Chapter 4
The morning found Arthur Weasley and Remus Lupin sitting in two chairs at the table in the kitchen, and talking about something, while Mrs. Weasley was cooking her infamous pancakes.
"So when d'you reckon we should go?" Mt. Weasley was saying.
"It'll have to be next week. There is no way I'll be able to find time before then," Remsu answered.
As they talked, Ginny trudged down in the kitchen. She sat down at the table, and helped herself to a couple of pancakes. Grim faced, she was still in daze from what she had accomplished several nights ago.
She had willed herself to believe that Harry was alive. However, she hadn't thought of the details after she had brought him back among the living. How would Harry react? Would he be mad? Happy? Indifferent?
Questions of such nature tormented Ginny's mind night and day, and her mother had not failed to notice someone was wrong with the youngest Weasley.
"Are you alright, Ginny, dear?" asked Molly patiently. "You have been poking at the plate for a good while now."
Ginny snapped out of her reverie temporarily.
"Oh, yes, Mom, I'm OK," she hastily lied. "Just a little tired, that's all."
"We could visit a Healer to see if there's anything wrong with you," said Mrs. Weasley again, with growing concern about her only daughter. "What is it that's bothering you?"
Ginny sighed, but did not answer. She couldn't possibly tell her mother.
Instead, the response to Mrs. Weasley's inquiry was standing right outside the front door. Someone knocked three times in quick succession.
"Oh, who could be calling this early in the morning!"
Mrs. Weasley reached for the handle, and turned it to reveal her visitors.
Ron and Hermione were standing in front of her. However, behind them, a third person was looking at her - one that ought to be dead.
"Harry!"
Mrs. Weasley felt very faint. There could be no mistaking those eyes. She drew in a sharp breath, and before long, felt consciousness slipping away. Someone caught her, and the rest was utter blackness.
"Harry! What? Is this really you?" Arthur was speaking very quickly, and a terrified Remus was standing behind him, opening and closing his mouth, but no sound came out.
They had just been discussing arrangements for an honorary ceremony in Harry's memory, but this was quite a turn of events.
"Yes, it's me," Harry answered, calmly and clearly, a slight edge to his voice.
"How is this possible…" Remus was amazed and uncomprehending.
"I don't know," answered Harry coldly. "Ginny might, though."
All eyes turned to the redheaded girl.
"Ginny, can you explain this?" Arthur asked disbelievingly.
Ginny was cornered. She sighed again, and nodded. Molly was beginning to stir in Arthur's arms.
"It was a spell I found," she admitted. "It took me months to track it down. I used it at Harry's grave."
"Why, Ginny?" Harry asked.
"Because I wanted you back," she croaked as the full force of what she had done hit her yet again.
"But that's extremely dark magic. I thought that spell was locked in the Department of Mysteries," Remus exclaimed.
"How did she gain access to it then?" Arthur asked.
"I don't exactly know," said Remus thoughtfully, as he threw a calculating look at Ginny.
"It doesn't matter how I found it," the redhead snapped in reply. "The fact is, Harry is here again, and the least you can do is be happy about it!"
"Ginny," Harry spoke again, "did you ever think about how I would feel?"
No response, as expected.
"I can't believe my sister would do something like this," Ron put in hoarsely, as Hermione looked on in silent infuriation. "That you would insult us so horribly," his visage darkened as he said his final thought.
"I'm sorry, alright!" Ginny broke in tears. "I wanted to be happy too, you know. After Harry was gone, I couldn't move on. But now that he's here, we can finally be as happy as we were in Hogwarts."
That was the breaking point for Harry.
"Be happy! With you!" he bellowed. "Ginny, d'you realize that I went through hell on this earth to destroy Voldemort. I died, so that you could live! How could you have the audacity to bring me back? I was happy up there, with Sirius, Dumbledore, and my parents. I received what I wanted most when I died. My life was miserable before that. I expected you to at least think about me as more than an object!"
"I'll be never interested in you that way again. I told you then, and I'll tell you now - we're too different to be together, and I care about you, but not romantically! Get that thought in your head, finally! I have no interest in being alive as it is, so why in the hell did you bring me back? Just so you could reach your own ends, as you usually do!"
Ginny was speechless, and had begun quietly sobbing, but Harry remained unmoved.
"Kill me," he said quietly. "Kill me, now."
She was powerless to do it.
"Someone just point their wand at me and say Avada Kedavra. It's not that friggin difficult!" he shouted again.
No one moved.
"Look, if you kill me, it's what will make me happiest. Please."
"I can't do that, Harry," Remus said calmly.
"And why can't you? I lived through hell, why should I have to go through it all again?"
"There are things worth living for, Harry," Arthur told him.
Harry flashed an angry look around the room, and stepped outside, slamming the door hard behind him. They saw him depart through the front gates, and direct his steps out from the village.
"We should go after him," Hermione said, and made for the door.
A hand on her shoulder stopped her.
"Leave him be, Hermione. Right now, he needs time to think," Remus said.
"I just hope you're right, Remus," Hermione replied.
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