I'm glad to see that you all are pleased with this story so far. It does one's heart good (and in my case, my heart needs a lotta good).
I know I've been replying to every review so far, but that's about to end. The fact is it's tiring and takes a lot of time to give a thoughtful response to everyone, so from here on out I'm only going to reply to signed reviews. My logic is that the unsigned reviews don't get the e-mail alert telling them I've replied, so odds are they won't get read anyway. If you want to tell me something or want questions answered, become a member! ;)
Oh and I know some of you won't care for some parts of this chapter. I understand. Believe me. But at this time they are necessarily evils. Please understand that.
Enjoy!
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Chapter 3: Words of Wisdom
Harry stumbled as he felt his feet hit the ground, but managed to keep himself standing. Brushing himself off, he looked around the backyard of the Burrow that was, at the moment, completely empty.
"I thought they were having the wedding here," he said, looking at McGonagal.
"They are," said Ron, coming up from behind him. "We're wizards, Harry. It's not like it takes us a week to set up a wedding."
"Oh...I guess not," replied Harry.
"I have business to attend to," stated McGonagal. "We are still using the Burrow as headquarters for the Order, so you will probably see many familiar faces coming and going during your stay here."
"Thanks for everything," said Hermione, joining them.
"I may not see you three again for some time," said McGonagal. "If you are planning to return to Hogwarts this year -"
"We are," interrupted Harry.
"And I am glad to hear that," she continued. "Then you will proceed to King's Cross on September the 1st, just as you normally would have."
"Why are we going with the rest of the students?" asked Ron.
"Because it will help to create the illusion that you are just that - students," explained McGonagal.
"And what if we're away trying to find a...horcrux," said Harry, lowering his voice on the last word.
"Then you will do what you have to do to get there," replied McGonagal. "But I would advise trying to be at the station with everyone else. It may help more down the road than you think."
"Surely you don't think that something might happen at the station?" asked Hermione.
"We will have more than enough protection to make sure that anything that might happen could be easily contained, but that doesn't mean that spies won't be there watching," replied McGonagal.
"Spies?" asked Harry.
"Yes," replied McGonagal. "We have good reason to believe that Peter Pettigrew will be there as a rat, along with others."
"Who's your source?" inquired Harry.
"Mundungus Fletcher has some low-level contacts among the death eaters," she answered. "Ones who owe him favors."
"And you trust him?" asked Harry.
"I trust everyone in the Order," replied McGonagal.
"Snape was in the Order," retorted Harry.
"Harry!" exclaimed Hermione.
"He makes a valid point, Miss Granger," said McGonagal. "But Mundungus is not a spy, he is merely an informant. A job much safer and much less prone to risk, if I may say so myself."
"Alright," acquiesced Harry. "Let me know what else he says, will you?"
"I will inform you of any news we hear," said McGonagal. "Now then, I must be off." And without another word she disapparated.
"Wonder why they're spying on the Express in the first place," commented Ron after a moment.
"What do you mean?" asked Harry, turning to look at him.
"Well, they can't know that we might not be there," said Ron. "So they must have a different reason for it."
"They probably want to know who's going back this year," said Hermione, as the three of them began walking towards the Burrow.
"Why?" asked Harry. "What advantage does it give them?"
"Well," said Hermione as they entered the house, which was surprisingly empty. "Think about it. One of Voldemort's most powerful weapons is the way he instills fear in everyone. Imagine how scared people will be if he starts attacking students who stayed home."
"Yeah that'd be something," commented Ron. "First they attacked Hogwarts. So the parents took their kids out of school to protect them. Then they get attacked anyway."
"Exactly," said Hermione. "Everyone would be terrified."
"Like there's no safe place to hide," said Harry as they entered Ron's room. "People wouldn't know what to do."
"Do you think we should tell someone about that?" asked Ron. "Someone in the Order, I mean."
"Might be a good idea," said Harry. "I need to start making good connections with the Order anyway."
"You'll have the opportunity tomorrow night, if you want," said Hermione sitting down on Ron's bed. "There's a meeting."
"Really?" asked Harry with a smile. "Good."
"You seem unusually happy about that," commented Ron, sitting on his dresser. "Any particular reason?"
"I've been doing some thinking," said Harry, looking at them both. "And I'm going to put forth that they let us join."
"They'll never have it," said Ron, before Hermione could open her mouth. "I heard Bill talking about it to Fleur a few days ago because she wants in. You can't have more than two objections or they won't even consider it."
"So?" asked Harry. "Who would vote against it?"
"Well you can be sure that Molly will be one of them," said Hermione. "However now that Snape isn't around...finding more than two objections might be tough."
"I don't see how they could keep us out," shrugged Harry. "McGonagal has already said that I'd be a member unofficially, and you two are both of age. The only objection anyone could have is that they don't want you in danger, but seeing how you're both the main target's best friends -"
"We're already in unspeakable danger as it is," finished Hermione with a sigh.
"Er...yeah," said Harry, his momentum deflated.
"I'm for it," said Ron, jumping off the dresser. "Besides, it'd save the time of you having to relay all the important details to us, mate."
"That's what I was thinking," agreed Harry. "So Hermione? What do you think?"
"Of course I'll join," she said, though Harry noted that her enthusiasm didn't quite meet her eyes.
"Great," he answered, making a mental note to talk to her in private later. "Hey, by the way, where was everyone when we got here?"
"Out shopping, probably," said Ron, looking out his window. "Ever since Fleur's monologue after Bill got attacked, Mum's been trying to treat her like gold."
"Finally warmed up to her, eh?" asked Harry with a chuckle.
"Something like that," replied Ron, still gazing out the window. "She's been pampering the girl non-stop. I kinda feel sorry for her."
"I bet Ginny's none-too-pleased about that," commented Hermione. At the mention of Ginny, Harry's heart sank slightly.
"She's around then?" he asked.
"She lives here, mate. Of course she's around," said Ron, his gaze now fixed on a small speck moving about in the distance above the trees behind the Burrow. "Luna's out again."
"Luna?" asked Hermione, getting up and moving to the window. "Where?"
"There," answered Ron, pointing at the tiny dot which was now moving right to left above the tree line. "She's been out flying every day since we got back."
"Isn't that dangerous?" asked Hermione in an incredulous tone. "I mean...she was with us at the Department of Mysteries. I'm sure that she's almost as high up on Voldemort's personal vendetta list as we are."
"Doesn't really care, that one," said Ron offhandedly. "She never has, I suppose."
"She does," commented Harry from behind them. "She just hides it really well."
"How would you know?" asked Ron, turning around. Harry shrugged.
"I just get the feeling that inside she's really affected by the way people treat her," he said. "I don't think she has a real true friend at Hogwarts."
"We should make her feel more at home this year then," said Hermione. "After all, she has been really nice to us in the past."
"This coming from the girl who thinks that the Quibbler is just as bad, if not worse than the Prophet?" asked Ron.
"I certainly don't think that way anymore," retorted Hermione. "I just think that perhaps...well, maybe they should get new sources of information."
"Can't argue with that one," said Harry as a thud sounded on one of the floors below them, followed by the loud tones of Molly Weasley. "Sounds like they're home."
"We should probably let them know we're here," said Ron, walking towards his door. "Mum'll want to throw a fit over you and everything, mate."
"Yeah, that's probably a good idea," agreed Hermione, following him.
"You coming Harry?" asked Ron when he saw him still staring out the window at Luna.
"Is she coming to the wedding?" he asked, not turning away.
"Luna?" asked Ron. Harry nodded. "Dunno. It'd be a shame not to have her come along, she lives so close by and would really spice up the reception."
"We'll ask your Mum," said Harry, turning towards them.
The three of them descended the stairs to the sound of Molly arguing with Fleur.
"- and I don't know how you can possibly say that orange isn't a good color," said Molly rather strongly.
The three of them stopped at the second landing so they could listen without being detected.
"Eet goes 'orrible with my Maid of Honor's 'air," replied Fleur in her airy voice. "She eez a brunette! Orange and brown. Hah! This eez not 'Alloween. Eet eez my wedding."
"I tend to agree with her."
Harry froze.
"Ginny," he whispered.
"Huh?" Ron asked, causing Harry to jump. "You alright mate?"
"Yeah," replied Harry, breathing hard. "Just...kinda forgot you both were there for a second."
"What was it you said about Ginny?" asked Hermione.
"Oh...er...nothing."
"Oh come off it mate," whispered Ron turning back around. "You can't possibly think that she holds that breakup against you."
"I don't know what to think," replied Harry honestly. Shaking his head, Ron stuck his head over the railing to listen in again.
"But pink is so cliche," argued Molly.
"It is not," replied Ginny. "And I will have you know that I look quite good in pink."
"Or so Neville said about a hundred times after the Yule Ball," sniggered Ron, only to silence when he saw the look on Harry's face. "Sorry."
"I agree," they heard Fleur say. There was a momentary silence which Harry assumed was the shock from the two Weasleys at having Fleur agree with Ginny about something. "Eet goes well with your structure. Although I theenk that light blue might be better."
"Now there's a nice color," said Molly.
"Per'aps we should go with zat then," said Fleur. "After all, if eet eezn't good, then we can change eet."
"The benefits of magic," sighed Molly happily. "I don't know how the muggles live without it."
"I think we've eavesdropped enough," said Hermione softly. "C'mon then."
Although Ron protested slightly, the three of them made their way down the stairs to the ground floor and announced their presence.
"Hi Mum," said Ron halfheartedly.
"Hello Harry!" exclaimed Molly completely ignoring her son and rushing over to crush Harry in a hug. "How were your relatives? Not too dreadful I hope?"
"Surprisingly nice," gasped Harry when she let go.
"Well that's good to hear," she said. "Welcome back you two."
"Thanks Mrs. Weasley," replied Hermione.
"Ah! 'Ermione!" exclaimed Fleur walking over to her and giving her a hug. "I was 'oping I could ask you a favor."
Harry and Ron had to suppress laughter at the look of incredulity on Hermione's face at this behavior.
"Erm...what is it?" she asked tentatively.
"Ze father of one of my bridesmaids passed away two days ago," said Fleur solemnly. "She and her family are taking eet very hard, so I told 'er in no uncertain terms to stay at 'ome with them, where she eez needed ze most."
"I'm very sorry to hear that," replied Hermione with what Harry thought was astounding sincerity.
"Thank you," said Fleur. "Anyway, I know zat you are a very good friend of ze entire Weasley family, and a very good friend of 'Arry to whom I still owe so much for saving my sister. I was 'oping zat per'aps you would like to fill the place as a bridesmaid."
"M-me?" squeaked Hermione. "But...I have no clue what to do -"
"It's easy," said Ginny, the first words she had spoken since Harry, Ron, and Hermione had come down. "You just walk up the aisle with some flowers, look pretty for the boys, and stand next to the bride while she's getting married."
"...that's it?" asked Hermione skeptically.
"Zat eez eet," replied Fleur.
"Well...I suppose it couldn't hurt -"
"Oh thank you!" exclaimed Fleur, wrapping her in another hug and kissing the air next to her cheeks. "Come, we must get you fitted. Ze dresses have already been ordered, after all."
"Um...okay," said Hermione, looking back at Harry and Ron pleadingly as Fleur grabbed her by the hand and led her from the room.
"I'm going to go help," said Molly. "Merlin knows I don't want to leave those two alone for a prolonged amount of time. There are some cookies in the kitchen if you want any, I baked them last night." And without another word she too left the room.
"Well...erm," stuttered Ron, looking back and forth between Harry and Ginny who were pointedly not looking at each other. "I think I'm going to go have a couple of those cookies."
This caused both Harry and Ginny to turn and stare at him.
"Er...be back in a few," he said, and promptly walked as fast as he could from the room. Harry made a mental note to himself to give Ron a very sarcastic 'thank you' as soon as they were alone.
"Er..." started Harry, but Ginny cut him off.
"Come on," she said, motioning to the empty space on the couch next to her. "Might as well get this over with."
Harry reluctantly nodded and sat down next to her, feeling very uncomfortable.
"Look," she said. "I know that nothing I can say will change your mind about us...and I accept that."
"You do?" asked Harry, his heart lifting slightly.
"I do," nodded Ginny. "Doesn't mean that I like it...but I accept it."
"I suppose that's a start," said Harry with a half-hearted smile.
"I'm going back to Hogwarts this year," continued Ginny. "Mum didn't want to let me, of course, but I basically put my foot down on this one."
"I imagine you can be just as scary as she can if you want to be," joked Harry.
"Weasley women," said Ginny with a wink. "Beware." They both shared a laugh at that. "But all joking aside, I think you should also come back."
"I am," replied Harry. "So are Ron and Hermione."
"I'm glad to hear that," said Ginny. "So I hope you'll let the people who want to help you, help you."
"Like you?" asked Harry.
"And Luna. And Neville," replied Ginny. "And anyone else who wants to help."
"Ginny, I've already put you guys in enough danger -"
"I'm not talking about outside of the castle," she interrupted. "To be brutally honest...I don't know if I could go through another Department of Mysteries."
"I'm glad to hear that," said Harry, relaxing.
"Why?"
"Because it means that despite all the horrors you've seen, you're still human," he replied.
"And what about you?" asked Ginny, looking into his eyes. "What about the horrors you've seen?"
"It scares the hell out of me," replied Harry truthfully. "You want to hear it from my point of view?" Ginny nodded. "What I'm about to tell you doesn't leave this room, understood?"
"Of course...but even from the Order?"
"Even from the Order," answered Harry. "Only one person in it knows about this anyway."
"Go ahead," said Ginny.
"I am the one who has to kill him," he said, lowering his voice to a whisper. "The prophecy that broke in the Department of Mysteries said it."
"The prophecy broke -"
"The prophecy was told to Dumbledore, and he told me the night we got back," continued Harry. "Now, granted it is possible that someone else could kill Voldemort, but I will have to face him before the end. And one of us will die."
"Oh my god," she whispered.
"So you see I'm in a bit of a predicament," said Harry, gesturing with his hands. "Voldemort has decades of knowledge and experience on me. Even if I can make him vulnerable, I still have to deal him a mortal blow."
"How can you make him vulnerable?" asked Ginny.
"That story is too long and too secretive to explain right now," he said. "Some other time...maybe when we're back at Hogwarts."
"Alright," nodded Ginny.
"The point is that I'm scared out of my mind," said Harry. "But it's what I've got to do."
"Why?" asked Ginny.
"Because those who have the courage must defend those who haven't the strength or ability to defend themselves," replied Harry with a weak smile.
"You sounded just like Dumbledore then," said Ginny. Harry gave a weak chuckle at that.
"I suppose he rubbed off on me a bit."
"That's not a bad thing," sighed Ginny. "But getting back to what I was saying earlier, you have to let people help you. I don't know if I'd have the heart to stare down You-Know-Who like you do, but I still want to help you as much as I can while we're safe."
"Then I'll let you," replied Harry with a slight smile.
"Good," said Ginny, standing up. She was about to walk away but Harry caught her hand.
"Ginny," he said softly, standing up next to her. "Thank you."
"Don't mention it," she sighed. "And to be honest...I don't know if we would've lasted anyway, me being a little too scared to stand up with you and all."
Harry smiled and gave her a light kiss on the forehead before turning away to go find Ron. Had he been paying attention, he might've seen the slight conspirational smirk Ginny was wearing before she headed up the stairs to her room.
Harry found Ron in the kitchen, staring off into the distance, without a cookie in sight.
"Not hungry?" asked Harry as he sat down next to Ron. "Or did you eat them all?"
"Ate 'em all," replied Ron, not looking at him. "They were bloody great."
"You're a right foul git, you know that?" asked Harry.
"For leaving you alone with my sister?" countered Ron, turning to face him. "Eh, I suppose it was a bit of an arse thing to do."
"You suppose right," replied Harry. "Even though everything worked out."
"I figured it would," said Ron. "Ginny was talking non-stop about having that conversation with you for about a week before Hermione and I came over."
"Really?" asked Harry curiously.
"Yeah," replied Ron, looking back out the window again. "Why?"
"She basically said that she agreed with me for breaking up with her," said Harry. "Why would she look forward to something like that?"
"Dunno," replied Ron. "Women's minds work in strange ways, after all."
"I s'pose you're right," said Harry. "Hey how's Bill doing anyway?"
"He was a right sight for a few days after we got back," said Ron. "Still's got scars all over his face...but they make him look kinda wicked...or more wicked than he already was, at the least."
"So who's going to be the groomsmen?" asked Harry.
"Charlie's going to be his best man," replied Ron. "Me, Fred, and George are also going to be up there."
"That oughta be good," said Harry.
"He wants you to be up there too," said Ron as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Me?" asked Harry, scrunching up his eyebrows. "Why?"
"Reckons you saved his life, by coming back when you did," replied Ron.
"That's a load of bollocks," said Harry. "The only reason they left when they did was because of Dumbledore -"
"I know, but he sees it the way he wants to see it," interrupted Ron. "And you've always been a good friend. He wants you up there with the rest of the family."
"Well there's no way I'll say no," said Harry. "It's just all rather...sudden, if you know what I mean."
"Yeah, I know," replied Ron. "But I reckon everything will work it. It usually does."
"I suppose," said Harry, just as Hermione walked into the room, looking rather flushed. "You alright?" he asked her as she sat down next to him.
"I'll be fine," she replied. "It's just...they showed me pictures of the dresses..."
"And?" asked Ron when she trailed off.
"Well I'm sort of a self-conscious person," explained Hermione. "I just...I dunno, I'm a bit nervous, I guess."
"You have nothing to worry about," comforted Harry, putting an arm around her shoulders. "After all, I'm sure you'll look even better than you did at the Yule Ball all those years ago."
"I looked terrible back then," said Hermione, shaking her head.
"Then you were the only one who thought so," retorted Ron. "Even Krum couldn't keep his hands off you."
"And what is that supposed to mean?" asked Hermione.
"Nothing," said Ron, looking away. "I'm going to go for a walk." And without another word he stood up and walked out the back door.
"Did I miss something?" asked Harry, looking between the door and Hermione.
"I doubt it," she sighed. "He's still jealous about that, I suppose."
"You can't really blame him, can you?" asked Harry. Hermione raised an eyebrow at him in response. "Well, I think for him the Yule Ball was the first time he ever noticed you as more than a...well, just a bookish friend."
"Hah," laughed Hermione. "And what about you?"
"What about me?" asked Harry.
"Have you ever noticed that I'm a girl?"
"Of course," laughed Harry. "No male would ever say that expulsion was worse than death."
"You two are never going to let me live that down, are you?" said Hermione rolling her eyes.
"Probably not," answered Harry with a grin.
"But seriously, have you ever thought..."
"Have I ever thought what?" asked Harry.
"Have you ever thought I was...you know...attractive?" Harry stared at her thoughtfully for a moment.
"What's bringing this on?" he asked.
"Just my self-consciousness, I suppose," answered Hermione. Harry thought for a second before standing up and placing a hand on her shoulder.
"You've always been attractive," he said. "Both inside and out."
And even though his back was to Hermione as he walked out of the room, he thought he probably could have sensed her smile from a hundred meters away.
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This marks the end of the setup chapters. From here on out, the action begins.
Next week (or two) you can look forward to the Order meeting and the wedding, along with the departure for Godric's
Hollow. Also, you can expect the return of lots of familiar faces, including not one, but two werewolves. ;)