Author's Note: Let's see…about 10 days until the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Uh-oh. I'm going to have to update faster…as in more than once a day. Hmm…perhaps I'll start posting two chapters at once. I am trying to make the deadline. Yeah, that's right, you read that right. I'm trying to finish my fic before 21 July, 2007. Actually, I'd like it done before 20 July, 2007. I'm crazy, I know, but trust me, I'm a lot farther ahead in my story than what I've got posted. I just finished Chapter 35 about 30 minutes ago. See? Crazy! But for those of you that have been with me since MoL, you'll remember that I was determined to finish before HBP came out and hey, I did! I work best under stress. Anyway, enjoy the chapter. Big thanks to all those that review. You people are awesome!
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
THE UNWELCOME GUEST
January's arrival, which was usually too quick for Harry's tastes, seemed far away with everything that needed to be done in the week between Christmas and New Year's. He would have given anything for it to have been January because, unfortunately, the final week of the year wouldn't be a week without more bad news. The Christmas morning edition of the Daily Prophet had a headline that had made Harry groan.
VAMPIRE ATTACK IN BATH
A wizard and four Muggles were killed last night during a vampire attack that took place in Bath.
A dozen vampires entered a Muggle neighborhood in the west end of Bath at around 10:00 and began to break into homes, a commotion that woke Alexander Scottwood who rushed out to save his neighbors, according to Muggle witnesses before their memories were wiped.
Scottwood, 47, was too late to save a Muggle man, his wife, and their two children.
Upon his arrival, the vampires are said to have attacked Scottwood, beating him to the point where they killed and fed on him.
Aurors arrived on the scene, causing the vampires to flee.
One vampire was destroyed while in flight by the Auror Gawain Greene, who said the vampire had tried to kill another Muggle before escaping.
"I'm just sorry I didn't get them all," Greene said.
The Prophet also had an article about Mr. Weasley's death, which Mrs. Weasley tore out of the paper after she read it, sobbing hysterically once more. When Bill and Charlie were able to get it from her, they tossed it at Ron and told him to burn it, but first he read it with Harry and Hermione over his shoulder.
Ministry Official Dies in Raid
Arthur Weasley, 48, was murdered during a raid at the home of Belial Gibbon in Sheffield when he caught the unsuspecting homeowner unawares.
Gibbon is suspected by the Ministry of Magic to be a Death Eater. Last night's events seemed to have confirmed this.
Mr. Weasley, the Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office was conducting the raid of Gibbon's home around 11:30 last night in conjunction with the Magical Law Enforcement Squad when they suddenly ran into Gibbon.
Gibbon immediately shot the Killing Curse at the raiding party, instantly killing Mr. Weasley.
The Magical Law Enforcement Squad then captured Gibbon, who is waiting in Azkaban for trial.
Mr. Weasley leaves behind his wife and six children; a seventh was killed last summer near Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry while trying to catch last year's Hogwarts' Killer.
The ceremony for Mr. Weasley was to be a few days later. It would be held at the Burrow, instead of the Ministry of Magic, because the Weasleys believed that was where Mr. Weasley would have wanted his ceremony.
After a miserable Boxing Day in which arrangements had been made, Harry woke up around 1:00 in the morning to get a glass of water. He snuck down the steps and was just about to make his way into the kitchen when he heard voices coming from it.
"I don't know what we're going to do," Mrs. Weasley was saying. "How am I supposed to feed all of those people when we barely have the money to feed ourselves?"
"I'm emptying my savings for you, Mum," he heard Bill say. "All of it. Then I'll give you a percentage of my pay."
"Me too," said Charlie's voice.
"I don't want you boys doing that. You'll need that money when you have families of your own," Mrs. Weasley said. "We went nearly bankrupt on Percy's ceremony. I thought we'd be able to earn it all back before we had to go through this again. As it is, I don't know what I'm going to do. Your father's was the only income we had and the money that the Ministry gives to widows and widowers isn't really all that much. I suppose I'll have to get a job."
"Come off it, Mum. Let us help you," Charlie said.
"No!" Mrs. Weasley said sharply. "I will not have you ruining your savings."
"I'm sure Fred and George will help, too," Bill said. "Their joke shop's doing fantastic. If the four of us pool our savings together-"
"Not another word of it, Bill. Not one more. I won't have it," Mrs. Weasley snapped. "Your father wouldn't want this. He never wanted you to be…in the same state as us."
"But then how are you going to pay for food and for Ginny's Hogwarts supplies next year? Mum, be reasonable. You need the help," Bill said.
Harry heard her sigh. "I could sell this place. Ginny and I can live in a flat. Ron, of course, will move out as soon as he can."
Harry had heard enough. Quietly, he made his way back up to Ron's room and snuck over to where Hedwig-who arrived sometime in the afternoon on Christmas-stood, wide awake. With a wave of his hand, he had an ink bottle, quill, and slip of parchment soar to him from Ron's desk. Then he jotted down a note and turned to Hedwig.
"I need you to go Diagon Alley," Harry whispered. "Deliver this to a goblin at Gringotts. The Weasleys need help."
Hedwig immediately took flight and soared out the window. Harry watched her for a moment, then went back to bed, hoping Hedwig would return quickly.
*****
Much to Harry's surprise and delight, Hedwig returned by the next evening, a large bag weighing her down. The moment Harry saw her, he jumped up and untied the bag from her leg, allowing her to land and get some rest.
"What's that?" Ron asked.
"Something for your Mum," Harry replied, rushing past him to go see Mrs. Weasley, who was busy in the kitchen preparing dinner. Ron jumped up and followed him.
"Oh, hello, boys," Mrs. Weasley said. "Would you mind helping to set the table?"
"Sure," Ron said, taking out his wand and pointing it at the already opened cupboard. "Accio plates!" Ten plates shot out at him. He caught three of them, but the rest fell to the floor and broke.
"Oh, Ron," Mrs. Weasley said with a heavy, exhausted sigh.
"Sorry, Mum. Reparo!" he said, fixing the plates.
"Erm-Mrs. Weasley?" Harry said, edging closer to her lest Ron thought it was a good idea to Summon knives.
"Yes, Harry?" Mrs. Weasley muttered distractedly as she peeled potatoes.
"Er-Happy late Christmas," he said, holding the bag out to her.
She stopped peeling potatoes and stared down at the bag he was holding. "What's in there, Harry?"
"Just open it," he said, thrusting the bag at her.
Hermione and Ginny walked into the kitchen. "Can we help you with anything, Mrs. Weasley?" Hermione asked.
"Yes. Help Ron set up, please," Mrs. Weasley said, staring down at the bag. "Harry-"
"Just open it, please," Harry said.
She complied and the moment she saw what was inside, she shrieked, "SWEET MERLIN!" The next thing Harry knew, all of the Weasleys had crowded into the kitchen to see what was going on.
"What's all the fuss, Mum?" Fred asked.
Mrs. Weasley stared, wordlessly, at Harry. Finally, she pushed the bag back into Harry's hands. "No, Harry, no. I could never-"
"Yes, you can," Harry said, forcing the bag back into her hands. "You will. It's my gift to you and your family for taking me in and treating me like one of your own. You need this more than I do, so take it and don't you dare try to give it back to me."
Mrs. Weasley was crying. She dropped the bag and gave Harry the biggest bear hug he had ever received, and he had been hugged by Hagrid. He felt as though he couldn't breathe.
George walked over and picked up the bag before peering inside. "Blimey!" he cried. "There must be at least two-hundred Galleons in here!"
"Two-hundred and fifty, if the goblins got it right," Harry wheezed.
"Mum, let him go, he's turning blue," Charlie said, causing Mrs. Weasley to release Harry.
"I…I don't know how we can ever repay you, Harry," Mrs. Weasley said, tears still streaming down her face. "This is the most generous-"
"Think nothing of it," Harry said. "It's the least I could do."
For the first time he noticed that Mrs. Weasley wasn't the only one crying. In fact, there wasn't a dry eye in the kitchen, although all of the boys were trying valiantly to keep their faces averted. Ginny was crying into her hands, while Fleur was crying into Bill's shoulder. Hermione, meanwhile, was gazing right at him, tears flowing freely. He could tell what she was thinking and gave her a small smile in return.
Mrs. Weasley seemed to be trying to recover. "Well, come on, you lot, let's get the table ready. Dinner will be done in twenty minutes and then we've got a lot of work to do."
*****
Harry didn't feel very eager to get up the morning of Mr. Weasley's ceremony. He had been helping the Weasleys clean up around the house, going out into the deep snow and chucking gnomes over the fence with Fred and George even.
Ron had spent the past two days avoiding Harry's gaze at all costs. Harry suspected it was because Ron was embarrassed that Harry had given his family money, even in their biggest time of need. His pride wouldn't let him accept help.
Therefore, it surprised him when he heard Ron say, "We need to get up."
Harry sighed. "Alright."
Charlie had already left the room. Harry and Ron silently got dressed before heading down to the kitchen. Mrs. Weasley was bustling about the kitchen with large pots and pans everywhere. Both the stove and the oven were going and Mrs. Weasley stood at the only free space on the counter, chopping up celery.
"Toast is on the table," she said when she spotted them.
Harry and Ron looked around the covered table and spotted a stack of toast with jam sitting near it. They quickly took a couple of slices and got out of there before they were assigned more work to do.
Hermione and Ginny were in the living room. Ginny was on the floor doing her homework, while Hermione was knitting something that didn't look remotely like something she normally knitted.
"What are you making?" Harry asked as he and Ron sat down near her, munching on toast.
"I'm helping Mrs. Weasley knit a poncho. She's been so busy and she wanted to have it done by January, so I decided to do what I could for her," Hermione said.
"I never understood why people love to knit," Ron said, shoving the rest of his toast in his mouth. "It 'ooks 'oring."
Hermione gave him a look of disgust. "It's a hobby, Ron. Like Quidditch."
"Quidditch isn't a hobby-it's a way of life," Ron said.
"And a very important one at that, I'm sure," Hermione said scathingly.
"Don't knock your boyfriend's sport," Ron said.
"He's not completely obsessed with it, unlike some," Hermione muttered.
"I'm not completely obsessed with it," Ron said defensively.
"Sure you aren't," said Ginny from her place on the floor.
"Sod off! Nobody was asking you!"
"RONALD!"
Ron sunk lower in his seat as Mrs. Weasley came into the room, her face red. "How dare you speak to your sister that way, on the day of your father's ceremony, no less! Apologize to her, now!"
Ron mumbled something unintelligible under his breath.
"NOW!"
"Sorry," he said to Ginny.
"Good. Now I had better not hear you speak to anyone that way again, Ronald Weasley, or I'll take your broom and sell it back to Quality Quidditch Supplies!" Mrs. Weasley said.
Ron paled and, after Mrs. Weasley had returned to the kitchen, said, "I'm glad you gave me your Firebolt, Harry."
*****
The ceremony started later that day. Bill and Charlie had erected a large tent to accommodate the event, melting away the snow and using Warming Spells to make the temperature inside the tent comfortable. Fred and George, meanwhile, conjured up tables and lined them with tablecloths for all the food while Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny set all of the food Mrs. Weasley had made on it.
Witches and wizards that Harry had never met came to pay their respects. Even the Minister of Magic, Amelia Bones, came. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, all wearing their black dress robes, shook her hand as she came over to them, offering her condolences to both Ron and Ginny.
"Your father was a good man," she said to them. "He'll be sorely missed at the Ministry."
"Thank you, Minister," Ron said.
Perkins, the man that worked with Mr. Weasley, was blowing into his handkerchief when Mrs. Weasley brought him over to speak to Ron and Ginny. "I'm g-going to m-miss working with h-him!" Perkins sobbed. "He was a r-really smart man who l-loved his j-job."
Harry saw Amos Diggory and his wife arrive. He shook hands with Bill and Charlie before heading over to Mrs. Weasley to speak to her.
Beside Harry, Ron sighed.
"Look," Hermione whispered, "it's the Order."
They turned to see Albus Dumbledore at the head of a group of witches and wizards. Harry knew the vast majority of them. He could see Professor McGonagall's pointed hat and Moody's grizzled gray hair. He saw Kingsley Shacklebolt, Dedalus Diggle, Emmeline Vance, Hestia Jones, and Elphias Doge. Mundungus Fletcher was there, along with Harry's former neighbor, Mrs. Figg. Lupin was there as well, walking along with Tonks, whose hair was a dark green today. Easiest to spot among them was Hagrid, who was at the rear of the group, wearing his horrible fur-covered jacket and polka-dotted tie.
To Harry's great displeasure, Snape was also among them. While all the others had sadness written all over their faces, Snape looked indifferent. Dumbledore probably had to force him to come, Harry thought.
There were a few that Harry didn't know. Harry figured that they were either new recruits or just people that Harry had yet to meet. Either way, it didn't matter much to Harry as he and the others moved to get closer to the Order.
"My dear Molly," Dumbledore said, bowing to her. "I am most sorry that we are meeting again under these grave circumstances."
"I'm happy you came, Professor," she said.
"Of course, of course," Dumbledore said. "None of us would miss this, our one last chance to say good-bye to a dear friend."
He moved on then, allowing the others to speak to Mrs. Weasley.
"If you ever need anything, anything at all, Molly, Floo me straight away," Hestia Jones told her when she had a chance to speak to Mrs. Weasley.
When it was Snape's turn to pay his respects, he only gave Mrs. Weasley a curt nod and moved on.
"Blech!" muttered George at Harry's ear. "I hate having Snape here."
"Greasy git," Fred muttered.
"He should have stayed at Hogwarts and tinkered with his chemistry set," George said.
They moved along, muttering darkly about Snape as they went.
"Why is he here, anyway?" Ron asked.
Hagrid sidled over to them. "Hullo," he said. "I'm really sorry about yer dad."
"Thanks, Hagrid," Ron said.
"Yes, thank you," Ginny said.
"I except yeh've bin hearin' that all day, haven't yeh?" They nodded. "Still though, nice ter know that people care. I remember when me dad died. Yeh're sad fer a long time and then yeh move on. It's all yeh can do, really," he said.
"How long did it take for you to move on, Hagrid?" Ginny asked.
"Awhile, ter be honest. Me dad was the only one I had, yeh see. It's hard, losin' the only one in the world who loved yeh. Lucky fer yeh and Ron, yeh've still got yer mum and brothers. An' o' course, yer friends," he said, giving Harry and Hermione a significant look.
"We'll always be here," Hermione murmured.
Hagrid gave her a smile. "Well, I had best move along. I 'spect other people will be wantin' ter talk ter yeh."
"'Bye," they all said as Hagrid walked away.
Ron sighed again and rubbed his temples. "This day seems even longer than the day we had Percy's ceremony and it's only just begun, really."
"Why are you complaining?" Ginny snapped. "This is for our father."
"I know that," Ron said. "I'm not dumb!"
"Then quit acting like it!" Ginny said.
"Ron, Ginny, stop! I doubt very much that your father would have wanted his children to argue on a day like today," Hermione said. "Besides, look who just arrived."
Harry, Ron, and Ginny turned to see Luna Lovegood walking toward the tent, accompanied by a man who obviously was her father; his hair was the same dirty blond and his eyes looked just as protuberant.
Ron rushed over to greet them, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny right behind him. "I thought you were in Sweden," he said.
"We heard about what happened to your dad and decided to come home," Luna said. "I heard he was eaten by death."
"He was killed by a Death Eater," Ron said. Harry was surprised to see that he didn't look the least bit irritated by having to correct her.
"Oh, that's what the Swedes meant," she said. "How awful. I'm very sorry, Ronald-to you as well, Ginny. I know what it's like to lose a parent." She turned to the man standing behind her. "This is my dad."
Mr. Lovegood stepped forward and shook both Ron and Ginny's hands. "Very sorry about your loss."
"Thank you, Mr. Lovegood," Ron said.
"These are Ronald's friends and mine as well, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter," Luna introduced.
"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Lovegood," Hermione said, shaking his hand.
"Sir," Harry said, also shaking his hand.
Mr. Lovegood stared at Harry for a moment. "You know what it's like to lose your parents as well," he said.
"Yeah, but I was a lot younger," Harry said. "I can barely remember it."
"Daddy," Luna said, "Mrs. Weasley is over there. You should go say hello."
"I will," he said. "Excuse me."
Behind Luna, Harry saw the approach of two other familiar people. Neville Longbottom was rushing forth, followed by his severe-looking grandmother. "Ginny!" he cried, enveloping her in a large hug when he reached her. "Gran read about your dad in the Prophet. We had to come."
Mrs. Longbottom stepped forward, looking at all of them with steely eyes. Finally, she held out her hand to Ginny. "Augusta Longbottom. You must be Ginny Weasley, the girl who has stolen my Neville's heart. I am very sorry for your loss. Losing a family member is…very difficult," she said.
"Thank you, ma'am," Ginny said.
"I will leave you alone. I have just spotted Minerva McGonagall and must chat with her," Neville's grandmother said, walking away.
"I wanted to come alone," Neville said, "but she insisted on coming. Want to go for a walk?" he asked Ginny.
She nodded. "That would be nice." They left then, leaving Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Luna alone.
"Today's supposed to be all about Dad, eh?" Ron said scathingly. "The moment her boyfriend shows up, she hightails it out of here!"
"I doubt very much that she and Neville are going off to snog," Hermione said.
"Don't defend her," Ron snapped. "She's a hypocrite."
Hermione sighed but, to her credit, said nothing. Instead she scanned the crowd. Harry did so, too. Neville's grandmother was busy talking to Professor McGonagall, Lupin and Tonks were over talking to two Ministry witches, Professor Dumbledore was in deep conversation with Amelia Bones, and Dedalus Diggle was shaking hands with Mr. Lovegood. Meanwhile, Mundungus Fletcher was trying to give Mrs. Weasley a silver bowl, who was refusing.
"Mundungus, please, I won't accept this. My family and I are fine, really. I don't need it," Mrs. Weasley said.
"I bet Mum suspects it was stolen," Bill said, appearing at Ron's side. Fleur was next to him.
"Seeing that it's Dung, it probably was," Ron said.
"I'm really proud of Mum, though," Bill said. "She hasn't cried once."
"Your muzzer eez a brave woman," Fleur said, sniffling. "I would be 'ee-sterical."
Bill gave her a small smile and kissed the top of her silvery-blonde head. "You're a brave woman too, Miss Beauxbatons Champion."
"Zee Triwizard Tournament seems so long ago. But yes, you are right. I am a brave woman, too," Fleur said, causing Hermione to roll her eyes.
"This is Luna Lovegood, Bill," Ron said, steering the conversation away from Fleur. "She and her dad are here to pay their respects."
"Oh, right," Bill said, shaking Luna's hand. "You're dad's the editor of The Quibbler, right?"
"Yes, he is," Luna said brightly.
"I 'ave read zis Quibbler. It is full of zee strangest stories," Fleur said. "I would much razzer read zee Prophet."
"The Prophet is biased," Luna said flatly.
"Yet more credible," Fleur said, causing Luna's eyes to narrow.
"Er-we've got to move, don't we sweetheart?" Bill said, sensing an argument. "We have a lot more people to talk to."
"Oui. C'est vrai," Fleur said and walked away with Bill, not saying another word to them.
Luna watched Fleur go. "She's very full of herself," she said.
Hermione nodded in agreement. "Yes, she is."
"Your brother-William-really likes her though, doesn't he, Ronald?" Luna said.
"Er-yeah. Maybe it's the part of her that's veela that attracts him so much," he suggested.
"I believe you're right," Luna said. "It's good that you aren't."
"Yeah-er-well…" Ron muttered, scratching the back of his head. "I really appreciate you cutting your trip short to be here," he said instead.
"It was a simple choice," Luna said. "As I said, I know what it's like to lose a parent."
"Yeah, I know," Ron said quietly.
"Nothing can be said or done to make a person feel better," she went on. "But your dad is still here, you know."
"What, in spirit?" Ron said, suddenly giving her a sharp look. "I can't talk to him that way."
"Sure you can," Luna said. "I talk to my mum all the time."
The look he gave her now was nonplussed. "Is she a ghost?"
"No," Luna said. "She lives inside me. Whenever I question which path I should take, I consult my mum."
"How?"
"I think about which path my mum would want me to take and then choose the one she would have said was right for me," Luna told him.
"But how do you know?" Ron asked.
"I just do. So will you, one day," Luna said.
"So you never really hear your mum's voice," Ron said.
"No, but I know where it's at," Luna said.
He stared at her incredulously. "Where?"
"Behind the veil," she said simply.
Harry knew immediately what she was talking about, the veiled archway in one of the rooms in the Department of Mysteries. One and a half years ago, when Harry and his friends had gone to the Department of Mysteries to save Sirius, he had heard the voices behind the veil and had desired to see what was behind it. He had desired it even more so after Sirius had been blasted through the veil by Bellatrix Lestrange, which effectively killed him. He shuddered at the memory.
"Daddy says that the Unspeakables exhume the bodies of wizards after they've been buried and take them to the veil, where they send them through," Luna said. "That archway is the gateway to the afterlife."
Both Harry and Ron stared at her. Hermione, however, looked thoroughly unconvinced and said, somewhat tentatively, "But digging up a body goes against most of the sacred traditions of this world, both wizarding and Muggle alike."
"They do it," Luna said, shrugging her shoulders. "When I die, I don't care what's done to my body as long as my spirit is with the people I love."
Harry looked down at his feet. Seeing as he was probably going to die sooner than the rest of them, he wondered whether or not he would care if the Unspeakables took his body to the Department of Mysteries.
Why should it? You're dead, said a wicked little voice in the back of his head. You won't have any more use for it, so why worry?
Harry suddenly wondered exactly what happened when a person died. Some, of course, became ghosts, but what happened to those who had a happier existence? Then again, if he died by Voldemort's hand, he wouldn't be happy. Would he come back as a ghost?
Well, then I can always be with Hermione, he thought, then shuddered. No, he didn't want to haunt her. If he died, as painful as it was for him to think about it, he'd rather have her move on and live her life instead of moping around, even with his ghostly company. It wouldn't be right for her.
Then again, why was he even thinking like that in the first place? It wasn't guaranteed that Voldemort was going to kill him. That's why he was training, after all-to prevent that very outcome. No, he was a lot stronger than he was giving himself credit and he knew it. Everyone who had ever seen him duel agreed: he was good at it. He could think on his feet and with every training session he was becoming more and more confident that he could do some serious damage to Voldemort when the time came.
"What's she doing here?" Hermione suddenly hissed at his side, bringing him out of his reverie.
Harry turned to see who Hermione was staring daggers at and immediately saw a squat woman with mousy brown hair and a toad-like face. He felt his blood begin to boil. "Umbridge," he growled.
Dolores Umbridge, one of the people on Harry's Five Most Hated list, walked into the tent wearing robes of black velvet. She completely ignored everyone and bee-lined straight for Amelia Bones, who was now talking to a wizard with extremely bushy eyebrows.
"Minister!" they heard her say in her high-pitched, girly voice. "What a pleasant surprise!" Her tone, however, made it clear that it was clearly not a surprise to her at all. "Are you here to give your condolences to the Weasley family as well?"
"Yes. Arthur Weasley was a valued member of the Ministry, after all. It's good to see you here as well, Dolores," Madam Bones said.
"Oh, of course, of course. I had to come. After all, I had four of the Weasley children in my class while I taught at Hogwarts," Umbridge said.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione bristled.
"Then you should go say hello to them," Madam Bones said, looking around. "Ah, I see Arthur's youngest son-Ronald, I believe-is over there with his friends."
The four of them immediately turned around. "Please don't let her come over…please don't let her come over…please, please, please don't let her come over," Hermione whispered quickly.
"Hem, hem," said someone directly behind them, causing all four of them to jump. Slowly, they turned around to face Umbridge.
"Hello, Weasley, Granger, Lovegood…Potter," she said, her lip curling in disgust as she said his name. None of them said anything. "What? No greeting for your former professor? Where are your manners?"
"Sorry, I didn't know we needed to waste them on the likes of you," Harry said boldly.
"Tut, tut, Mr. Potter, I see you have not changed," Umbridge said in her girly voice.
"Why are you here?" Ron spat. "You couldn't possibly care that my dad's dead."
"Isn't it obvious?" Hermione said. "She's trying to look good in front of Madam Bones. After all, you're no longer a senior undersecretary, are you?"
Umbridge scowled. "Amelia Bones may have wanted someone else to fill the job for her, but I am still a valued member of the Ministry, more so than your father," she said, glaring at Ron.
"Don't you say a word about my dad," Ron said, his face burning red.
"Why not? Don't you want to hear some of my memories of him?" Umbridge asked, trying to pass off a sweet voice. "I remember the inquiry he had to face after you and Mr. Potter flew an enchanted car to Hogwarts. I remember how horribly he dealt with the press at the Quidditch World Cup, helping to make a bigger mess of things. Oh yes, I remember your father very well. He was a failure."
Ron's eye twitched. He looked like he was about to explode any moment.
"That's why it didn't surprise me to hear about his death," Umbridge went on and then gave a little giggle. "After all, who in their right mind would raid a Death Eater's home? It's his own fault he got killed."
Harry and Hermione had to hold Ron back. His face was so red it looked as though it could catch on fire.
"You foul…you evil…" Hermione muttered, her face livid.
"Careful, Miss Granger. I imagine you want to be employed by the Ministry after you leave Hogwarts? The department you want to get into may ask me for a recommendation," Umbridge said with a simper.
"Dolores," said a sharp voice. All of them looked over to see Professor McGonagall walking over to them.
"Minerva," Umbridge greeted. "Just talking to my old students."
"I heard," McGonagall said. "For your information, I already have a recommendation letter written for Miss Granger for whenever she needs it, as do several other members of the staff at Hogwarts, not that she really needs them. Her test scores alone would get her into any department in the Ministry no matter what anyone says."
Hermione went red at his compliment.
"You have more confidence in the girl than I," Umbridge said.
"I have more confidence in the lot of them than you do, Dolores," McGonagall said. "Now, I imagine you have a lot more sucking up to do with the Ministry folks here, so why don't you get on with it and leave the Weasleys to grieve in peace."
Umbridge gave each of them a nasty look before walking away. Professor McGonagall turned to the four of them. "Are you alright, Weasley? Granger? Potter?"
They nodded. "Thank you, Professor," Hermione said.
She gave her a short nod. "You're very welcome. I'll leave you to continue your conversation with Miss Lovegood."
Ron, however, obviously didn't want to chat. The moment McGonagall had left, he stormed out of the tent. Harry glanced at both Hermione and Luna before sighing. "I'll go," he said and took off after Ron.
He followed Ron all the way up to his room. He tried slamming the door, but Harry caught it. "Ron…"
"That bitch!" he said savagely. "That bitch! It's not true! It's not my dad's fault that he died!"
"No, it's not," Harry said quietly. "She was just trying to rile you up. She was trying to rile all of us up."
"I hate her," Ron spat. "I hate that bloody woman. It's not my dad's fault. It's not. A Death Eater killed him, just like a Death Eater killed Percy! Just like how they tried to kill us all and burn Ottery St. Catchpole to the ground the summer before last. You remember, don't you, Harry?" he ranted.
"Yeah," Harry murmured. "I remember."
"It's not my dad's fault that he died! It's…it's…it's…" He took a deep breath and visibly tried to calm himself. When he spoke again, it was in a deadly whisper. "I hope you kill him."
Harry was taken aback. "Who?"
Ron's eyes were like blazing blue fires when he breathed, "Voldemort."