Chapter 6: Shocks and Leaving.
"What do you mean you're leaving?" Ginny Weasley raged at her ex-boyfriend. She couldn't believe his nerve. He was leaving her straight after the wedding - with Hermione Granger no doubt.
"Just like what I said," Harry replied, getting annoyed with her anger. He couldn't understand what was wrong with Ginny. She had seemed to accept their break up at Dumbledore's wedding yet she was raging now.
Harry had sat the family down - minus Ron and Hermione, and had told them of his plans of not going back to Hogwarts in the coming year because the war on Voldemort was more important than education - one that had Ginny in a fit of rage.
"Why aren't you taking me?" Ginny demanded and Harry looked at her.
"Because you're still at school and I have more than enough people helping me out on this quest," Harry informed the young girl, wondering again what he had seen in her.
"Oh let me guess, Miss Perfect Granger is going with you," Ginny remarked sarcastically and Harry's eyes narrowed as he looked at Ginny - he couldn't understand what was going on with the young female but he would be damned if he sat back and allowed her to rag on Hermione.
"Yes, Hermione is coming with me - she has been there for me through thick and thin since first year," Harry informed Ginny, darkly.
"Harry - can't you see what she is doing?" Ginny shouted but Harry cut her off.
"All I can see is a spoilt brat getting into a bad mood because I'm leaving - whatever problems you have with Hermione - take them up with her!" Harry shouted back. "We will be leaving the day after tomorrow and I will not be going back to Hogwarts."
"Harry - please reconsider - you should leave the war to adults who know what they doing," Molly pleaded but Harry just scoffed.
"The same bunch of idiots who couldn't even kill Voldemort off when he was rising as Tom Riddle - the same ones who allowed Voldemort free rein? Forget it - I made a promise to Dumbledore that I would finish this war," Harry informed her. "And nothing can make me change my mind."
"Harry - you are too young to bear the burden," Molly interjected but Harry shook his head.
"I've been bearing the burden since I was one years old Mrs. Weasley - I don't really have a choice," Harry informed her and Ginny let out a soft snort.
"I knew I should have kept slipping you that love potion," Ginny muttered under her breath but Harry overheard her and rage boiled through his veins.
"YOU WHAT?" Harry shouted as he stared down at the youngest Weasley. "You gave me a love potion?"
"Harry…" Ginny started but Harry shook his head.
"No wonder I knew that something was off about me - all the time, I was wondering why the hell did I go for you - I've never taken an interest in you in all the times you were a Hogwarts, why would I suddenly be jealous that you were dating the others guy," Harry muttered as he ran his hand through his hair.
"Harry!" Molly exclaimed but Harry just glared at her.
"And this is your fault!" Harry shouted. "If you hadn't told her about using a love potion on Arthur, she wouldn't have slipped a love potion on me!"
"Harry - yes, a love potion is unacceptable but surely you're not blowing it out of proportion," Molly started but Harry lost it.
"NO! You deem it perfectly acceptable for a pureblood to use a love potion but when it comes to a muggleborn, they need to be hung. Don't think that I've forgotten the letter that you sent Hermione back in fourth year!" Harry snapped at the elderly woman.
"Harry! The papers made it clear that Hermione had somehow bewitched you!" Molly snapped.
"And you didn't stop to think that Hermione is my best friend and that she wouldn't have done that to me - because, unlike some people, she actually knows me," Harry informed them, acidly before shaking his head and headed up the stairs to get away from the others.
He could hear Bill and Fleur shouting at Ginny and Ginny shouting back with Molly getting involved. Arthur was trying to calm everyone down but it wasn't working because no one was listening.
Harry made his way over to his bed and pulled out the rucksack that was under it and planted it on the bed before moving over to his drawers. He opened them and pulled out all of his clothes and shoved them into the bag.
"Harry?" a female voice asked and Harry turned to see Hermione standing in the doorway, looking confused at what Harry was doing.
"I'm leaving," Harry informed her as he turned back to filling his bag with his clothes, books and anything else he could get his hands on that he would need.
"What? Why?" Hermione asked. She couldn't think of what happened to make him change his mind so quick. They were planning on leaving the next day yet Harry was throwing that out of the window.
"Because I just found out what Ginny has done to me," Harry informed her and Hermione shook her head, still not getting it. "Love potion Hermione, she used a love potion on me." Shock registered on Hermione's face when Harry told her this and her mind began racing to connect all the dots together before understanding dawned on her face.
Hermione slumped down heavily on the chair next to the door as it hit her like a ton of bricks. She couldn't believe she had been so stupid - she could tell when the fifth year girl was trying to use a love potion on Harry by giving him a box of chocolate yet she couldn't tell that Ginny was using one on Harry?
"Oh, Harry," she started but was cut off when Harry moved over to her and knelt down in front of her, taking her hands in his.
"There was nothing any of us could do. We didn't know what she was doing before but we do now and that's why I'm leaving. I can't put myself at risk of being under the love potion again," Harry explained.
"I'm coming with you," Hermione informed him. Harry opened his mouth to protest but Hermione cut him off with a wave of his hand. "Don't you tell me to stay behind Harry Potter, you know that you won't last out there without me and you can't go to the hotel yet - the reservations aren't till tomorrow." Harry sighed before he nodded.
"Okay," Hermione's face betrayed her shock over Harry's easy defeat and Harry grinned. "Hey, I know to well not to risk your wrath." Hermione blushed slightly before she stood up with Harry.
"I'll get my stuff packed," Hermione told him before she squeezed his arm and left the room to head into hers.
Harry just watched her go with a fond smile on his face before he moved back over to his bag and packed the rest of the stuff before he closed the flap and headed down the stairs. He wasn't going to be bothered about food - there was a shop near the camping site that he had planned on going so he could get proper food there.
Harry came to a stop at the bottom of the steps when he saw Bill and Fleur standing there.
"We wanted to apologise for Ginny - we didn't think Ginny would use a love potion on you," Bill told him but Harry waved it off.
"It's okay - Ginny is the one who has to apologise otherwise it means nothing but thank you," Harry told them.
"Are you leaving?" Fleur asked when she noticed Harry's bag and Harry nodded.
"Yes. I'm sorry but I can't live here knowing what Ginny has done. She has lost some of my trust and till she regains it - I feel that I'm better off staying somewhere else," Harry explained and Fleur nodded.
"Take care, please?" Fleur asked and Harry nodded.
"I will," Harry told her only to be surprised when Fleur pulled him to a hug and kissed his cheek before letting him go. Bill clapped Harry on the back and they turned when they heard footsteps bounding down the stairs.
Hermione was holding Crookshanks' basket and had a bag slung over her shoulder. She stopped when she saw the three of them standing at the bottom of the steps.
"Everything okay?" Hermione asked but Harry gave her a small smile of reassurance and she relaxed. She moved closer to him and Harry looked at the basket before arching an eyebrow.
"Are we taking Crookshanks with us?" Harry asked and Hermione rolled her eyes.
"I was hoping we could stop by my house so I can drop him off there - I don't want to leave him here," Hermione explained and Harry nodded.
"Sure, I don't see why not," Harry told her and Hermione gave him a smile of relief before she set down the basket and the bag when Molly, Ginny and Ron came out of the kitchen.
Molly's eyes widened when she bags and basket at their feet and wondered what was going on.
"What do you two think you are doing?" she demanded.
"We're leaving," Harry informed them as he placed his bag onto the ground before grabbing his jacket and pulled it on. He then grabbed Hermione's jacket and helped her put it on.
"You can't!" Molly screeched but cut off when Harry shot her a glare.
"We're leaving whether you like it or not. We have something important to do and frankly, I don't trust your daughter enough at the moment to stay in the same house as her," Harry informed Molly before looking at Ron.
"Luna and I will meet you tomorrow - we have a couple things to go over with her father," Ron explained and Harry nodded in understanding.
"Okay - I've left Hedwig here in case you need to get a hold of me before tomorrow," Harry told him as he took Hermione's hand before lifting up their bags. "It was nice to see you all. Bill, Fleur," they looked at him. "I'm sorry about your wedding but I hope you have a nice honeymoon." They nodded as Harry and Hermione left the Burrow, leaving two fuming women, an amused best friend and happy newlyweds behind.
"Hm, life with Harry Potter is never boring," Ron informed them before he headed up the stairs, leaving everyone behind.
TBC