A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed. =) To those that want the action, you have to wait a little bit. I'm sorry, I just want to some of the emotional stuff out of the way first. Don't worry though, Moody and the curandero are coming soon.
Chapter 4 - The Gifts Left Behind
Harry and Lupin were walking out of the underground into the bright sunlight of the busy streets of downtown London. Since Harry couldn't apparate yet, and the Dursleys' fireplace had been disconnected from the Floo Network, Harry decided it would be fun to travel to Diagon Alley like muggles. He was relieved to hear Remus agree with him, and also that they would travel by themselves, which meant no Order entourage.
"We should blend easier if it's just the two of us," Remus had mentioned.
As they were walking the rest of the way from the station to the Leaky Cauldron, Harry laughed when he saw Remus was getting tired.
"You know, I'll be happy when we finally make it there."
"What happened to enjoying the journey?" Harry asked mockingly.
"I was talking in metaphors, and even then, I was referring to the emotional one."
They arrived thirty minutes later to the shabby entrance of the pub. Once inside, they were ushered quickly and quietly by Tom the innkeeper towards the entrance to the alley. As they walked through, Harry couldn't help but notice that there was something different in the atmosphere that was usually found there. The number of customers usually found near the bar was greatly diminished, and there were many who were seated as close to the unlit fireplaces as they could.
Outside in the alley, they were acting strangely as well. There were witches and wizards coming and going, but none of them seemed to be stopping to talk to each other on the street. The mood was sombre, and somehow, Harry could sense the thickness of the feeling of fear all around him.
"Remus, what's going on?" he asked quietly. "Why is everyone acting as if they were late for an appointment or something?"
"Well, with the confirmation by Fudge that Voldemort is indeed back, people don't seem to want to spend to much time outdoors. Even indoors those that can apparate act somewhat normally, but those that can't stay as close to fireplaces as they can in order to floo out immediately if need be."
"Isn't it safe here?"
"Well, precautions have been taken to 'ensure' the safety of places like 'Diagon Alley', but since the threat is Voldemort, well, you of all people should know there is no such thing as absolute safety when it comes to him."
Harry nodded, thinking of all the times at Hogwarts he was supposed to be safe and nearly died. True, he usually walked right into danger, but it still had Voldemort behind it.
They reached the doors of Gringotts soon after. The bank was emptier than usual and the goblins seemed to be disgruntled by it. The goblins seemed to be taking the announcement of Voldemort seriously as well since there were now armed goblins found along the walls. They walked up to a clerk who was writing on a huge ledger.
"Yes?" the goblin inquired.
"Mr. Potter here has an appointment with Mr. Kablidook," Lupin answered.
"Yes, he is being expected," the goblin leaped of his stool and motioned Harry to follow him. When Remus followed behind Harry the goblin stopped, "the meeting is with Mr. Potter and Mr. Potter only," the goblin stated.
Harry looked from the goblin to Remus, unsure of what to do.
"Go ahead, Harry, I'll wait for you here," Remus said encouragingly.
Harry followed the goblin through the back of the main hall of the bank and stopped in front of a steel double-door that had spikes coming out of it, with two fully armed goblins at each side.
The goblin turned to Harry, "for security reasons, Mr. Potter, kindly sign that ledger with the identity quill provided."
Harry walked over to the podium with the open ledger, and looked at the quill that was there. It was a long black quill with a very sharp point. It reminded him of the quill Umbridge had him use to write lines while in detention, lines that were written in his own blood, and consequently carved onto the back of his hand. Since there was no ink provided, Harry got the feeling that this quill was similar. He took a deep breath and signed his name. He felt a small prick at the top of his right index finger and saw his name was written in blood, his blood to be exact.
"Thank you," the goblin said and motioned the guards to open the doors, "follow me."
Harry sucked on his finger a bit and followed. He had expected to walk through a huge hallway, given the size of the doors, but the tunnel they were walking through was so small that Harry was sure that Hagrid couldn't fit inside of it. The tunnel seemed to be very ancient, and the flicker of light that came from the torches located along the walls gave the feeling that they were walking into a kind of crypt.
They reached the end of tunnel, which proved to be a dead end in the shape of a circle, no more than three meters in diameter. Harry was about to ask "now what" when he felt the floor start moving downwards. Between the eerie sounds of the wind drafts, the rising heat that could be felt, and snarling breathing of the goblin, Harry hugely missed the muggle elevators that provided air conditioning and soft music. Just as he was beginning to feel sick, the platform stopped.
"This way," the goblin said.
This tunnel was a little larger and cooler. It ended on a finely carved bronze door that read, Trusts, Wills, and Testaments. As they neared the door Harry was ushered quickly into the office. The office inside was a large room, roughly the size of the Charms classroom. There were piles of coins and fine stones littered along the walls. There was a small desk on the left-hand wall with a huge scale that Harry wondered how the table could hold the weight of it. The room was illuminated by the candles sitting on a large silver chandelier that was in the middle of the roof. At the back of the room, Harry saw a fine carved mahogany desk that sat on top of a golden carpet that looked to be made of dragon scales. It was filled with files and rolls of parchment.
"Like what you see?"
Harry was startled by the deep voice that came from behind the desk. The goblin that had been his escort was gone and the door was closed. The expression on the new goblin's face was old and calculating. Harry was sure that if he asked this goblin any absurdly complicated mathematical problem, he would get answer within seconds.
"Well?" the goblin asked again.
"Oh, um, yeah, you have a very nice office here," Harry started and since he wasn't sure how he should address an obviously important goblin he finished by saying, "sir."
The goblin eyed Harry, as if deciding if he was worth his time.
"Many wizards tend to forget that we are the best craftsmen of many things, among them gems and metals," the goblin began.
"I didn't forget, given the fact that I never knew," Harry responded quickly. He wasn't sure what the goblin was getting at, by he didn't like the tone he was being spoken to with. Not wanting to anger the goblin he added, "As such, I didn't mean to be rude and stare at your belongings."
The goblin's expression turned into a menacing grin, exposing some rather sharp teeth.
"Well, well, Mr. Potter, aren't you just full of surprises."
"How do you mean?"
"For starters, many wizards, even those who are abysmally challenged in regards to their magical gift, tend to treat us like inferior beings. Others, who for some reason consider themselves to be of some level of importance tend to treat us worse than they treat their house elves. And here you are, the one rumoured to be the worlds saviour from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, yet you behave yourself in a respectful manner, you apologize for something you did and even had the courtesy of calling me 'sir'. Its not often that wizards give me such treatment. Although," the goblin reached for a rather thick file that was on his desk and opened it, "given who your parents were, I shouldn't have been surprised at all." The goblin stood up from his chair and gave him a small bow, "I'm Ungh Kablidook, at your service."
Harry was at a loss for words after this speech.
"Oh, pleased to meet you."
"So, let us get straight to business." Kablidook didn't wait for a comment from Harry and began talking as he turned the pages in the file before him. "Today we will discuss not only the assets that were left for you by the late Sirius Black, but also those that were left behind by your parents." He stopped shuffling through the pages in front of him and looked at the confused expression on Harry's face. "Something wrong, Mr. Potter?"
"Um, well, I," Harry didn't know how to convey his surprise, "it's just that I thought I had received everything there was from my parents."
The goblin saw that Harry had no clue as to how things like wills worked, so he took a deep breath and began explaining.
"You see Mr. Potter, when somebody makes a will, they can also leave express instructions as to how their belongings are to be distributed. For example, you were to receive the key to vault #687 on your eleventh birthday."
Harry remembered Hagrid giving him the key to his vault when he picked him up from the Dursleys'. He started to feel the pain of loosing his parents again, but an egging curiosity made him ask, "So, what else did they leave me?"
Kablidook stared at him again, giving Harry the feeling that he was deciding whether or not he was worthy of such information.
"Let's see here," he shuffled back through some sheets of parchment until he found the one he was looking for, "The will left behind by your parents reads:
'The estate of one James Potter and wife Lily Evans leaves behind all of its properties and vaults adhered to their name to their son Harry James Potter. As per instructions to his receiving these items the following must be met in order for him to receive each item. He is to receive the key to vault #687 upon his becoming of the age of eleven, which should provide him with enough currency to be able to buy anything he should need on his attendance to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. When he should come of age, he is to receive the key vault #1012, with the approval of him passing the first spherical test. Upon his marriage, he is to receive cottage number 7 located in Godric's Hollow. Should he pass all three spherical tests, he should then receive…'
Well, that's the basic idea. We are left with the guardianship of said items and distribute them in accordance to the instructions we were given."
"What was that last part?"
"That, Mr. Potter, you will learn when you come of age and pass the spherical tests."
"And what are those?"
"That you will learn when you come of age."
Harry was getting angry and annoyed at the lack of answers. He felt Kablidook was thoroughly enjoying not giving him any.
"How will I know you have given me everything that was left for me? I want to see their will myself," he finished forcefully.
Kablidook expression turned into a stone-faced one, clearly upset at Harry's lack of trust, but more importantly, with the insinuation that was behind it.
"There you are, then," he handed him the parchment that had his parents last will and testament. He quickly glanced at the bottom of the parchment and saw that it broke off just where the goblin had stopped.
"As you can see, Mr. Potter," Kablidook stated, "there is no more to be read."
"But…, I mean, did they not finish it or something?"
"Mr. Potter, it is my understanding that you were raised by muggles, but this is really getting tiring. I had expected that you would have asked somebody how it is that wills work in our world, but it seems that the twenty four hours that I gave you went completely wasted."
Harry was angry at the goblin now. He seriously thought that he must be a distant cousin of Snape.
"So much for being civil," he muttered under his breath.
"Like most things in our world, Mr. Potter," Kablidook continued, "they are charmed or have a spell within them. Wills are no exceptions. When the will is made, we at Gringotts are bound by an unbreakable magical contract to fulfil the terms in each of them. As such, each of them is magically charmed to reveal only that which it has been told to reveal. My guess is, the will is finished, you just haven't met the requirements to able to know what else was left for you."
"So I have to wait to be of age in order to know what's left?"
"Perhaps, then again, perhaps not. There is something that is not said here that you have to fulfil in order to read the rest, what that may be, I do not know."
There was a long pause that let Harry think about what it could be that he needed to do. He decided to worry about until he was of age.
"Seeing as how that has been covered, we can move on to the next order of business, that being the will of one Sirius Black. This one reads,
'I, Sirius Black, being of sound mind, herby bequeath the following to my godson, Harry James Potter. I leave him the contents of vault #424 as well as the ownership of #12 Grimmauld Place, to with as he wishes.'
That is what was left for you by Mr. Black. The contents of the vault are described here," he handed Harry a piece of parchment with the total sum of galleons, sickles and knuts, a sum which Harry thought was a lot of money. "The deed and key to the residence of #12 Grimmauld Place are here," and he handed him a roll of parchment and a silver key that finished in a cobra head. "Now, is there anything that I may do for you before we conclude our business here today?"
Harry was trying to suck everything in. There were lots of things on his mind, but he wanted all of this to be organized and done with.
"Yeah, let's see, um, ok, I want to go down to vault #424."
The goblin nodded and guided Harry back out the he came from. He was surprised to find that the tunnel he followed in was gone and that the door opened to the railway system that was used to access the vaults.
"Couldn't I have used one of these to get here?"
"You could have, but that would be a breach in security."
Kablidook gave a small whistle a car rapidly sped and stopped before them. They reached the vault a few moments later. Harry opened the vault and saw the mounds he already knew were there, he was looking for something else. There sitting on top of a tower of sickles was a letter for him written by Sirius. Harry smiled to himself, tucked the letter into his pocket and turned to the goblin.
"I need you to transfer a third of the contents of this vault to mine, #687. The rest I want you to transfer it to the vault owned by Remus J. Lupin."
Kablidook eyed Harry suspiciously but nodded and wrote his instructions down of piece of parchment that he had brought with him.
"As for this," he said motioning towards the roll of parchment that was the deed to #12 Grimmauld Place, "put it in my vault as well."
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The atmosphere in the Weasley household had grown tense over the past few days. Mr. Weasley was hardly ever there, the twins were now staying on a flat on top of their store, Bill had left for Egypt for the next few weeks, Charlie was still in Romania, Percy was still ignoring his family, and Mrs. Weasley seemed to be angry at something. All of this was making Ginny confused and rather annoyed that the lively household she grew up in had faded into disarray. Ron wasn't helping matters. Everyday he would get up early, finish his chores, then grab his leather pouch that held his pipe and tobacco, grabbed his broom and flew out of the house. Ron and his mum had the same argument everyday.
"Where are you going, Ron?"
"Out."
"And where is out?"
"I'm done with my chores, alright? I going out."
"I don't want you to fly too far from the house, is that understood?"
"Yeah, yeah, fine, whatever."
Ron never turned towards his mum during this discussion. He would mount his broomstick and fly off, clearly ignoring his mother's words. Ron never knew where he was going, he just wanted to fly out of there as fast as his Cleensweep could take him and in no particular direction. He wanted to get things out of his mind. He hadn't answered Harry's owl, and he wasn't planning on doing it any time soon. He didn't want to think about what his best friends were doing, he just wanted to be alone.
He settled himself on the canopy of a very large oak tree. He laid down a long branch and made a pillow with his jumper. He lit his pipe and smoked for hours, not wanting to think about anything but how bad the tobacco tasted.
"There you are!"
He was so startled by hearing Ginny's voice that he almost fell from his perch.
"What do you want, Ginny?" Ron asked scathingly.
"I want to talk to you."
"Yeah, well, I don't think I really qualify as advisory material, so maybe you should try Mum."
"Ron, I want to talk to you about this."
"Like I said, Ginny, I don't think I can be of much help. Why don't you ask Hermione or Harry for help, they might find time in their busy schedule to accommodate you."
Ginny could sense the anger in his final words.
"Is that what this is about? Are you flying away everyday, being rude to Mum and ignoring me just because Hermione helped Harry instead of you?"
"You know very well why I'm feeling the way I'm feeling. In fact, I would have thought that you would be feeling something similar, seeing who's involved. As for Mum, I'm not being rude intentionally, I just want to be left alone."
"I still don't understand why you're so upset."
Ron sat up and turned to look at Ginny with a look of fury.
"They're DATING, OK! Now do you get it?"
"How do you know that? Did either of them tell you something?"
"Did either of them tell me something," Ron mocked his sisters question, "they don't have to tell me, I know. I may have the fucking emotional range of a teaspoon, I may be thick at times and not catch things right away, but I'm not stupid! Everything with her is always Harry this, or Harry that, how can we help Harry, Harry needs our help, Harry, Harry, Harry!"
Ginny was taken aback by Ron's screaming.
"Lately, it's got worse. She can't even have a conversation with me, even through an owl that has nothing to do with Harry. I even asked her about her O.W.L.'s and she even ignored that! I'm sick and tired of dealing with every problem boy-wonder gets himself into, but most of all, I'm tired of playing second fiddle to a group that doesn't give a rat's ass about me."
He got on his broom and sped off into the night.
"Ron you don't mean that…" Ginny yelled after him, tears streaming down her face. She had always known that her brother harboured those types of feelings, that his insecurities sometimes got the best of him, but now Ron was feeling just as alone as Harry had felt not so long ago. What was worse, Ginny had no idea how to help him.
She flew back to the burrow, deep in thought, tears still in her eyes. She went up to her room and pulled some parchment towards her. There were only two people she thought could her, or more importantly Ron, with this. She wrote one letter to Hermione and the other to Bill.
--------------------------------
Harry and Remus were sitting in the kitchen table back in Privet Drive, having finished dinner. Harry had kept to himself ever since he came out of the vault area of Gringotts. When asked if he was ready to go home, Harry simply nodded and they left.
"Is everything alright, Harry? You've been awfully quiet since we got back."
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just mulling over everything. Look, I want you to know through to me that I transferred some of the money that Sirius left me over to your vault," he raised his hand to stop Remus from saying anything, "before you waste your breath, I want you to have it. I'm sure he would have wanted as well. You have to deal with the prejudices of others, and because of that you can't get work. We're family now, remember, well, at least kind of, so we help each other out. There's no negotiating here, so don't even try."
"Well, Harry, if that's how you feel, then, there's nothing for me to say but thanks, so, thanks."
Harry took out the letter Sirius had left for him and stood up.
"I'm going to turn in, but before I do, I need to ask you for a few favors."
"Sure, Harry, anything you need."
"I need you to contact Dumbledore and tell him that I want to meet with him tomorrow around noon. Tell him that I request an audience with everyone in Order to be held tomorrow at #12 Grimmauld Place. It's time we got together and worked together. If the prophecy is true, I'm going to need their help as much as they're going to need mine in the end."
Harry turned to look at Remus, he was staring at him.
"What?"
"You know what it is you're asking here, don't you?"
"Yes, basically tomorrow I will ask to be inducted into the Order."
"Harry…"
"No, listen, Remus. I now know that I am a part of this fight. Too many times in the past I've put myself at risk for not knowing enough."
"Harry…"
"I know, I know, it was for my own good, or my own protection, or some bull along those lines. I'm old enough now to know what it is I'm asking, what's at stake. Frankly, I've got more to lose by not becoming a member than by becoming one."
Remus stared at him for a long time.
"I would like your support on this, you know," he told him.
"I don't know if I should be happy and proud about your decision, or if I should smack some sense into you," he said finally, eyeing him carefully. "Alright, Harry, I'll side with you this time, although you should know, sometimes knowing too much is more of a burden than not knowing at all. Think about that tonight."
"Ok, I will, I promise. One more thing, tell him to ask Dobby if he would like to come work for me. He will be paid for his work, and should he like to, to have him be here early tomorrow morning."
"Ok, Harry I'll contact him tonight."
"Thanks. Goodnight, Remus."
"Goodnight, Harry."
Harry walked into his room and got ready for bed. He sat on his bed, his back leaning on the wall, and opened Siruis's letter.
Harry,
Undoubtedly, if you are reading this, it means that I have left you again. I have left you to be with your parents, and left you behind to fight a battle I can only wish to have fought by your side. I guess I could say that I wish that you were reading this letter when the war was over, and you have been victorious, sadly if it were, I would have changed this letter to a different one.
Harry was shaking slightly, fighting with himself to not fall into the despair Hermione had helped him out of.
When you left for Hogwarts after the Christmas Holiday, I must say that I felt lonely. I had grown accustomed to your company, even if it was brief, and started sulking around when you left. It was then that a friend, Moony, smacked me on the back of my head and helped me snap out of it. Yes, we were no longer together, but I had a friend to keep me company, just like you did. I started thinking a lot about your friends, and I got to the conclusion that you might even have a stronger bond than the Marauders had. You complement each other very well, and you care about each other. Unknowingly, I found similarities between your friends and mine. While Ginny's red hair obviously reminds me of your mother, it's Hermione that has me constantly staring at how much she and Lily are alike. Your friend Ron reminds me of me, actually. Don't tell anyone about this, but many of my outbursts in Hogwarts were because of my insecurities. Like Ron, I felt that I had to prove myself to the world. James helped me get over my insecurities, just like you have helped Ron.
Harry thought about this last comment. Harry hadn't given much thought to Ron with everything that's happened. Now that he thought about, Ron hadn't even responded his owl.
There are those that have asked themselves what family truly is. While I'm anything but a philosopher, I have made my own definition of what family is, thanks to you and James. To me family is not something you are necessarily born into, more like something you mould by yourself. It is simply a group, whether it be composed of two or two thousand, that love each other, that look after each other, and that would do anything for each other. Your grandfather would always say to your father, 'the most important thing in this earth is your family'. When I was honoured to become a part of it, your father and I would sometimes fight like siblings. Your grandmother would break up our squabble, and say to us, 'Until you have a family of your own, James, Sirius here is the most important thing there is on this earth. Sirius, the same goes to you.' I was shocked by the comment, here I was, a runaway that was seeking shelter at a friends house, and his mother later talked to us as if we were brothers. I guess, in a way, we always were. Care for your friends, keep them always with you, for in them, you will find the strength you need to fight, but more importantly, to survive.
A single tear fell down his cheek.
Harry, I know that you'll feel lonely, but always remember that you are never alone. Your parents and I will always be with you. If my calculations are correct, one of your friends will help you remember that. Mourn for me, if you like, but move on. Don't forget to look towards the future. Remember, there is light at the end of the tunnel, the sun can pierce through the darkest skies and there is always an end to wildest storms. Stay safe, learn from those around you, but most importantly, enjoy life.
Your Loving Godfather,
Sirius Black
Harry cleaned the tears from his face and put the letter down. It had put a lot of things into perspective for him. His friends were always looking out for him, it was time that he looked out for them. He could feel that Ron was angry with him, and had some ideas as to why. What worried him more was that he was involved with Hermione, and hadn't heard a single thing from her since she left. Not being able to take her silence anymore, he moved to his desk to write to her.
Hermione,
Is everything all right? I haven't heard from you in the past few days and, well, I'm worried about you. It's not like you not to write for so long. I miss you a lot, you know. If you are having second thoughts about us being together, well, I'll understand. All I want is for you to be happy. Maybe because of how I was emotionally, you confused your feelings for me and now don't know what to do. I will understand, really. I'd rather have our friendship than nothing at all.
Have you heard from Ron? He hasn't answered my post yet and I'm starting to get the feeling he's mad at me about something. While I can think of a few ideas as to why this might be true, I would like to know what's really bothering him.
I love you and I miss you,
Harry
He motioned Hedwig over and attached the letter to her leg.
"I know its late, but please get to her as fast as you can."
Hedwig hooted in reply, nipped his finger affectionately, and flew out the window. It was then that he did something he hadn't done in a while, he stayed sitting there on his chair, looking of into the night. While he briefly heard Hermione's voice in his subconscious scolding him, he reassured her, well, himself, that he wasn't sulking, he was merely thinking. He spent the better part of the night thinking calmly what was going on with his best friends, and how he was going to make things better.
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Remus was lying on the floor in Arabella Figg's living room with his head stuck in green flames. He was speaking with Dumbledore.
"So, Harry wants to be a part of the Order…"
"Yes, it's clear that he has matured, or had a very rude awakening, if you know what I mean."
"Yes, I know. I will have to think about my decision. I will have to decide if it's in his best interest to join us."
"Albus…"
"I know, Remus, you have told me his feelings on the subject, but I cannot risk being wrong again."
"Albus, whatever your decision, please, be honest with him. Whatever you decide, tell him the reasons why. After what happened last year, his trust in you has diminished, if you should deceive him or ignore him like it has happened in the past, he may loose all trust in you. That is something you cannot allow to happen."
Dumbledore breathed out a very heavy sigh.
"Yes, I know. I will have to work very hard to earn his trust again. Tell him that I will see him tomorrow at noon, at headquarters."
"Very well, Albus, goodnight."
"Goodnight, Remus."
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Hermione was sitting on her chair studying. She had decided to read some of her books to take her mind off things. Ever since she got back from Harry's, her 'fairytale' had ended. Her father and she got into huge row as they drove back. She really didn't expect him to get so angry at her news.
"What do you mean you're dating Harry now?" her dad asked, enraged at the thought.
"Well, when he started to feel better we talked and now we're going to start dating," she answered.
"Oh, really, and with whose permission there, little lady?"
"Dad, I'm not a little girl anymore, I'm almost sixteen," she started, "besides, its not like we're doing anything we aren't supposed to."
"You'd better not!" her father barked.
"Listen, Dad, you've always trusted me, why are you acting like this?" she asked timidly.
Her father took several long breaths before he answered her.
"Look, sweetheart, I know that you're going through a lot of changes, and with everything that was happening with Harry you got emotional, it's only natural, but is he what you really want?" he looked at her, but didn't wait for answer. "No, think about it before you answer. You're the top of your class, you have great things ahead of you, is this distraction really worth it?"
She gave her father the pause he wanted. She knew the answer was yes, it always had been, she just didn't understand what her father wanted from her.
"Yes," she said finally.
"Yes what?" her father asked.
"Yes, Harry is worth it."
"You know dear, relationships based on strenuous circumstances rarely work out."
"You saw that in a movie, Dad," Hermione answered angrily.
"It's true, though."
"Dad, why is it you're angry?" her father started to talk but she interrupted him. "No, think about it. Are you angry because I'm finally dating? Are you angry because it's Harry instead of someone else? Why are you angry?"
Her father never answered her question as they drove the rest of the way in an uneasy silence. When they reached her house she bolted from the car and ran up to her room, slamming the door. She even ignored her mother who had come out to meet her.
"So, they're dating."
"Yeah."
"And you have a problem with this because…"
"She asked me the same question, I still haven't found the answer."
"Well, congratulations, your uncertainty has infuriated our daughter and destroyed the happiness she was feeling."
"Why do you say that?"
"Simple, before she had both our love and Harry's, now you've basically asked her to choose."
Since then her father and her hadn't talked. She had stayed holed up in her room and refused to come to eat with her father. Her mother had tried to fix things between them, but didn't really help matters much.
"Hermione, dear, won't you come down for dinner tonight?" her mother asked.
"Not hungry," she stated back.
Her mother walked into the room and closed the door behind her.
"Honey, you can't stay mad at your father. He's just having a hard time with the knowledge that her only daughter is now dating. It's difficult for every parent to let go of their daughter."
"Mum, come on," she said as she turned to look at her, "you know perfectly well that it's nothing like that. Besides, it's not like we're getting married or moving in together or anything like that. We're just dating!"
"I know sweetie, I know. It's just that the daughters of some of his friends have, well, made mistakes that they, well, can't make up for."
"So, I'm getting this treatment because the daughters of his friends got pregnant? Just because those whores couldn't keep their legs closed… wait, does he think I'm stupid or something? Does he think I'M sleeping around?"
She stood up and walked over to her door. She opened and yelled at the top of her lungs.
"I'm still a virgin, OK! And you can take me to a gynaecologist to prove it if you want!" And she slammed the door again. She rounded at her mother this time, still screaming, "I can't believe either of you. I thought you knew who I was, I thought you trusted that you taught me well enough, and educated me well enough to know when I want to do those kinds of things. Just because girls my age are doing it doesn't mean I AM! Since when have I done what everyone else does? Since when has peer pressure been an issue with me? Since when?" she finished exhausted, crying now.
Her mother was crying too. She knelt beside her daughter and hugged her tightly as her daughter cried her eyes out.
"I'm sorry, Hermione. I wasn't trying to say that we think any of those things about you. It's just more difficult for you father to understand that."
"Why?" she asked pleadingly.
"Because you're his only daughter. Even if you weren't, a parent never wants to make a wrong choice when it comes to their child."
Her mother and she were back to normal, but her father never came to talk to her. She figured that he would come to talk to her when he was ready, till then, she would keep to herself and avoid him. When he was ready, he would have to come and look for her.
She roused from her flashbacks by Hedwig. She was ecstatic to see her. She knew that Harry must be thinking the worst kind of thoughts. She ripped the letter open and saw that she had been absolutely right.
She wrote him a long letter, reassuring him that everything was fine, and that she still loved him very much.
Dearest Harry,
I'm so sorry that I haven't written to you. Ever since I got back, things have been rather hectic here in my house. My father and I aren't seeing eye to eye on a few things, so I haven't had much time to go to Diagon Alley and send you an owl. I still love you, Harry, and if you thought that it would be easy to get rid of me, you've got another thing coming. I want you to remove those thoughts from head this instant! It took me years to get the courage to tell you how I felt, I'm not going to let it all go waste that easily. So, you're stuck with me, as long as you'll have me.
I haven't heard from Ron either, but I think you're right. I wasn't very friendly when we wrote to each other at the beginning of the summer. I'm thinking he's a bit put out about that. We have to see how to break the news about us dating to him. He won't be pleased, I can tell you that. We have to get together, all of us, and talk about this. I think it would be the best way.
I love you, Harry, and I hope to be able to see you soon. I'm missing you terribly as well.
Yours,
Hermione
She attached the letter to Hedwig's leg. She thought Hedwig might stay the night and leave in the morning, but she was wrong, as Hedwig gave a soft hoot and sped of into the night. As she watched Hedwig fly away, she noticed a large feathery ball flying her way, rising and falling as it approached. She smiled to herself as she saw it was Errol, the Weasley's family owl. "Maybe he isn't mad after all," she said to herself. She had no idea how wrong she was. She was a bit confused as to why Errol was flying towards her instead of Pig. When Errol got to her, she saw that the letter was not from Ron, but Ginny.
Hermione,
I don't have time for pleasantries, so I'll get straight to the point. Ron's completely loosing it. His insecurities are getting the best of him and he's getting depressed rather quickly. He feels sure that neither you nor Harry care about him. He feels alone and is somehow sure that you and Harry are dating. Are you? If you are or are not doesn't really matter right now, what matters is that your friend needs the both of you. I've tried to get through to him but have only managed to fail miserably. Please, Hermione, you have to come up with something to help!
-Ginny
Hermione was a loss for words. She knew she had neglected Ron in order to help Harry, she just wasn't expecting something like this to happen. What's more, Ginny was demanding that she do something about it. She lay back on her bed and stared at her ceiling.
"What can I do?" she asked herself.
----------------
There was a loud CRACK! outside the Burrow and swish of a cloak as Bill Weasley burst through the door. He was received by the shocked look on his mother face.
"Bill, what's wrong? What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Ginny sent me owl, she said she needed my help and that it was urgent. Where is she?" He had said all of this very fast.
"She's in her room," she answered, wondering why it was that Ginny had gone to Bill for help.
"Thanks, Mum," he said as he gave her a kiss on the cheek and ran up the stairs. He knocked when he reached Ginny's.
"Ginny?" he asked.
"Bill!" she screamed from inside her room. She ran and opened the door, "thank Merlin you're here! I wasn't sure if you could make it so soon," she finished hugging her brother tightly.
Bill saw that there were tears in her eyes and that she was clearly upset about something.
"There, there, Ginny, I'm here, just relax," he said as he rubbed her back gently with one hand and closed the door with the other. He guided her over to her bed and sat her down. He grabbed a chair from her desk and sat down looking into her swollen red eyes, "What's wrong, Ginny?"
"I'm sorry, I know I must have gotten you into trouble at work, it's just that I didn't know who to turn to. I don't think that any of the others have the tact to talk to him, to help him."
Ginny had always turned to him when she was younger. He knew that in her eyes, he could fix anything. He knew his sister had categorized her brothers years ago, Charlie - animals, Percy - boring, Twins - pranks, Ron - quidditch, but Bill, as the oldest, could do anything.
"Calm down, Ginny, now tell me, who do you want me to help?"
"It's Ron," she started quietly.
"Ron? What's wrong with him?" he asked. He knew that this wasn't a sibling fight or anything, she had proven early on that she could handle herself. This had to be something big.
"He's going mental," she stated, "he's getting all depressed about his friends not caring about him, about Hermione not falling for him, about always being in Harry's shadow." Bill looked at her quietly as she continued, "and it's not like before, he's scaring me with how worthless he makes himself out to be." She looked at Bill with tears in her eyes, "I know that you have more important things to do, with your work and all, I just…"
"No, Ginny, you did well," he cut her off, "nothing's more important than family," he said to her. "Where is he?"
"I don't know if he's back yet."
"What do you mean if he's back yet? It's three o'clock in the morning. Where did he go?"
"That's just it, he finishes his chores and goes off on his broom to Merlin knows where to smoke from his pipe."
"So he's smoking now, ok, I can use that to find him. Is your broom downstairs?"
"Yes."
"Ok, try to get some rest, Gin. I'll sort this out."
"Promise?"
"I promise."
She gave him a strong hug and kiss on his cheek. Bill went downstairs, got Ginny's broom, and went outside. With a few chosen words, he twirled his wand and a soft orange mist began to take shape. He got on his broom and followed the mist as it grew brighter. He looked back to find Ron sitting on the rooftop.
"That any good?" he asked Ron, startling from his thoughts.
"What are you doing here?" he answered back in tone that said that he didn't like the interruption or the company. Bill took a seat next to him. "Here," he said as he withdrew a pouch from the inside of his robe, "Cuban tobacco, best there is."
"Thanks, but I'll stick with the cheap one."
"Yeah, I figured you'd say something like that," he said as he withdrew his own pipe and began to smoke beside him, "Do you resent Mum and Dad, Ron, for not being rich?"
"No! Why would you say that?"
"Well, do you resent us, your brothers I mean, for making something of ourselves?"
"Of course not!"
"Then why do you resent yourself?"
Ron looked at him questionably, "what do mean?"
"Well, Ron, all your life you've always like to complain about what is you don't have, or more to the point, what others do have. Some people do that to motivate themselves to be better, but you, Ron, seem to do it to un-motivate yourself."
"Well, thank you for that assessment, Bill, really helpful," he said sarcastically as he got up and got ready to leave.
"Sit down, Ron."
"Why, so you can have a go at me, no thanks."
"Ron, sit down."
Ron stared at him for a moment, and reluctantly sat down.
"You know, as well as I do, that I'm not here to have a go at you," he took a deep breath and continued, "do you want to tell me what's going on?"
Ron stayed quiet for a while. He started to clean out his pipe manually.
"Here, let me," Bill offered as he took the pipe and cleaned it with a spell.
Ron filled his pipe with Bill's Cuban tobacco and started, "I don't know where to begin."
"It helps if you start at the beginning," Bill said cheekily, hoping he wouldn't upset Ron.
"When I was old enough to go to Hogwarts, I was already putting myself down. I remember when I was on the train I was already complaining to Harry about myself. I told him about how my parents had high expectations of me since you were Head Boy, and Charlie had been Quidditch Captain, and Percy was prefect. I even complained about having to use your old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat. All my life I've said that I should do well because of what's expected of me, but if I do, it doesn't matter because its already been done before. I've found myself complaining a lot about being worse than any of you, or about being poor."
Bill saw him take a long puff from his pipe. While much of this wasn't a surprise, he never expected Ron to talk about this so calmly.
"With Harry," he carried on, "I've been the same. I've always been jealous of his fame and fortune," he turned to look at Bill, "and he got that from watching his parents get killed when he was a year old!" He paused and looked of into the night again, "I've asked myself a hundred times if I would ever trade places with him," he stated. Bill was shocked by this, "and I always arrived at the same answer…not in a million years," Bill let out the breath he was holding as Ron continued, "I've always let my emotions get in the way. The most famous wizard of the age is my best friend, and I always find ways to get angry at him to bring him down. I was jealous that he got on the quidditch team in first year and I didn't believe him when he told me he hadn't entered his named into the goblet of fire in fourth year. I call myself his best friend, but lately I've questioned myself on just how good a friend I've been."
They sat there smoking for a while. Bill was sure it was helping Ron to get all of this of his chest, but he was sure they hadn't gotten to root of the latest problem. When Ron didn't continue, Bill decided to find out.
"Ron, all of this you've dealt with before," he began silently, "what happened this time that made you loose it?"
All it took was one word to understand. Bill knew what the word was, more importantly what it meant, he just needed Ron to say it.
"Hermione."
"So, what is it exactly that pissed you off so much?"
"It's a lot of things, really. Since fourth year I've started to have different feelings towards Hermione. You know, the wanting-to-be-more-than-friends type feelings," Bill smiled at this. "Ever since I saw her in her dress for the Yule Ball, I was amazed."
"So why didn't you ever ask her out?"
"That's one of the things I'm angry about. I let my insecurities get the better of me. I convinced myself that after having gone to a ball with Krum, one the most famous quidditch players in the world, she wouldn't be interested in a poor bloke like me."
"Is that the only reason?"
"No. Harry is also the reason."
"Did Harry tell you she liked her or something?"
"No," Ron answered again, "we never actually talked about it. It was more the way she acted towards him. She would never admit it to anyone, but nothing, not even school or homework, takes more space in her head than Harry. She's always thinking about him. At first I thought it was just because he was her friend who was always found himself knee deep in dragon dung, but later I saw that it was more than that."
"So you lost it because she chose him over you," Bill asked.
"You see, that's just it. I didn't. I thought it was that, I was pissed at first, but I got over it since I knew about it all along somehow."
"So, if their getting together wasn't the reason, than what was?"
"It was the fact that they helped each other, and got through it without me. There they were, together now. Where did that leave me? I lost it because I felt alone, unimportant. I still feel that way."
"Look, Ron, there's little I can do or say to make this be any easier, since, you have to talk to your friends. As for the heartache over Hermione, did you ever consider that maybe you fancied her because she always there?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, how many girls do you know at Hogwarts?"
"I know lots of girls…"
"No, I mean really know them."
Ron stayed quiet after this.
"You see Ron, Hermione's a great girl and all, but she's not the only one out there. Maybe you just wanted a girl, which is good by the way, but there was a lack of choices," he made Ron turn to face him, "Don't fly off tomorrow, ok. I'll figure out a way to get you and your friends together alright."
"I don't want to intrude…"
Bill slapped Ron on the back of his head.
"Oy! What was that for?"
"That was for belittling yourself. Your friends do care about you, just as much as you care about them, maybe even more. So tomorrow, don't fly of, ok?"
"Yeah, ok," Ron answered rubbing the back of his head.
"And after you have that long talk with them, you and I are going to have a long talk about girls."
Ron turned wide-eyed towards Bill who was smiling brightly.