Journey Home by Jardyn39
Chapter Ten: Beyond the Edge
Harry was quite taken aback, and it took him a moment to gather an answer together.
"So, Neville is Neville again is he?" he said with a grin. "I thought you only called him that back stabbing, low life, good for nothing, b-"
"Yes, well," interrupted Ron, "despite my reasonable reservations, they appear to be happy together."
Harry laughed.
It was good to have his old friend back.
"One thing at a time," said Harry. "Ron, I came here because I want you to be my best man. Will you do it? It really would mean so much to both of us."
Ron suddenly looked rather uncertain.
"I'm sorry, Ron, but there's no way Hermione is going to get married in a muddy hole in the ground, even one as nice as this. You are going to have to come to the wedding."
"Well, I'd like to, but I'm not sure."
"Okay, but please think about it."
"Tell me about Ginny," Ron demanded.
"Yes, Ginny," said Harry sadly. "She's totally stressed out, I suppose. I thought she had got over everything, but it looks like she was just hiding things. Neville says it's just a recent thing, but I'm sure he's just going along with Ginny's story."
Ron tried to get up, but slipped and only succeeded in spraying Harry with more wet mud.
Harry levitated Ron up a sufficient amount for him to scramble out of the hole.
"Thanks," said Ron as he crawled out of sight.
A moment later he was back.
"Harry, come on!"
"Ron, I assumed you were just going to the loo or something and I'd rather not watch if it's all the same to you."
"No, we have to get to Ginny!" he said urgently. "Actually, I usually just use the hole for that. It's too much trouble to get out, otherwise."
Harry didn't think Ron was really serious, but he allowed Ron to pull him out anyway.
"Where's your wand, Harry?"
"Luna made me leave it behind."
"Come on, then" Ron urged.
"Ron, look at us both! We can't go like this," complained Harry as he followed Ron through the opening in the outer wall.
*
Two muddy figures trudged up the gravel path. This was made a little difficult by the amount of gravel that was sticking to the bottoms of their trousers and shoes.
Eventually, they made it to the cottage garden.
Ron walked up to the cottage in wide-eyed wonder. He may have had another expression, but the mud made it difficult for Harry to tell.
Harry stopped Ron going inside saying, "You'll just get us both into trouble if we walk mud around the house." He went over and turned on a garden hose and took it in turns to spray each other clean.
Eventually, after much unnecessary revenge spraying, Harry ventured inside to retrieve his wand. He exited with it and dried them both off.
"Right," said Ron, "let's go!"
"Hang on, Ron, let's step inside for a moment."
Ron followed Harry into the kitchen. Harry went straight to the drawer his wand had been sealed in, and picked out the long thin box he'd previously recognised.
He turned to see Ron looking around uncomfortably. It was as if being indoors was unnatural for him.
"Here," said Harry holding out the box.
Ron took the box and opened it, knowing it contained an Ollivander wand.
"I bought it for you after yours was lost," said Harry. "Luna said she would keep it for you."
"But, Harry. I can't use magic any more," Ron said sadly.
"Well, perhaps it was just temporary. Go on, give it a swish."
In truth, Harry was not at all hopeful that Ron would ever be able to perform magic again.
Ron swished the wand.
Nothing happened.
"No," said Harry gently, and suddenly he remembered why he loved to teach so much. It was the feeling of helping someone do something they felt was just beyond them.
"You have to believe. Think back to when you held your new wand for the first time in Ollivander's shop. It was your wand. It chose you."
Harry watched as a smile grew on Ron's face as he remembered. His own wand.
"Go on, give it a swish and believe it will work."
A modest shower of red sparks filled the kitchen for a moment.
"Cool," breathed Ron.
He pointed his wand at the flower arrangement on the window cill.
"Accio!" he shouted. One twig moved slightly, but that was all.
"It will take time," said Harry gently. "You'll have to learn almost everything again, but the magic is still within you."
"Thanks Harry," said Ron. "How did you know this wand would suit me though?"
"I didn't take any chances," he admitted. "We tracked down a wand with a unicorn hair from the very same unicorn as your original wand. Mr Ollivander made a new wand using that hair and wood from the same tree as your old wand. To all intents and purposes, you have your old wand back again."
Ron just stared at him.
"You did all that, knowing I might never be able to do magic again?"
"Well, yes," Harry admitted, going over and picking out another twig. "I do hope Luna doesn't mind my ruining her kitchen decorations."
"I thought they were fire starters, Harry."
Harry snorted but then realised Ron was serious.
"Portus!" he whispered.
Harry offered out the twig and said, "Ready?"
Ron looked seriously at him and then said, "No, Harry. I want to talk to you for a moment before we see the others."
Harry shrugged and put the Portkey down.
They sat down at the kitchen table, and Harry waited for Ron to speak.
"When I first saw you today, I thought you looked strange. Not quite yourself, anyway. Why is that?"
Harry sighed and told Ron all about his obsession with the Forbidden Forest, how he hadn't been sleeping and his concerns about taking out his frustrations on his students.
Ron frowned.
"Harry, why are you even staying at Hogwarts?"
"Well, it's easier than commuting back to London every day. Of course, I'd have stayed if I knew Ginny was going to be so upset."
"Forget Ginny. I mean, we'll sort her out later. Why are you travelling to Hogwarts?"
"Sorry, I thought you knew," said Harry. "I got seconded from the Auror Division to Hogwarts. I'm acting Head of House and I teach Defence Against the Dark Arts."
"You were an Auror?"
"Still am. Didn't Luna tell you anything?"
"I don't always listen," Ron admitted. "Anything else I should know?"
*
Harry and Ron slammed into the tiled lobby floor of Ginny and Neville's London home. Harry stayed on his feet but Ron wobbled and grabbed hold of Harry to prevent himself from falling.
"I'd forgotten how that felt," he muttered to himself.
Harry had expected the house to be sombre and quiet while Ginny's friends sympathetically watched over her.
He wasn't quite prepared for the wild shrieks of laughter and giggling that was coming from the living room.
Harry was about to push the agar door open to see what the noise was about, although he already had a fair idea, when the front door opened and a very harassed looking Neville came inside.
He started seeing Harry and Ron and immediately indicated for them to keep quiet and the three of them crept along to the kitchen.
Neville placed the carrier bags he'd come in with on the table and closed the door so they could speak without alerting the others, although they were making so much noise Harry felt they probably wouldn't have heard anyway.
"I love these girls' nights in, I really do," said Neville sarcastically, unpacking various bottles of wine.
"How long have they been drinking?" asked Harry with a smile.
"From about five minutes after Luna arrived. This is the second time they sent me out for more booze. That shopkeeper in the local off-licence thinks I'm an alcoholic, I'm sure."
Neville went over to the fridge and took out three cans of lager.
He handed one each to Harry and Ron and they opened them in unison.
"Welcome back, Ron," said Neville with a smile.
At that moment Ginny tottered into the room asking, "Neville, where's our drink?" as she steadied herself against the door frame.
She froze as soon as she saw the three of them.
"RON!" she yelled and threw herself forward, hugging him. Her shout appeared to have been noticed by Hermione and Luna as they quickly appeared at the kitchen door.
"What about your hole?" asked Ginny with genuine concern.
"I've grown tired of it."
"I fell in," said Harry proudly. Neville snorted.
"Yeah, it's just not the same now."
"You will stay, won't you?" asked Ginny hopefully. "Neville can dig you a hole in the garden, if you'd like?"
"No, I'll make do with a bed."
"I'm so glad you came," Ginny said tearfully, hugging him tighter.
"Well, Harry said my little sister was upset about something, so I had to come. Of course, had he said she's just getting drunk again, I'd have thought better of it."
"I'm not drunk," she said indignantly, pushing herself away and swaying slightly, "but I may be shortly, now we have something to celebrate. Come on through into the living room, Ron. You look like you're about to collapse. You might as well collapse onto a comfy chair!"
"I'm the one about to collapse, am I?" Ron asked with a smile as Ginny dragged him out of the room, looking afraid to let go in case he decided to go off and do something stupid again. Luna followed and Neville picked up the bottles and followed.
"Talk to me, Ron," Ginny was saying. "It's been ages since you talked to us."
Harry put his still full drink can on the table and Hermione went over to him and put her arms around him.
"You look tired," she said eventually.
"I'm fine," he said gently. "I'm going back to Hogwarts now."
"Okay, I'll come with you."
"No, Hermione. You've had too much to drink. It wouldn't be safe. Stay here tonight and for as long as Ginny needs you."
"Then you stay here as well. You can travel back in the morning. Please, Harry?"
"No, Hermione."
"Why not?" she asked with hurt in her voice.
"I can't explain. It's this feeling I've had lately. It's like, well, like the day before it all happened."
"You're just empathising with Ginny, that's all."
"Maybe part of me is," Harry admitted, "but really think it's something more. Say goodnight to the others for me?"
Hermione didn't let go immediately, and Harry was forced to gently pry her arms away from him.
Tears fell down her face as he leaned in to kiss her, whispering, "I love you, Hermione. I have to do this," before Disapparating.
*
Harry Apparated as close as he could to the school gates and hurried up to the castle.
He was about to enter the staff living quarters when he felt the hairs on the back of his head prickle. That same uneasy feeling he had remained the same, but this time he felt there was something amiss here in the castle.
Harry walked up to the second floor and walked along the West corridor.
Everything was quiet and normal.
He went up a floor.
He was walking slowly along when two students turned a bend in the corridor. It was Carmen and Stephen.
"Evening, Sir," he said.
"Evening, Stephen," replied Harry. He was about to say something to Carmen when suddenly Harry gave a start.
Harry drew out his wand at once and stepped forward.
"Did you hear that?" he asked seriously.
"No, nothing," said Carmen quietly, now standing next to Harry with her wand in hand.
Harry glanced back at Stephen who was just standing there looking suddenly nervous.
"Where's your wand?"
"In my dormitory, Sir," he replied sheepishly.
Harry frowned at him.
"Carmen, how many people are still out tonight?"
"Only those in the library."
"Sure? No study groups?"
"No, honestly," replied Carmen. From the look on her face Harry believed she was telling the truth.
"Please go to the library and tell everyone to go back to their dormitories at once. No exceptions. Collect any students you pass on the way. No student is to be left alone. If there are any students from other Houses who would be otherwise unaccompanied, take them to Gryffindor tower. Clear?"
"Yes."
"Go now, and if you see a ghost tell them to come and find me."
Carmen ran off with Stephen in tow.
Harry proceeded along the dark corridor, pausing to light a lantern that had gone out. He had the strangest feeling of unease here.
*
Harry had just finished checking the last classroom when Professor McGonagall joined him.
"Maybe I imagined it," he admitted with a sigh.
"Or perhaps you didn't. Anyway, it's better to be safe than sorry. I'll ask the ghosts to increase their patrols through here during the nights."
"Thanks."
"You do look tired, though, Harry."
"I feel tired," Harry admitted with a smile.
They walked back along the corridor, and Harry realised it no longer had the feeling of unease he'd had here was gone.
"Has anything ever got into the castle and remained undetected for a while?"
"Yes, it has happened. I believe it took years before Peeves was finally brought out into the open."
Harry thought seriously.
"Well, I'm sure it wasn't Peeves. He loves chaos. This felt more malevolent."
"Where's Hermione?"
"She's staying at Ginny's. They are celebrating Ron's return."
"How is he?"
"Remarkably lucid, actually. I'm seriously considering digging myself a therapeutic hole as well."
"You should have stayed."
"I couldn't. Do you think I'm cracking up?"
"I think, you should have stayed," she repeated gently before leaving him.
*
Harry changed and showered before retiring to bed. He tried to sleep but after a few hours he gave up and got up again.
He was folding his clothes and marvelling about the amount of mud they still carried, when he glanced out of the window.
The night was dark and clear. He couldn't see anything other than the night sky from his window, but somehow he didn't need to see the forest to become drawn to it.
He dropped the soiled clothes in a heap and dressed in his day clothes.
*
Harry found himself standing at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. He waited for a while and listened.
There was nothing unusual tonight. Only he was out of place.
Harry stepped forward and entered the forest. He didn't look at the time, but had he done so it would have struck him that it was the same time to the minute that he had entered this forest to face Voldemort.
*
Professor McGonagall turned from the window in her office wearing a grave expression.
"He's gone in, then?" asked Moody.
The Headmistress nodded uncertainly.
"Better notify the others then," he growled.