Chapter 8: Because Of Who You Are
The three flooed directly to Hermione's house, falling one by one out of the huge Victorian fireplace in the dining room.
"How many times have you flooed in your lifetime, Ronald Weasley?" Hermione scolded, standing up to brush herself down.
"Couple of hundred," He winced as he got to his feet. Harry's foot hand landed in the small of his back.
"And how many of those times have you fallen flat on your face?" She continued, walking to the dining room door and opening it. "Mum? Dad?"
"Bloody girls," Ron muttered following his girlfriend.
Harry stood up off his backside and brushed his clothes down. He waved his hand over the soot on the hearth and it disappeared in a small whirlwind. He laughed at his own skill.
Remembering he was present in someone else's house, he quickly followed after his two friends to find them just outside the front door, conversing with Mr and Mrs Granger.
"Harry!" Mr Granger greeted holding out his hand for Harry to shake. "Long time no see, lad.
Where'd you run off to last summer? We were expecting a visit."
"We were at a Quidditch convention in Brussels," Harry replied as he received a hug from Mrs Granger.
"Well, it's lovely to see you again Harry," Mrs Granger grinned happily. "Ron was just telling us about Merlin's Academy."
Hermione's mother was indeed very pretty. She had long brown hair like her daughters, tied back in a ponytail. She didn't look older than her mid-thirties and neither did Mr Granger. He had flecks of grey appearing at his temples but Harry reckoned that every bloke must get them living with Hermione.
"It looks amazing doesn't it, Harry?" Hermione asked. "I mean, all the libraries it has, there must be about a dozen full to the brim of magic books and research books."
She threw up her hands. "Right that's it! Sod Hogwarts! I'm going to Merlin's."
They all laughed.
"Well, since we're on the floo network now, you'll have to come and see us every chance you get
boys," Mr Granger smiled. "Go fishing and the like."
"Wouldn't mind seeing a football match sometime," Ron offered. "It's very interesting. All those players and the ball. A lot of running around of course."
Mrs Granger and Hermione both rolled their eyes.
"Don't get him started on football," Mrs Granger grimaced. "You won't make it out alive."
"Come with me, Ron," Mr Granger laughed guiding Ron into the living room, talking about the 'great English game'.
"Oh Merlin," Hermione rolled her eyes again. "Sorry if you wanted to do anything today, Harry.
They'll be at it for hours."
Harry shrugged. "I wasn't going to plan anything anyway. Go with the flow, you know."
Hermione cocked an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "Are you taking an English course at Merlin's? You need it, Harry. How can you stand all that improper grammar? It drives me insane!"
Harry shrugged again. "I try not let bother me much."
Hermione groaned and shook her head. "Now you're just doing it to annoy me."
"Oh how did you guess?" He grinned receiving a playful punch from Hermione.
"Hermione?" Mrs Granger called from the kitchen.
"Make yourself at home, Harry," Hermione said walking towards the kitchen door. "Don't destroy
anything."
Harry waved as he watched her disappear through the doorway. Immediately, his expression changed to concern as he rushed to the dining room and locked the door behind him.
Once safely inside, he went to the fireplace and waved his hand over it using a few well-chosen words. The hearth burst into flames and Harry had to shield his eyes because of the bright red flames.
Instantly, Remus' face appeared in the fireplace, his expression a grim one.
"How's everything, Harry?" Remus greeted as he always did. "How did my letter find
you?"
Harry snorted. "The owl scared Hermione to death when it fluttered out of my bedroom."
Remus gave a small laugh. "Did you manage to conceal the other letter?"
Harry nodded. "Under the flap of the envelope covered in invisibility powder. Is it true?"
"Yes, I'm afraid it is," Remus said solemnly.
"Dammit!" Harry smacked the mantelpiece with the palm of his hand. "This shouldn't be happening
now."
"Have you told Hermione and Ron?" Remus asked eyeing Harry with concern.
Harry scoffed. "How can I tell them that? They'll be in even more danger, probably because they'll look for it."
"The Ministry has a proposal if you'd like to hear it," Remus stated. "They say it might be
useful to you."
"I'll come down now then," Harry smiled sadly. "I'll just say my goodbyes and join
you."
Remus nodded an all right then his face disappeared. Harry waved his hand over the flames again, and they evaporated into nothingness.
He took his glasses off for a moment and pinched the bridge of his nose. He could feel a headache coming on. Quickly replacing his glasses, he unlocked the dining room door and went straight to the kitchen.
Mrs Granger and Hermione were talking at the kitchen table.
"I'm sorry to interrupt," Harry said politely, causing the two to notice his presence. "I've
got to go to the Ministry, Herm."
Hermione's smile dissolved into a worrying and panicking expression. "Is something wrong? Has something happened?"
She stood up and crossed the room to him, looking at him with concern. "Have they found Him?"
Harry shook his head. "No, they just want to see me about something. Mr Weasley will tell you when you get to the Burrow."
"So something has happened?" She asked, chewing her lip.
"Will you be alright getting to the Burrow with Ron?" Harry asked, his watch suddenly became very interesting to look at.
"Yes, of course we will but…"
Harry began to walk to the front door, Hermione following him by mere footsteps.
"Harry, stop right there," She said, standing in front of the doorway. "What is all this about? The Ministry wouldn't call you in unless it was something dire."
"I know," Harry nodded. "I can't tell you right now. Mr Weasley will tell you, or I will when I
get back. I've got to go now but I promise everything will be fine."
He kissed her on forehead then apparated out.
Mrs Granger screamed a little when she saw him disappear. "I will never get used to him doing that."
Hermione laughed a little and directed her mother back into the kitchen to finish her cup of tea.
When Harry arrived at the Ministry, everyone was rushing around in a near panic. Clerks were holding massive folders, lugging them from one end of the office room to the next frantically searching through them as they went.
Harry found Remus, Sirius and Minister Fudge in his office talking avidly about something. Harry knocked before entering and the talk immediately stopped.
"Ah, Harry," Mr Fudge stood up from behind his desk and held out his hand. "Good to see you here, my boy."
"Good to see you too, sir," Harry replied sitting down next to Remus.
"Let's not tarry with the small talk," Fudge started, shuffling some papers on his desk into a drawer
out of the way. "We are in need of Aurors, Harry."
Harry nodded. "And you need me?"
"It's not as simple as that Harry," Sirius said. "It gets a bit more complicated."
"We have certain branches of Aurors," Remus stated, clasping his hands around a folder on his lap.
"The one you'd fit into would be the Phoenix squadron."
"But in order to join this," Sirius explained. "Your memory must be erased from the
world."
Harry looked shocked. No one would know him. "What about my friends? My family and…"
"We'd know," Sirius gestured to himself, Remus and Fudge. "And so would Dumbledore, Hagrid, Snape
and McGonagall, for your protection. But to the rest of the world, you'd just be Harry Potter, the Boy Who
Lived."
"What about Hermione and Ron?" Harry stood up and began pacing the room. "I mean, after all my years at Hogwarts, building up all those relationships for nothing."
"You'd be protecting them Harry," Fudge replied. "Look what happened to Dean Thomas and you
didn't even know him all that well. Hermione and Ron…"
"Hermione and Ron would be killed just to get to you," Remus said sadly. "I hate to say it Harry but
it's true. Hermione is a muggle-born and one of the best witches of the new age, pureblood and muggle-born alike.
Voldemort wouldn't think twice about it."
Harry's heart was thumping quickly in his chest. A thousand images flashed through his head, images of death and blood running across his hands. They'd die because of him.
"You'd be saving them, Harry," Sirius said. "They'd know you as the Boy Who Lived with no
memory of ever knowing you or meeting you. It's better than seeing them die."
"As soon as the threat of You-Know-Who is eradicated," Fudge stated. "We can remove the charm, but it
could take days, months or even years. You need to think about this Harry."
He'd be saving them, saving their lives. This was all because he was Harry Potter, all because of who he was. It wasn't fair, if he were anybody else, anywhere else he'd live a normal life, without all of the pain.
Voldemort wouldn't know whom to go after; Hermione and Ron would be safe to carry on with the rest of their lives with no more fears. It was worth it, worth bearing the loss of them, their friendship.
And that was that, he was decided.
"You don't have to answer…" Remus started but was interrupted by Harry.
"I'll do it," Harry said, his eyes glistening with tears. "I'll go through with it. If anything happens to me, if I die or anything, I want them to be protected."
Fudge nodded and turned to Sirius. "Would you go over the procedure with him?"
Sirius and Remus accepted and led Harry out of Fudge's office.
"You don't have to do it, Harry," Sirius tried. "You can refuse. I don't want you to…"
"If it protects them, then I'll do anything," Harry brushed a few tears away from his eyes.
Remus clapped a hand on Harry shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "James would be proud of you Harry. Not
many people would risk this much for their friends."
"The only family I've ever known have been with me in these seven years," Harry smiled sadly.
"I'd protect them with my life, like my mum protected me, like they'd protect me. They were there when I
needed them most, this is the least I can do to repay them."
"What about Hermione?" Sirius asked.
Harry turned to look at him. "She'll ask me why I'm doing this and I don't have to, she'll try to reason with me, to tell me it's a stupid thing to do. I love her, I don't want anything to happen to her."
"Then we'll start the procedure tomorrow."