowed to visit each other but in this he was wrong.

The first request for House Guest registration was made by Scorpius Malfoy on behalf of Rose Weasley.

Harry gave his approval almost immediately but Draco was a bit more reluctant. They discussed it at lunch.

"I don't know Harry," Draco said, the request in his hand. "I mean I'm glad they're friends but this... She is a Weasley you know."

"And Scorpius is a Malfoy." Harry should have expected this. He knew if it was anyone else Draco would have instantly approved but in this case the enmity between the Weasleys and Malfoys and Blacks went back for generations. Even though they were still young Harry knew that Rose and Scorpius were starting to develop the same sort of relationship that Ron and Hermione had at that age – they bickered and argued a lot but somehow they couldn't spend too long apart. Harry understood Draco's concern. Should the unthinkable happen and Rose and Scorpius eventually got married it wouldn't be just them, in effect it would be two families who had spent the better part of the last century flipping between polite hostility and outright war.

Harry shook his head. "Don't put the past onto their shoulders Draco. Let them make their own futures. You may be surprised at what comes from it."

Draco finally gave his approval and Rose was accorded the privilege of being the first non-Slytherin to be permitted to visit their common room. It rankled with some of the older students but they let the younger ones be and pretty soon there was a steady flood of people requesting their friends to be able to visit them in their houses. Not all requests were approved for various reasons and in some cases the visiting privileges had to be revoked after it became clear that their purpose was merely to cause chaos but for the most part it worked very well.

Harry had succeeded in overturning centuries of Hogwarts tradition and he felt quite good about it. The rest of the staff, even the older ones like McGonagall and Flitwick agreed that it was a welcome change.

...

Gradually the year came to a close. There were exams, OWLs and NEWTs to organise and Harry was pleased to see that all of his students, to a person, achieved mostly Exceeds Expectations with one or two Outstandings thrown in.

He had heard rumours that McGongall was going to make a huge announcement at the end of year feast. Speculation was wild as to what it would be about. Some said she would announce a new Tri-Wizard Tournament for next year, others said she might be retiring or stepping down.

The end of year feast finally came and, even though there was a heavy air of anticipation, people's attention was firmly fixed on the food before them. Eventually the feast came to an end and Professor McGonagall stood to deliver the final notices.

First she expressed gratitude to the new members of staff who had joined that year, proclaiming the year to be one of the most successful in the school's long history. Next came the awarding of the House Cup, which that year went to Hufflepuff. Professor Flitwick squealed and nearly fell off his seat as the applause in the hall threatened to deafen. The drapes were duly changed to the yellow and brown colours of Hufflepuff for the first time in seventy years.

Then came the moment everyone had been waiting for. Professor McGonagall arranged her notes, waited for silence, then began to speak.

"Sixty years ago I joined the staff of this fine school to teach Transfiguration. Over the many years I have been here I have seen many fine students, some of whom in turn became professors. When I became Headmistress after Professor Dumbledore... well I knew I had some very big shoes to fill and there were times when I didn't know if I would be up to it." She stopped and composed herself. "I can't take all the credit for the success Hogwarts has become in recent years. That goes to the fine teaching staff who it has been my privilege and distinct honour to serve with and it also goes to you, the students, without whom none of us would be here."

Again she had to stop to compose herself. The silence in the Hall was such that a pin drop could be heard.

"Saying all that just makes it all the more difficult for what I have to say next. I have decided to retire as Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." A collective gasp went around the hall as McGonagall dried her eyes. There had been rumours that she might say this but no one seriously expected it would happen.

McGonagall carried on. "It was a hard decision, one of the hardest I've ever had to make, but I feel that it is the right one and I know that the school is in the hands of one of the finest teaching staffs in the world. It has been a pleasure and an honour to have been Headmistress and to have known each and every one of you."

Harry found he couldn't speak. He could still remember his first encounter with Professor McGonagall all those many years ago, as a wet-behind-the-ears first year being told that he would soon be sorted into his house. He remembered the panic as he had no idea what form the sorting would take. He felt incredibly sad and turned his head to Ginny who was sitting next to him. Tears were streaming down her face. He squeezed her hand and turned back to McGonagall, who had started speaking again.

"There is, of course, the matter of my successor. Over the year I have been in private discussions with the staff as to who the best candidate would be to take on the position and responsibility and there was only ever one name that came up. As such I made my recommendation to the Minister of Magic last week and she readily gave her written approval. It is therefore my distinct pleasure to announce that the new headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, effective from next year, will be Professor Harry Potter!"

The entire hall, both staff and student alike, immediately jumped to their feet and clapped and cheered. Ginny threw her arms around Harry and squeezed him tightly. Harry was speechless. He had absolutely no idea this was going to happen. McGonagall turned to him and beckoned him forward. Legs like lead, he made his way to where McGonagall was standing. She shook his hand and he could see tears in her eyes and a smile on her face. This was more than he could possibly have imagined.

...

That night he and Ginny lay in their bed, still unable to get over what had happened. They were going home tomorrow, back to Godric's Hollow with their family. But for now they just lay with their arms round each other, basking in each other's feelings of joy and love.

"Headmaster Harry Potter." Ginny said as she stroked his hair. "Do you think Dumbledore would have approved?"

"You know I've got this feeling that somehow he planned it." Harry said. "I certainly can't believe that he wouldn't have suggested it to McGonagall." He smiled. He had certainly come a long way from the scrawny boy in the cupboard under the stairs.

With a final kiss for Ginny he put the light out. There, with his wife, in the first place he had been able to call home, Harry Potter was able to sleep.

* * *

**A/N Sorry if there's a lot going on here. I tried to stretch it to two chapters but it wasn't happening. Anyway there's just the epilogue now (epilogue! I can't believe it!)**

**Oh and by the way it has just been pointed out to me that Flitwick is head of Ravenclaw not Hufflepuff. Whoops. I can't really find anyone else who fits in though so maybe he volunteered to take on Hufflepuff. He certainly seems the type anyway.  
**

**Next Chapter: Epilogue  
**


	29. Epilogue

**Epilogue – The Undiscovered Country**

All in all, Harry mused, it had been a brilliant life.

He had spent fifty years as Headmaster at Hogwarts and saw the school flourish. When it finally became time for him to retire he did so willingly, knowing that he had done all that he could do and that it was time for another to take on the responsibility. He knew he was leaving the school in good hands.

Their family had flourished too. And not just theirs. Rose married Scorpius and sealed the rift between the Weasley and Malfoy families forever. There were children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren from all parts of the family. Every year Harry and Ginny would host a huge Christmas party for the entire family in Godric's Hollow. In later years it had become quite crowded as more and more children were added. Harry and Ginny didn't mind though as they loved seeing them all.

One decision they had taken was that, since their birthdays and wedding anniversary were so close together, they would celebrate all three occasions on the same day with a lavish party to which everyone was invited.

The most recent such occasion – Harry's ninetieth and Ginny's eighty-ninth birthday – they wanted to be extra special, to which they would invite everyone they could. The reason for this, even though they didn't tell anyone else, was because they knew it would be their last.

The event was indeed special. Everyone who was there had stories to tell and memories to share of the lives they had all led together. Their children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren all listened and contributed their own stories. There was an atmosphere of finality about it and they could all feel it. They felt like they were saying goodbye.

A week later Harry and Ginny were lying in bed gazing at each other but not saying anything. Ginny's flaming red hair had long since turned grey, as had Harry's, and her face and skin were covered with wrinkles but her eyes were still the same eyes he had fallen in love with all those many years ago, full of fire and strength and determination and passion, and he could feel that she thought exactly the same about his eyes. They shared memories through their soul-bond of their lives together – the day they had first met on Platform 9 ¾, the day Ginny started Hogwarts, the day they first kissed, the day the war ended, the day they got married, all of it passed silently between them as they lay in each other's arms.

Gradually their eyes closed and they drifted off into a sleep from which neither of them woke.

...

Harry was lying on something hard. This wasn't his bed. He opened his eyes and looked around. He appeared to be at a train station. He could only see a few feet around him as the rest was obscured by mist. Then he realised. He had been here before. This was the same King's Cross he had come to when Voldemort cast the Killing Curse at him on the last day of the war.

But that meant...

He felt a weight in his arms. Ginny. Ginny was with him. He looked at her. Her appearance had changed. Gone was the grey hair and wrinkles, instead she looked exactly the same as she had on the day he married her, her flaming red hair pooling on the floor. Her eyes slowly opened and she looked at him.

"Hi." she said.

"Hi." he said.

"You're here."

"I'm here."

She sat up and looked around her. Harry noticed that she was not wearing anything and knew that he was not either. He got to his feet and helped her up. He noticed the puzzled look on her face.

"Where is this?" she asked.

Harry smiled. "This is the station I came to before, when Voldemort tried to kill me. I met Dumbledore here and he said this is where we would go on from."

He held out his hand to Ginny and she took it. He led her forward. The mist cleared and there in front of them was a train, like the Hogwarts Express, with its door open waiting for them.

"But where does it go?" Ginny asked him.

"I don't know." Harry said. "Shall we find out?"

Together they entered. Even though they didn't know what was before them they knew that they would be together forever and that was enough for them.

The door of the train closed and it began its journey to the next Undiscovered Country

...

_**Daily Prophet Special Edition**_

_**August 9**__**th**__** 2071**_

_**THE PASSING OF A LEGEND**_

_ It is with great sadness and regret that it falls to the _Daily Prophet_ to report the deaths of Harry James Potter and his wife Ginevra Molly Potter at their home in Godric's Hollow last night. While details are still largely unknown it appears that both died peacefully in their sleep._

_ A spokesman for the family said the following: "While this is an extremely sad occasion for us and for the world at large, we can find comfort in the fact that they died as they had lived – together. We know that this is how they would have wanted to go and we are most grateful for all the support we have received from our friends and from everyone else."_

_ On behalf of the wizarding world we at the _Prophet_ offer our condolences to the family and friends of Harry and Ginny Potter._

_ Further details and an account of the lives of these two incredible people can be found inside on pages 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 and 10._

**THE END**

**

* * *

**

**A/N This chapter was probably the hardest for me to write and those last two words were harder still. I never thought when I uploaded the first chapter that I would get such an overwhelming response. I want to thank each and every one of you who read this, favourited it, story alerted and reviewed it. The support you have shown has been really mind boggling.**

**This story was called the Undiscovered Country and of course there's a Star Trek reference there but really this epilogue was inspired by the final episode of Bablyon 5 (those of you who have seen it know what I mean. Those of you who haven't are really missing out). Originally I was going to end it with Harry becoming headmaster of Hogwarts but, as I re-read chapter 19, and especially Snape's speech about the soul-binding, I realised this had to be how it ended. Harry and Ginny have been together for life and so I had to show them together beyond that. Even after writing this whenever I think back on it I always get a tear in my eye.**

**There will be more stories to come though, I've been brewing some other ideas and I should be able to start writing them up soon so stay tuned.**

**And to JK, if you ever read this, thank you for making such a fantastic world with such brilliant characters.  
**

**Well there it is. My first Harry Potter fanfic and my first real foray into the world of fanfiction. What do you think?  
**


End file.

Harry Potter, Drama, Romance