A/N: I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed this story. I know the chapters are slow in coming. Though today I have just come from a PHYSICS test, a horrid one at that, and to think it was only four questions. I just would like you to know, we are far from ending. The relationship part will be coming along, but not too soon, in fact a ways away as you will learn from this chapter. I hope you enjoy and please remember to Read and Review. Thanks again, Jade
Chapter Nine
Finding Family
"I don't care," a familiar female voice shouts out uncharacteristically for her nature, causing the silence of the night to be broken.
"There is nothing we can do," another female voice shouts in return, for her this is nothing new, at least she is true to her redheaded nature.
"There has to be, it has to be in these books somewhere," the first one shouts, but not as loud as before.
"We have checked everywhere," the second answers just loud enough for those close by to hear.
"We just have to keep looking," the first voice sobs out. "There is no possible way he just disappeared, it is technically impossible. He has to be somewhere," the voice continues shouting in a sobbing kind of voice.
"I wondered how long it would finally take," an older female voice whispers to those gathered around the open fire.
"It's only been a day," a male voice answers.
"Yes Ron it has, but that's different when you are a female," Molly Weasley tries to explain. "The fact she has held it in this long is an amazing feat. Most women would lose it long before now," she says.
"This is Hermione we are talking about," Ron reminds her.
"Poor Ginny," Neville says in sympathy of the youngest Weasley children.
"She knows how to handle our Hermione," Fred says with a glance at the tent where the two women are.
Just then steps can be heard walking towards the gathered group. "It's official," Bill says with a shake of his head.
"Nothing's left," He asks as his hopes die faster than he thought possible, and he finds himself wanting to share sobs with Hermione.
"Not one thing of his is still here," Charlie answers.
"It's as if when he disappeared everything else did as well," Mr. Weasley says as he sits down next to his wife to offer his comfort to her and at the same time take comfort from her.
"What was it he was saying," George asks after a moment.
"I never heard anything like it," Neville says honestly.
Silence took over the group as they listen to the sounds coming from the tent to the south of them. Sounds they wish they could be sharing, yet knowing if they give in, it would mean they have stopped believing in Harry's possible return. After what seemed like forever but may have only been an hour or two Ron snorts at a thought he had just had. More like a memory.
"What," Hermione asks as she pokes her head out of the tent not even bothering to be discrete about her puffy red eyes and cheeks.
"Yeah Ron what," Ginny asks as she too comes out of the tent with Hermione. The two of them make their way over to the rest of the group. Ginny shrugs slightly at a look her mother threw her. Basically she just told Molly the storm is far from over, but it hasn't really set in yet.
"I was just remembering a conversation we had one night," he says with a small smile. "It was just after his name was in the papers again for some reason or another," he explains.
"Oh," Neville pipes up, "I remember that conversation," he says with a smile of his own.
"Well are you going to share it with the rest of us," Bill asks as he sits down after putting more wood in the fire.
"Well," Ron starts, "he was sick of people using his name in the papers," he tries to explain.
"He hates being the center of attention," Hermione agrees knowingly.
"Well, this one night he asked us what we would think about him changing his name," Ron says.
"We asked him what name he would change it too," Neville continues.
"We talked about it all night," Ron says with a shake of his head.
"Did you find one," George asks in interest.
"Yes we did," Neville answers.
"Well," Ginny prompts them. When they don't answer fast enough for her liking, "are you going to sit there or are you going to tell us," she demands as her anger starts to bubble beneath the surface of her calm façade.
"Evan Knight," Ron says instantly heading off her temper.
"Okay," Hermione says after a moment, "I understand Evan because of his mother's maiden name of Evans, but where did Knight come from," she asks wondering at the thought processes of boys in the middle of the night.
"Well, part of it had to do with Remus, James, and Sirius," Ron explains. "They were, Black and well Remus was controlled by the moon, and James was part of the moon crew and all, but the other part of it was us," he says with a blush as he remembers being told he was important to the savior of the Wizarding World.
"Us," Molly asks in a hoarse whisper.
"Yes us," Neville agrees. "You see he came up with Knight because we all had to hide what we were up to and who we supported," he tries to explain the reasoning he had given them that night.
"We always seemed to do our work in the dark, the Sorcerers Stone, The Chamber of Secrets, saving Sirius, the Tri-Wizard Tournament training; it all took place after the sun had gone down. Its Harry's way of including us in his life, into his pretend name," Ron continues the explanation.
"Evan Knight did you say," Bill asks after a moment, a curtain tone in his voice none have heard before from him.
"Yes why," Ron asks.
"Well there was a letter to the friends and family of Evan Knight," Bill says as he reaches into his pocket. He pulls it out and shows it to the others. "It was in the place of some of his books," he explains to the group.
"Open it," Ginny says in a hoarse voice.
Bill hands it over to Hermione knowing he can't read it aloud and knowing she is the one who seems to be able to handle most everything in tough situations. Hermione takes the letter with shaking hands. She looks at Bill in question which he just shrugs in response to. She looks down at the letter and turns it over in her hand to see handwriting she had only seen written to Harry. "It's Professor Dumbledore's handwriting," she says to the shocked group.
"It is," Bill says dumbfounded. Hermione nodded in the affirmative.
"Well read it," Ron says trying to keep the hope from entering not only his heart but his voice as well.
Hermione breaks the seal of the envelope; she closes her eyes as she sends a silent prayer to the Gods above. She opens her eyes and pulls out the parchment within. She opens it and begins to read it aloud to the others with her. As she reads the words reach her heart and lift her soul, giving her reason to continue to live a reason to continue to breathe. The words in the letter give her away to find her heart, to find Harry.
Greetings to all of you
I know what you are reading is coming as a shock to you. I also know the handwriting is also something of a shock as well. I wrote this before my death, yes I know I am dead by now, I only hope my death was honorable and helped Harry in his journey to defeat Voldemort.
If you are reading this, Harry has in fact defeated Voldemort and has fulfilled his promise to me. I made him promise me to say an incantation I myself had made. This incantation was to transport Harry to another universe. No Ms. Granger he did not know what it would do, I made him promise and you know Harry and his promises. Needless to say as you are reading this he is in another universe.
I also know he loves all of you dearly and if he'd known what the spell would do he wouldn't have done it. I also know of another prophecy for Harry. He has to go to this other world it's the rest of his destiny. More over he has to start there alone, thus meaning you can not follow. YET, that's right, you will be able to go if you so wish in six months time. Know this, when the time comes the spell can only be said once. Everyone who wishes to go at this time must be there, where he first disappeared, for the spell to take them to Harry. Also know this, there is no returning here. Once you go, forever will you be stuck in this other world, this other universe, so be prepared to remain there.
When you see Harry, Ms. Granger, tell him I am sorry for everything he has been forced to endure. I have left a letter for him, it will transport to him at the same time as those who wish to go with him. Live well and be happy, don't let another day go by where you don't tell the one's you love that you love them. For there might not be another day to say those three most important words.
Albus Dumbledore
Hermione looks up from the parchment to those around her. Her tear stained cheeks raise in a small relieved smile. "Harry's alive," she says more to herself than to those there. She looks back down at the parchment and then she looks up, "Six months," she repeats, "I've lots to do to get ready, things to pack, oh my, do I have enough time," she says as she stands up and almost runs to her tent to pack for her trip to another universe.
Ron watches her go and he closes his eyes as he lets the words from the letter settle into his mind. He wants to go, he wants to be with his brother, but to go he has to leave behind the rest of his family. He feels his heart start to truly break for the first time, knowing he will chose to remain with the rest of his family, and that he'll never get to say goodbye to Harry. Tears slip passed his eyelids as he realizes for the first time he will never get to see Harry ever again. He stands up and runs away from the rest of the family and into his own tent, well the tent he shared with Neville and Harry. Throwing himself onto his bunk he continues to fight the want to cry, the need to give into this pain into his heart. He fights against such things knowing men don't cry. For the first time in his life he wishes there was no such unwritten rule.
Molly Weasley watches her youngest biological son as the news sinks in. She is surprised to see the tears glistening in his eyes. It is when he gets up and runs away from them that she knows what his choice would be; he will stay with his family no matter how much he wants to go to Harry. He'll stay because he knows Harry would want him to be with his family. As she watches him run from them her own tears leave a new trail down her cheeks. She turns to look at the rest of her family to find them watching Ron run away.
"He's going," Charlie asks softly.
"No," Molly says, "He's staying," she says trying to keep herself from bursting with her own sobs.
"Why," Ginny asks in a whimper.
"He knows Harry wants him to remain with his family," Arthur answers understanding the reasoning his wife had just used.
"Harry is family," Fred says seriously.
Molly looks up at her children to see the same serious face on each of them, "Yes," she agrees with a wet smile, "yes he is, but the question is do we want to join him in another world and perhaps have to restart this war," she asks her children seriously.
"Like you have to ask," George says with a roll of his eyes.
Molly looks at each of her children in turn her smile widening as she receives their answer to an unasked question. Even Neville answers her, same as her own children. "I think I should go and talk to Ron," she says after she received the same answer from her husband.
Ron tries to force his pain away from him and into his pillow by pushing his face as hard as he can and screaming as loudly as he can, anything to avoid the tears that want to come. He jumps slightly as he feels a hand on his shoulder and he knows it is his mother. "I wish he were here," he whispers to her.
"I know dear we all do," Molly says as she rubs his back in circles.
"I'm going to miss him mum, I already miss him," he croaks out, "he was going to be best man at my wedding," he whimpers. "I know it's not his fault, but I want him here mum, he's my brother," he almost pleads as he rolls over to look at his crying mother.
"I know baby, I know," she whispers as she takes him into her arms allowing both of them to seek comfort from each other. "That's why we have a lot of work to do if we're going to him in six months time," Molly whispers into his ear.
Ron sits up in shock, "we," he stutters, "all," he tries again. "Really," he finally asks.
Molly laughs as she nods, "no one it seems even questioned it," she tells him. "All of us are heading to Harry as soon as the time comes," she tells her shocked son.
Ron launches himself at his mother and wraps her into a tight embrace, "I'm going to see him again," he asks hopefully.
"We all are," Molly corrects.
"We're so going to adopt his arse," Ron all but shouts out in excitement.
"Ronald Weasley, watch your language," Molly orders.
"Oh, sorry mum," Ron says with a blush.
"Its okay this once," Molly says with a smile, "and this time we will adopt him, or at least try our hardest," she promises her son before her.
"About time too isn't it," a voice from the door agrees.
"Yes dad it is," another voice says from behind the first one.
"Charlie," Arthur greets.
"We have all come to an agreement, we are going to go and find our brother and make sure once and for all he's our brother," Bill says as he too comes into the tent.
"All," Ron asks.
"Well," Bill says looking around the tent, "you don't need us to voice the opinions of the Twins or Ginny, and I think we just told you our opinions," he explains.
"Wicked," Ron grins widely.
"Great," Fred says as he and George enter the room.
"We'll get out the picnic baskets," George continues.
"Time for the family to go on an outing," Fred sings out.
"Yeah, maybe in this other world we can open our shop," George suggests to the horror of their mother.
"Hmm, sounds like a plan my dear brother," Fred agrees causing everyone including the reluctant Molly Weasley to laugh.
"Let's go get our brother," Fred, George, Bill Charlie, Neville and Ron shout out in laughter as everyone finally feels as though not everything is right in the world but it is getting there. Now they just have to wait six months to go to their new home.