Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling, not me.
It's for the Best
Chapter 4 - The Aftermath
"Harry!!!!" shouted Ginny as she tackled him to the ground in a strong embrace.
He and Dumbledore had just arrived after the attack on Privet Drive. While they were on the ground with Ginny on top of Harry, she began kissing him, and he responded passionately.
"GINEVRA MOLLY WEASLEY! You get off Harry this instant! Just because I approve of you dating him doesn't mean you can start acting like a scarlet woman!"
Albus' eyes twinkled merrily as Molly berated her daughter. Ginny reluctantly got up and then helped Harry to his feet. Molly instantly hugged Harry tightly.
"We heard about the attack on your home, but didn't know if you and your family were alright."
Harry took a deep breath. "Well, my cousin Dudley wasn't there. Aunt Petunia is shaken up, but fine." He paused for a moment. "Uncle Vernon is dead."
"Oh, you poor boy!" Molly said, squeezing him even tighter than before as her daughter joined in the hug.
"He was a git anyway, wasn't he Harry?"
Molly turned her head to glare at her youngest son. "Ronald Weasley, we do not speak ill of the dead!"
"That's Snape's job," muttered Harry. "He's always going on about my father." Ginny slightly smiled at that statement while Ron snorted.
"Be that as it may," continued Molly, "Vernon Dursley was Harry's uncle and I'm sure that he is saddened by his loss." Harry nodded with a frown.
"I'm afraid the Death Eaters have found a way to penetrate the wards at Privet Drive, so there is no longer any reason for him to return," said Dumbledore. "What Harry didn't tell you about the battle is how valiantly he fought. He had taken down three of the four attackers before help arrived."
"Great going, Harry!" said both Ron and Ginny while Molly's eyes went wide.
"He's just a boy! Why wasn't he guarded?"
Dumbledore hung his head sadly. "It was Mundungus' turn to guard Harry. I'm afraid that he…"
"DUNG!!!" shouted Ginny. "You let that worthless piece of dung watch Harry after last year with the Dementors!?! What were you thinking?"
"Ginny, show respect to the headmaster!" Molly then turned to Albus. "While I don't agree with the way Ginny expressed it, I do agree with her sentiment. Why did you allow Mundungus guard duty again?"
"He came to me and apologized, promising to do better." He sighed. "It's just my habit of looking for the good in people."
"Still, you shouldn't take those kinds of chances where Harry's life is at stake."
"I suppose you're right, Molly. Is Arthur around?"
"Not yet," she said. "I hate that my clock started pointing at `Mortal Peril' for everybody when You-Know-Who came out in the open. It's useless now."
"I could change it to `Immediate Danger' instead," suggested the headmaster. "It should work normally after that."
Molly smiled. "Thank you, Albus. I'd appreciate that." She then got him the clock and he performed a spell on it. The hand for Molly, Ron, and Ginny went to `Home.' Arthur, Bill, Charlie, Fred, and George's hands went to `Work.'
"I must go and see Arthur at the Ministry. There will be an Order meeting at Headquarters in two hours, Molly. If you wouldn't mind, could you contact Minerva and have her let everyone know?"
"Of course, Albus."
"Harry will need to go as well, as a witness to the attack. I bid you all a good day."
As soon as Dumbledore left, Ron said, "Tell us what happened, Harry! Who did you capture?"
He miserably answered, "I didn't capture anyone. I killed Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. They all had Dark Marks. Bellatrix was apparently training them. Kingsley captured her just as she was casting the killing curse on my aunt."
"Wow! With the Seeker and both Beaters gone, the Slytherin team will be pushovers…"
"Is Quidditch all you can think about?" yelled Molly as she glared at Ron.
"Harry's just been through a traumatic experience and needs comfort," said Ginny as she put her arms around him again and looked like she was going to kiss him.
"What he needs is good meal," said Molly. "I guess you'll be staying here now."
"Er, if you don't mind…"
"Of course I don't mind, Harry-dear. You're always welcome here. As long as you and Ginny behave yourselves there'll be no problems. Why don't you put your things in Percy's old room while I contact Professor McGonagall?"
-
While Harry was moving his stuff into Percy's old room, Albus had just reached Arthur's new office. He was alone. Dumbledore knocked on the door.
"Hello Albus," said Mr. Weasley as he opened his office door. "Come in."
The aged professor walked inside with a twinkle in his eyes and closed the door. Once they were alone, he pulled his wand out. "Imperio." Arthur's expression went blank under the influence of the curse. Dumbledore was thankful that the ministry restricted its spell monitoring solely toward underage muggleborns. He hoped they'd never decide to monitor for unforgivable curses instead.
"Harry will now be staying with you, so you'll have more responsibilities."
"Yes."
"He's a very powerful wizard, so you'll have to slip a vial of this potion into a drink every day to keep him under its spell. Just to be sure, give one to Ginny every other day as well. It should keep them too distracted to think about…other things." He handed Arthur a case full of vials.
"Yes."
"You will allow Harry and Ginny to go out for romantic rides on his motorcycle. I can track them, so there's no worry about them disappearing. Those trips will help them get closer. If anybody sees you putting the potion in their drinks, you will claim that it was a harmless prank of Fred and George's invention and would turn the victim into a canary."
"Yes."
"You will not remember any of this."
"Yes."
He removed the curse. "Arthur, are you listening to me, or thinking about dinner tonight?"
Mr. Weasley blinked. "What? I'm afraid my mind was wondering."
"I said there will be an Order meeting at headquarters in an hour and a half."
-
Harry arrived by floo at the house that used to belong to Sirius. A frown formed on his face as he followed Molly into the dining room.
"What's he doing here?" sneered Snape, who was seated at the table. Harry tensed up immediately.
"Come now, Severus. Don't be rude. I invited Harry because he's a witness to the event I'd like to discuss."
"That he probably caused."
Harry felt a slight Legilimens attack coming from Severus and pushed him out angrily, causing the potions master's head to jolt backwards in surprise. He then glared even harder at Harry, who turned away, knowing he still wasn't strong enough for a full-out mind attack. Deciding it would be best to ignore Snape, he looked around and smiled when he saw Lupin. He walked up next to the Marauder and sat down.
"Hi, Professor Lupin."
"Hi Harry. And call me Remus or Moony. I'm not your professor anymore."
"Okay Moony." He looked around. "It's weird to be back here without Sirius."
"I know. Sirius hated it here, and so do I."
"So, why don't you sell it?" asked Harry.
Remus looked at him strangely. "How would I sell it? Didn't Sirius leave it to you?"
"No. He left me some money and a motorcycle. I wonder…"
Albus said, "Actually gentlemen, as you know Sirius was devoted to the cause of destroying Voldemort. Therefore he decided to leave this house to the Order, so he officially left it to me."
"Really?" said a very surprised Lupin. "He told me…"
"But he changed his mind a few days before his tragic death. Anyway, that's not why we're here. I'd like to begin the meeting now."
"Yes, let's," said Snape. "I say have the Potter brat say what he has to say and then leave."
"How dare you, Severus!" exclaimed Molly. "Harry is not a brat! He is one of the kindest, most…"
"While I do agree that Mr. Potter is an exceptional youth, I do believe that for expedience, it would be best to have him talk about the attack on his home so he can get back to the Burrow and rest."
"His house was attacked?' asked Tonks. "I should've known that Dung wouldn't…"
"Now Nymphadora," said Albus, earning a glare from her, "Let's allow Harry to speak. When he's done, I'm sure he'll allow us to ask questions."
All eyes turned on Harry, who cleared his throat. "Well, er, I was in my room when I heard a…" Harry told the whole story from his point of view, and then Kingsley talked about his part. Almost everyone was amazed at Harry's accomplishment.
Snape sneered, "Now that Potter's arrogantly bragged about murdering his fellow students, an act his father and friends nearly accomplished while they were in school, I think he should leave."
"He did not murder them! They were attacking his family!" shouted Minerva. "It was in self defense! They were your students that you never taught right from wrong to! If anyone's to blame, it's you! Those three Slytherins have been…"
"Now Minerva," said Albus firmly, "Now is not the time to place blame. I do, however believe that we have taken up enough of Mr. Potter's time."
Harry got up. "Bye," he said as he made his way out the door and walked to the fireplace, disgusted at Snape. It didn't escape Harry's notice that the headmaster did take all of Snape's suggestions.
-
When he arrived at the Burrow, he was in a bad mood.
"Hi Harry!" said Ginny, walking up and kissing him.
He kissed her back half-heartedly. "Hi, Ginny. I've got a letter to write. I should tell Hermione about the attack."
"Can I help? You still haven't told me about it."
"Me too," said Ron from across the room.
"Sure, why not?"
"By the way," said Ginny, "Hedwig arrived with your note a few minutes ago. I guess you didn't know you were coming here yet."
"No, I didn't."
Harry sat down and wrote every detail he could remember, including what was said about the blood wards. The Weasley siblings were in awe how well Harry did in the fight. He voiced his concern about his aunt possibly becoming a target in his letter. He also said that Dumbledore took Snape's advice throughout the part of the meeting he was at. When he finished, he said `Hi' for Ron and Ginny before attaching it to Hedwig's leg.
After he'd sent the letter, Harry went up to his room and retrieved the bike, along with the gear, from his trunk. He carried it down the stairs. Ginny stared at it in awe while Ron looked at it curiously.
"Is that it?" asked Ginny excitedly bouncing on her feet.
"Yeah!" said Harry with a huge grin. "I think a ride would do me good after today. Would you like to join me?"
"I'd love to!"
As Harry handed his girlfriend a jacket, helmet, and gloves, Ron asked, "What kind of ride are you gonna take on that toy?"
"It's not a toy, Ron, it's shrunk," said Harry. "I'll get it to full size when we get outside."
A few minutes later, when it was back to normal, Ron was staring at it in awe. "Can I have a go?"
"Maybe some other time, but now I'm taking Ginny."
"Why does she…"
"Because I'm his girlfriend!"
Harry got on the bike, and Ginny sat down behind him, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. He took off and drove at high speeds along the road toward the nearby town. Once there, he slowed down to avoid getting pulled over. He stopped at a muggle restaurant (Harry put his disguise cap on once he took off his helmet) and got ice cream sodas.
"This has been a lot of fun, Harry!" she said after they finished, staring into his eyes. She noticed that even though they were the wrong color, they still had the same intensity about them. "I'm sorry you were attacked, but I'm glad you're here." She then got up from her chair across the table and walked up to him. She sat on his lap and kissed him thoroughly, earning some catcalls from a few patrons, along with disparaging remarks from others.
The owner, a grumpy-looking old woman, walked up to them. "Excuse me, but we don't allow those kinds of public displays of affection here. I know you young people…"
"Fine. Sorry," said Harry, pulling out his wallet. "We were just leaving." He paid the bill, leaving no tip.
-
When they got back, they found an angry-looking Molly Weasley waiting outside. "Where have you two been, and what is that muggle contraption?"
Putting on his most pathetic face and looking at the ground in penitence, Harry said, "Sorry. It was my fault. I inherited the motorcycle from Sirius, and I wanted to go for a drive. Remus taught me how to drive it and I got a license for it. We wore the helmets for protection."
"Oh, Molly," came Arthur's voice from behind her, "Let them go on their date. I'm sure they didn't do anything inappropriate. As I recall, you and I took a few rides on broomsticks when we were Harry's age."
"But Ginny's…"
"You know Harry wouldn't do anything to hurt her. And after today, I have a lot more confidence in Harry's ability to defend Ginny than most of the Order. I'm sure they had their wands."
"Of course, daddy."
"Good. Now why don't you have some iced tea?" Arthur then handed Harry, Ginny, and Molly cups of tea. Molly noticed that her cup was smaller than the other two, but didn't comment on it. She figured he knew she had trouble sleeping when she had too much caffeine.
After Harry and Ginny drank their tea, they snuggled together on the couch inside and started kissing.
"Oi! Do you two ever separate your mouths long enough to talk?"
"No Ron, never," said Ginny sarcastically before kissing Harry again.
"I think it's time for bed," called Molly from another room.
"Oh well," said Harry, "Goodnight Ron. Goodnight, Ginny." He kissed her one more time before going to bed.
-
He tore up the scroll that contained the despicable information. "How could that boy kill all three of my new recruits?" he shouted at the small, trembling man who had given him the paper. "Crucio!" The pathetic traitor was shaking on the floor, his silver hand making a `clang' sound whenever it touched the concrete.
"It must have been some kind of trick! That old fool Dumbledore wouldn't have left Potter so unguarded! There were only standard wards on the property! It was too good to be true! There must have been other members of his precious Order waiting inside the house that they didn't tell the Order about! Snape's always going on about how dimwitted and weak Potter is! There's no way he'd have won the battle. I suppose he's hidden now, but his filthy muggle relatives are still there. I'll have Snape kill Potter at Hogwarts. He was begging me to let him last year with those `remedial potions lessons' but I told him only to torture him and open his mind up more so I could trick him. I'll have Snape volunteer to continue those lessons."
"But Severus wrote that Harry's somehow learning Occlum…"
"He's not a master yet! Crucio!"
The metal hand tapped the floor repeatedly until Harry opened his eyes with his scar burning. He put his left hand over it immediately.
He didn't hear Voldemort's laughter or Wormtail's screams anymore, but he still heard the tapping as he reached for his glasses.
He followed the noise to his window and saw Hedwig tapping it with her beak. It looked like she was carrying a letter. He got up, let her in, and took the letter. It was from Hermione.
"Dear Harry,
I'm so sorry to hear about your uncle. I know you didn't get along very well, but you may wish to consider attending the funeral. You could send Hedwig to your aunt or ask an Order member to escort you to her house to find out. You fought bravely and what happened was not your fault! So don't blame yourself.
I do think that it's strange that Auror Kingsley didn't detect any wards and that Professor Dumbledore claimed that only extremely powerful wizards could detect them. I've never read about wards that couldn't be detected at all. Even if the person didn't know how to get past them, they should have detected something. However, from what the headmaster told you about the wards, they are unique, and I'll try to find books about them. But honestly, if only Voldemort could detect them, he'd have been there to detect them. Why would he leave? He's always taken a personal interest in you.
I think your concerns about Mrs. Dursley and Dudley are correct and they should move away. You should advise them to do so. Knowing how generous you are, you'll probably want to help them. I suggest you talk to a Gringotts goblin to find out how much money you have before you give away your last Galleon. Don't give away what you don't have, and make sure you have plenty left over for yourself.
I hope you enjoy your time at the Weasleys. Don't rush things with your new girlfriend. That can ruin a relationship. I'll be arriving at the Burrow a few weeks before summer's over. See you then.
Love from
Hermione."
-
Please review. Thank you to all who have. Sorry I took so long to post this chapter.
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