PhoenixSong.net :: A Harry/Ginny Fanfic and Fanart Archive

Author: MyGinevra

Story: The Hog's Head

Part: 50: Victories

Rating: Teens

Status: Completed

Warning: Sexual Situation

Reviews: 13

Words: 12,226

Updated: November 22, 2008, 9:12am

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50: Victories

After a very quiet dinner — prepared by Ginny, Fleur, and Charlie — Arthur took Molly up to their room while George and Angelina went back to the grave. Bill and Fleur had decided to take the Hogwarts Express Special that was leaving at midnight from Kings Cross Station, rather than risk a Portkey with the baby being due any day, so they left for London in a Gringotts car. The rest of the family gathered in the parlor, which was also subdued.

"Do you think Mum will be alright?" Ron asked apprehensively. "It's scary to see her like that."

"I think she'll be okay," said Charlie. "Maybe not for the next couple of days, but she'll have the baby and the wedding and that will turn her around."

Ginny and Harry were sitting together on the hearth. They had stayed in the flat on Friday night, but tonight Harry would be sleeping in Ron's room and Ginny in her own bed. Ginny was clinging to Harry a lot, feeling very depressed because of her mother and because of the feelings she knew tomorrow would bring.

Her melancholy sadness — a presence in Harry's soul — also depressed him. "Let's go for a walk," he murmured to her. "It's been a long time since we were down by the river."

They told everyone where they were going and went out. It was the middle of the evening, and a beautiful full moon was floating just above the tree line off to the east. They passed the peach tree in the back yard and went through the gate into the woods. The path down to the river was familiar, even though they hadn't been there since Christmas. They stood on the bank, holding each other and listened to the quiet water.

"I'm not looking forward to tomorrow," Ginny said as Harry ran his hand through her hair and down her back. "I've had nightmares about Elizabeth."

"I know," Harry said softly, and pressed her head to his chest. Ginny had a big part to play in the memorial, and Harry knew that it was going to be painful.

Ginny sighed and turned to look at the lights of the village across the river. But then they heard the snap of a twig breaking. They turned and saw a solitary figure walking along the bank toward them. Harry reached into his pocket and put his hand on his wand.

"Miss Weasley?" came a voice, and Ginny started.

"Who are you?" Harry demanded, and took out his wand.

The figure stopped and held up his empty hands. "I'm Jensarod Wilson. Please, I need to speak to you."

Ginny pushed Harry's hand down and the man walked toward them. He stopped when he was ten feet away. His face was in moon–shadow; Harry lit his wand and held it up.

The man looked nothing like what Ginny remembered. His hair was very dark and he had a long, bushy beard. He was also gaunt, and in wand–light his eyes had a haunted look. He dropped his hands to his side and stood there.

"Where are your brothers?" Ginny said.

He indicated the woods behind him. "About a half mile from here. We didn't want to alarm you, so we decided that just one of us should come." He looked at Harry. "You're Harry Potter, aren't you?"

Harry put his wand away and nodded. "And you're Sagittaria Slocum's brother."

"Half-brother, yes. Our mother told us what happened to her."

"She told me that you might try to contact Ginny. Why? There's nothing she can do; just turn yourselves in. You'll have a trial but you probably won't be sent to Azkaban."

The man's brow furrowed for a moment. "How do you know that? That's where they send murderers."

"Things are different now," Ginny said, and walked toward him. He took a step back, but she reached and took his arm; he stared at her. "Last spring the Head Auror came here and told us that you'd probably get Ministry detention."

He looked down at her hand and his eyes glistened when he looked up. "Miss Weasley," he said hoarsely, "we've been hiding for almost a year. We aren't sorry for what we did, but we're tired and hungry, and we want to end it. That's why we came here. We thought we could ask you to do for us what you did for Elizabeth."

"What do you mean?" Ginny was puzzled. "I held her hand. There wasn't much else anyone could do for her."

Jensarod looked down and scuffed the ground with his foot. He glanced back up the river, then at Ginny. "Miss Weasley, would you come with us to the Ministry? It would be a help, maybe give us some courage."

"Of course," Ginny said without hesitating. "But I can't do it tomorrow. There's a ceremony at school, and I..." She trailed off; if she didn't help them tomorrow, she might not be able to do it for another whole week, until next weekend. She didn't want to have to ask Professor McGonagall to let her leave school during the week.

She turned to Harry. "Can we go tonight?"

"Tonight?" He considered for a moment. "I don't know where Saliyah is, but I think Professor Matthewson is on duty. I can check with Percy —"

"No!" Ginny said quickly. "Don't check with Percy! He'll turn official on us, he won't let me go with them. Besides, you outrank him. Can't we just go there and say, here we are?"

Wilson frowned. "What do you mean, Harry outranks him?"

"It's nothing," Harry said. "I... I'm in an Auror training program, but I'm not an Auror, I'm just —"

"He's not going to arrest you," Ginny said. "But if he comes with us I think it'll be even better than if I go."

The man looked from one to the other. "Yes," he said slowly, "I think you're right. Thank you, Mr. Potter."

"What do we do now?" Ginny said to Harry.

"Go back to the Burrow. Don't worry," he said to Jensarod, "no one will come after you. Wait with your brothers, and watch for us. We'll come back as soon as we can, and then we can Disapparate to the Ministry."

Jensarod looked at them for a moment, then bowed his head and walked away. He was soon lost in the shadows of the woods.

Harry and Ginny hurried back to the Burrow. "That was bizarre," Harry said as they crossed the yard. "It kind of reminds me of us running around the countryside last year."

"But if you had been caught, you would have been killed," Ginny said.

"Maybe Azkaban is just as bad."

As they approached the house, Harry pointed to the window of the attic room, the same one Ginny had levitated him out of on her birthday; there was a light in it. They went straight up, and found Ron, Hermione, and Charlie, bringing each other up to date on their lives.

"Elizabeth Derby's uncles are outside," Ginny announced. "They want Harry and me to take them to the Ministry so they can surrender. We only saw one, but he looked terrible. I don't think he's had a decent meal in months."

"They're still on the loose?" Charlie said with surprise. "How did they manage that?"

"It's not so difficult if you know what you're doing," Harry said. "And I don't think anyone was looking for them very hard."

"Matthewson is on duty," Ron said. "He's the perfect chap for this; he won't be hard–assed."

"So you think we should just Apparate there?" Harry said.

"No," said Hermione. "Bring them here first. It sounds like they're starving."

"I don't want Percy to see them," Ginny scowled. "He'll be a prat and want to march them straight off to Azkaban."

"I don't think he'll go that far," Charlie said, "but I take your point. I agree with Hermione, bring the poor sods here and let them have a Molly meal before they get thrown in the jug for ten years."

"What about Percy?" Ginny persisted. "I don't want him screwing this up."

"I'll take care of him," Charlie grinned. "I think Miss Tinklebell can be induced to request a moonlight stroll."

"And what about Mum and Dad?" Ginny said.

"We have to tell them," Charlie answered. "We can't have four strangers in the house without letting them know."

They decided that Ginny and Harry would bring the uncles back to the Burrow, Charlie would get Percy out of the house, and Ron and Hermione would tell everyone else what was happening. A half hour later, four tired, hungry, tattered men, all with beards hiding gaunt faces, were sitting at the kitchen table wolfing down sandwiches and chugging bottles of butterbeer, while Molly Weasley hovered over them, urging them to eat more. Charlie kept a watch out the window for Percy and Audrey, but they never returned until long after it was done and everyone else had gone to bed.

The men kept casting glances at a photograph of Bill and Fleur at Shell Cottage that was hanging on the wall. Finally Herlo Wilson put down his third corned beef sandwich. "My sister Anne is a Veela. Is this lady related to her?" he asked Molly, pointing to the picture.

"You mean Elizabeth's mother? I don't know, dear." Molly went to the photo and straightened it. "I'll ask her. How is your sister doing?"

"She isn't well," he said. "They say she sits in her house and never goes out." His jaw clenched and he pushed back his plate. "When I think about her and... Elizabeth, I want Greyback to be still alive so I can make him suffer again. I know it's wrong, but that's how I feel."

"You did a good thing!" Molly exclaimed, and glared at everyone, daring them to oppose her. "If that monster had lived, he would have escaped and attacked someone else. The world is better off without him, I say, and good riddance!"

Hermione, who had been sitting off by herself in a corner, saying nothing, rose and left the room. Ron went after her.

"Did I say something to upset her?" Molly looked around the room.

"No, Mum," Ginny said. "Bellatrix Lestrange was going to hand her over to Greyback."

"Oh, dear, I forgot." Molly put her hand to her mouth and gazed up the stairs where Hermione and Ron had just gone.

"I think we need to be going," Harry said. "Mr. Weasley, can we use your fireplace? It would be easier than getting into the Ministry through one of the entrances."

"There's one more thing," said Jensarod. "Take our wands. We don't want any problems."

They took their wands out. "I'll take them," said Molly, "and I'll keep them for as long as it takes. When you — when you're free, they will be here." They handed their wands to her, and she patted their hands as she took them.

The four men, Ginny, and Harry Floo'd to the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic. Only a few people were there, and they all gawked as Harry led the way past the empty guard's desk to the lifts. On the second level they walked past the Head Auror's office to a smaller office near the training program wing. Harry knocked and opened the door; Professor Matthewson was at a cluttered desk, his feet up, reading the Evening Prophet. He looked at Harry and took his feet off the desk.

Harry and Ginny led the four uncles into the office. The moment they were all inside several things happened almost instantly. The door slammed itself shut, Harry and Ginny felt a force push them away from the other four, and, with a loud clang, a metal cage suddenly appeared around the uncles. They shrank together, looking fearful.

Matthewson jumped up and drew his wand; he peered closely at the prisoners. Jensarod Wilson put up both hands.

"There's no need for wands, or this," he said, looking at the bars all around him. "We want to surrender. We asked Miss Weasley and Mr. Potter to bring us here."

Matthewson stared at him, then at Harry, then at the four men again.

"Wait a minute!" Harry said angrily. "We brought them here under our protection. We told them they would be well–treated, not this!"

"Harry," Jensarod called from behind the bars, "it's okay." He turned to Matthewson. "We came voluntarily and unarmed; we left our wands with Mrs. Weasley."

"Molly Weasley has your wands?" The Auror shook his head. "We can look into that later." He turned to Harry and Ginny and pointed to the door. "Outside for a moment, please." He shepherded them into the corridor and closed the door. Harry turned to him, another angry word on his lips, but Professor Matthewson put his hand up. "It's an automatic Incarceration charm, I had nothing to do with it; it detects people who have committed crimes. But you shouldn't worry; they'll be well treated. We all know why they did it, and nobody lost any sleep over Fenrir Greyback. And I must say," he grinned, "you two just brought in the only people still wanted for a major crime. Saliyah's going to love it."

"It was Harry," Ginny said, ignoring Harry's vigorous head–shake. "He deserves all the credit. They came to me, but I didn't know what to do. Harry took care of everything."

"But that's —" Harry started to say.

"He's too modest." Ginny wouldn't let him continue. "But it's true. You can ask my brothers, they'll say the same thing."

"Well," the Auror smiled, "it really doesn't matter. Everything we do here is teamwork. I'm sure you helped, Miss Weasley."

"Only a little," she smiled back, and took Harry's hand. "Do we need to stay here any longer? It's getting late. Can we just say goodbye to them?"

They went back into the office; the four men were standing silently in the cage. They turned their heads when the door opened.

"I'm sorry," Harry said to them, "I really didn't want you to end up like this." He looked at Matthewson. "Can they contact me if they need anything?"

The Auror shrugged. "It's not up to me, but considering all the circumstances, probably yes."

"Good luck," Ginny said. "I'll be thinking of you."

"Thank you, Miss," Jensarod said. "We'll never forget you." He put his hand through the bars, and Ginny shook it.

Matthewson told Harry and Ginny goodnight and they returned to the Atrium. "I'm sure they'll be okay," Ginny said, "but it must be awful to be behind bars like that."

"Why did you say all those things about me?" Harry asked when they were in the lift. "All I did was help bring them here."

"You knew what to do and you were the one who did it. Besides, it's better for you to get the credit than me."

"Well, I'm going to tell Saliyah exactly what happened. I'll let her decide."

"Fine," Ginny took his hand and swung their arms back and forth as they walked to the fireplaces. "I'll bet she agrees with me."

Harry sighed. "If she does, I'll never argue with you again."

"That's what I like to hear!" Ginny laughed and kissed the end of his nose. She stepped into the fireplace; Harry followed right behind and they were both back in the kitchen of the Burrow.

They told everyone what had happened — no one had heard of the Incarceration charm in Matthewson's office — but Molly said she was going to send them food as long as they were in jail. Percy and Audrey still hadn't returned, and everyone soon went off to bed. Harry and Ginny said goodnight on the landing outside her room, and the house was quiet.

The next morning they all Portkeyed to Hogsmeade. The Ministry had set up arrival points in the field behind the Three Broomsticks, just a few yards from the train station, and the Weasleys arrived as the Hogwarts Express was pulling in. They found Bill and Fleur, and she patted her stomach as they climbed into a carriage for the ride up to the memorial site. "It's going to be pretty soon," she smiled.

Everyone else walked up the lane and through the tall gates. Harry gave Ginny a quick kiss and headed for the castle. He was a participant in the morning event, although it had taken many people a lot of time to persuade him. Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Hagrid, Bill, Fleur, Stan, Tony... they had all argued that the significance of the memorial would be incomplete without him. Finally he agreed, and now he entered the Great Hall where the procession to the White Tomb was forming.

He joined the Minister of Magic, the Headmistress of Hogwarts, the centaur Bane, the house–elf Kreacher — wearing his cap on his head and the locket of Regulus Black around his neck — Tony Trostle, and Neville Longbottom, plus all the first–year students. The humans put on specially made, formal dress robes, and as the great clock of the castle struck ten, they filed outside in a solemn procession. At the front were the village postmaster — old Rathbone Rastlebuck playing a mournful dirge on a Highland bagpipe — and the proprietor of Dervish and Banges, old Monitor Twohill, beating a steady, muffled cadence on a snare drum; both of them were wearing kilts.

The weather was cool and cloudy. They wended their way to the Black Lake, where they could see the huge crowd gathered before the White Tomb. There was not a sound coming from that crowd, and the wail of the bagpipe could be heard echoing off the surrounding hills. The procession approached and continued up the aisle between the seats. Harry glanced aside and saw Ginny discreetly blow him a kiss; he felt her pride and love fill him up and he smiled at her. Keesha Baker was sitting near Ginny with her parents, and she had eyes only for Neville. Her parents nodded to Harry.

They walked toward a large platform, draped in the banners of the four Houses, set up in front of the Tomb. They climbed the steps — Bane clopping up last — and they all stood, about five feet above the ground, looking out over the assemblage of wizards, witches, Muggles, and magical creatures.

Harry couldn't guess how many people were there; it had to be thousands, even more than had been at Professor Dumbledore's funeral. He looked out and saw everyone from the village of Hogsmeade, everyone in the training program, even wizards and witches that he had met in the Leaky Cauldron the very first time he had been brought there by Hagrid. Dumbledore's Army was there, near the back. Everyone he knew was there.

Off to one side were a dozen centaurs, nervously stamping their hooves, their bows slung over their backs. In front, close to the Tomb, were a large number of house–elves, and as Harry watched, Winky pushed her way through, only a few yards from Harry; her ladles were hanging from a rope tied around her waist.

Something in the sky caught Harry's eye; he looked up and saw two Thestrals wheeling overhead.

Madame Maxime, Hagrid, and Grawp were at the back of the crowd. Grawp, who was sitting on the ground, noticed Harry looking his way and waved; Harry waved back, and Grawp started to laugh, a peal of thunder that caused everyone to turn and some to shriek in fright. Hagrid said something to him, and Grawp looked down, abashed; but Madame Maxime patted his shoulder and he looked up smiling.

Grawp's laughter had drowned out the bagpipe and drum; the two musicians were standing directly in front of the platform, and Rastlebuck looked up at Professor McGonagall who glared at Grawp. She nodded to Rathbone and the music ceased. For a moment there was stillness.

The three dozen first–years were at the front of the platform, standing in two rows in front of the others. At a signal from the Headmistress, Abigail Abernathy said in a clear voice, "Elizabeth Derby!"

The silvery tone of a single bell sounded.

Sean Allen said, "Colin Creevey!" The bell rang again.

Muffled sounds of crying could be heard as Claire Athair said, "Joseph Pierce!" The bell rang again.

Emma Athair called out, "Fred Weasley!" The first–years continued speaking the names of every person who had been killed, from the youngest to the oldest. When the students in the second row had finished, the ones in the first row continued. The last name was called by a Ravenclaw, Muhammad Mafour, "Remus Lupin!"

The bell rang, and then the entire valley seemed to fall silent; there were a few coughs and sounds of noses being blown. After several minutes, the Headmistress stepped forward and gazed out at the scene.

Suddenly Harry felt tears in his eyes. He sought Ginny; she had got out of her seat and was kneeling in front of her mother; Arthur was at Molly's side, supporting her as she sat. Molly was weeping, but she was not the only one. Many were, and a wave of emotion swept the crowd and those on the platform. Tony was weeping openly; Kingsley Shacklebolt passed his hand over his eyes and looked down; Neville was wiping his face; and Minerva McGonagall's eyes were brimming over.

She cleared her throat and raised her hand. "My friends! This is a time for mourning. Don't be ashamed of your tears. Cry for the ones who aren't here, who suffered. You can see the magnificent castle —" she gestured toward Hogwarts "— that bears no outward scars of the awful battle. But be certain that the inner scars will never be completely healed, as your tears and mine bear witness. We must never forget what happened here, nor those who died. I urge you all to go to the Great Hall and look at the list of names on the wall, the names that were spoken by children who were not here a year ago, but whose presence proves that evil and malice did not triumph."

Her voice caught, and she stopped, her head bowed, her hand on her face. Harry was standing behind her and without thinking he put his hand on her trembling shoulder. She turned her head and smiled gratefully.

She turned to the front and wiped her cheeks again. "Some of them were children who will never know how joyful a full life can be. They will never have children of their own, they will never play and work and live. We must never forget them, and we must never fail to recognize and fight evil in whatever form it shows itself, for otherwise more children will die and not know this beautiful world we live in."

She turned and before Harry realized what was happening, she hugged him. Nothing in his life had surprised him more, and he almost staggered. Kingsley steadied him with a hand on his arm, and Harry slowly put his own arms around the professor. She finally lifted her head and smiled at Harry through tears. "I'm sorry, dear Harry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to embarrass you." A twinkle came into her eye. "It probably will never happen again."

She stepped aside, and Harry could see many smiles in the crowd. But then Kreacher shuffled forward. The old elf held himself erect, his hand over his locket. He glanced at Harry and inclined his head, then spoke to the crowd in a croaking voice that surprised Harry with its volume. The murmurs that had passed through the crowd when it became clear that a house–elf was going to speak, ceased. The elves near the front pushed forward until they were almost underneath the platform and looked up with eager faces.

"We is your house–elfs!" Kreacher cried. "Kreacher was Harry Potter's house–elf, but Harry Potter freed Kreacher!" He took the red cap from his head and waved it in the air. "But free Kreacher will always serve Harry Potter and his family and his friends, because Harry Potter and his family and his friends made all house–elfs free by killing the Dark Lord!"

He glared fiercely at the crowd with his huge eyes, and his bat–like ears quivered. He turned and bowed to Harry. Harry bowed back, and thought he saw the elf smile.

Neville spoke next. Harry had never seen him so nervous; he knew that Neville had not wanted to do this, but the Headmistress had insisted that one student who had fought in the battle must speak, and she pointed out that no one else except Harry had faced Voldemort one–on–one. Keesha also urged him, and finally Kingsley Shacklebolt had spoken to him. Neville reluctantly agreed, and both Keesha and Harry had helped him compose a short speech.

Now Harry stood right behind him. He could see the piece of parchment in Neville's hand shaking. He patted his shoulder and whispered, "This is harder than Voldemort, isn't it?"

Neville gave him a grateful look, glanced over the crowd until he found Keesha sitting between his Gran and her father; Augusta Longbottom's large vulture–topped hat seemed to be blocking the view of several annoyed people behind her.

Neville cleared his throat and peered at the parchment. "I — I didn't really want to be up h–here," he stammered, "but lots of other people wanted me to, including the Minister of M–Magic, so I didn't have much choice."

There was some subdued laughter, and Neville looked up. He glanced at Kingsley who was smiling.

This seemed to give Neville courage. He took a breath and continued. "I'm not any different from the other students who fought, except for the ones who were killed. I found one of them on the lawn and I helped carry him back inside. That was Colin Creevey; he was one of the best, funniest, and bravest kids I ever knew. His parents are Muggles, and all I could think of when I saw that Colin was dead, is that Colin and his family are worth a thousand of any one of the ones who killed him. Some people think I was brave when I tried to attack Voldemort, but I couldn't help what I did. I wasn't being brave, maybe stupid, but not brave. Colin was the brave one, and I couldn't let him go without trying to be half as brave as he was. Please don't think about me. Think about Colin and all the others who died."

There was silence as he put the parchment in his pocket and turned away. Harry shook his hand, then embraced him.

Tony Trostle then gave a short speech.

"Well," he said in a voice that was almost as gruff as Kreacher's, "I'm not really a man of words. I do better with my hands, building things. I just want to say that as bad as things got in Hogsmeade last year, we never gave up hope. We always knew that eventually we would win back our village. And what's important is that we now know that we can't let it happen again, we can't just let anyone walk into our homes and our shops and tell us to do what we know is wrong. And what's really great about it, is that it was a bunch of students from Hogwarts, just kids, who showed us what we had to do. And now we know what we can do, thanks to them."

He finished before most people realized that he was done, and the delayed murmurs came to a sudden stop when Bane moved forward. He made a fierce impression with his dark beard and bare muscular torso. He swept the crowd with flashing eyes.

"I welcome you to the Forest." His voice was strong and clear; the crowd was hushed, even awed. "We fought with you. Your young were very brave, and some of them died. We mourn them with you. Among us, there is nothing more terrible than the death of a child. Even though they were not ours, we are proud of them because they were brave and they fought for their lives and their freedom. That is why we joined them. Do not forget them, and do not forget who fought alongside them."

He bowed, then stepped carefully backward. He bowed his head to Neville, the Minister, the Headmistress, Tony, and finally to Harry. The centaurs at the side of the crowd stomped their hooves and waved their bows in the air. Bane then took Harry's arm, startling him, and pushed him forward. "Here is the one you should be acclaiming," Bane cried out, "for he is the bravest man I have ever known!"

Harry shook his head and pulled back. "Please," he said in a low voice, "don't do that."

Bane scowled; he bent down and spoke softly, so that only Harry could hear, but his voice seemed to ring loudly in Harry's ears. "It is time, colt, for you to become a man. False modesty lies falsely on you. Your destiny was shown to you by the wizard lying in this Tomb, but if you do not grasp your destiny with all your might, your life will not be a happy one, no matter that your friends and your female love you as they love themselves. For then you will not love yourself. The evil that befell you this past year would not have happened if you had been following your destiny." He bent down and his eyes bore into Harry's. "The centaurs know."

He raised his head and pushed Harry forward again. Harry stared at him for a long moment, then looked over the crowd. He instantly found Ginny's face; when their eyes met, Harry knew that, somehow, she had heard Bane's words. She bit her lip and nodded.

Harry took a breath. He saw Ron and Hermione, Bill and Fleur, Dumbledore's Army, the Bakers. Winky was looking up from just below him with her hands clasped in front of her chest and a big smile on her face. Arthur Weasley was smiling, proudly Harry suddenly realized, and Molly sitting next to him didn't seem to need support any longer. At the back of the crowd Hagrid was beaming with tears running down his face into his beard, and Harry knew that they were both thinking about Hagrid's walk out of the Forest, bearing Harry in his arms like a baby. Stan and Harriet were there, holding hands, and Stan gave a short pump of his fist when Harry looked at him.

They were all watching him. They were all hanging on his next word. They were all expecting something from him. The platform shook slightly as Bane shifted on his feet. The White Tomb loomed behind him, and he suddenly noticed a feeling coming at him from Ginny, a strange sensation of both power and danger: she had become aware of the Elder Wand, entombed only a few yards away. He looked at her and his nervousness disappeared.

He began. "I'm not used to talking in front of this many people, and centaurs, and elves, and giants, but I'm glad to have the chance, even if it's at a sad time when I'm thinking about so many of my friends who died. There was a great victory over evil and bad people a year ago, and I'm proud of my own part in it. I was able to do some things that no one else could have done, but many others would have done if they had been in my place. It wasn't easy to do any of those things, except for one: it was easy to fight for my friends. That's the difference, isn't it? The one who tried to conquer me and conquer the world had no friends, and in the end he was powerless against me. Many of you heard about what I did, at the very end, that I walked into his camp and let him kill me. But —" Harry spread his arms wide "— as you can see, here I am." The crowd answered with a murmuring chuckle.

"You may have also heard that I had some kind of special magic that saved me, but that's not right; it was much simpler than that. What saved me was all the people who... who loved me, who still love me. I don't know, maybe that sounds like something old–fashioned, but it's true. I really would be dead if it wasn't true.

"I know we can't all love each other; that'll never happen. But if there are people who love me, and there are other people who love them, and more who love them, then isn't that just as good? If I love my friends in Dumbledore's Army, and they have friends who I don't know but who love them, shouldn't I be willing to fight for them, because my friends love them? Maybe that's asking a lot, but maybe if Tom Riddle had gone after those friends first, it would have made my friends weaker, and that would have made me weaker, and maybe I would have lost and been the one killed.

"There are lots of things I don't know the answers to, but I do know the answer to that. And the reason I know is because of what happened to me a few months after I — we — had won the Battle of Hogwarts. I was attacked again, by some of the same people I thought we had already beaten. But I had stopped fighting, I thought that I could leave it to someone else. I was wrong and I almost paid with my life and the life of the person most dear to me. I don't know what life is going to bring me; it's been full of surprises so far, including some nasty ones. But I'm making a promise to everyone here. I promise that I will never stop fighting again. I —"

He had to stop when, for the first time that morning, applause broke out, beginning somewhere in the vicinity of Dumbledore's Army and spreading everywhere. Harry looked at Ginny; her hands were pressed to her mouth and her eyes were glistening. She mouthed, "I love you," and without thinking, Harry blew her a kiss.

"You go, Harry!" came a cry from Dumbledore's Army; it sounded like Dean Thomas, and when Harry looked in that direction he smiled. The banner that had been hung at Hogsmeade Station — Dumbledore's Army, Still Serving — was unfurled and waving over the crowd.

"You see," Harry said, pointing to the banner, "we can't be defeated if we don't let ourselves be defeated. And I won't. There's too much worth fighting for. I guess it's that simple."

He stepped back and Kingsley leaned over and said into his ear, "How can I follow that? You took my words away. That was brilliant, Harry!"

Professor McGonagall smiled; Neville pumped his hand; and both Kreacher and Bane made deep bows. The centaur said nothing, but his dark eyes held Harry's for a moment, and Harry bowed in turn.

The Minister of Magic spoke to the crowd. "My friends," he boomed, "there is nothing I can say after that, except, thank you, Harry." When the applause stopped, he continued. "It's a terrible thing to take words out of a politician's mouth, so I'll just say that this ceremony hasn't gone exactly the way we expected. I, for one, pictured a series of solemn speeches mixed in with solemn moments of silence. But what all the speakers have done is to show us that this is all about the gift of life, a gift that is given to us by both the living, like Harry, Kreacher, Neville, and Bane, and also by the dead, the honored dead, who live through their gift. Harry promised never to stop fighting, and I promise never to stop remembering.

"And now, let us have a moment of silence, in memory of all of those who suffered and died."

A hush fell, broken by scattered sounds of crying. Harry saw Ginny with her arm around Molly, who was bent over, covering her face with her hands. He noticed Dennis Creevey with two Muggles, his parents, no doubt; his mother was bent over just like Molly.

After a few minutes Professor McGonagall broke the silence and announced that tables were being set up on the lawn in front of the castle, and that lunch would be served for everyone. She also announced that, at three o'clock, there would be a dedication ceremony near the gamekeeper's cabin in memory of the students who had died. And promptly at five o'clock the Hogwarts Express would depart for London.

Harry climbed down from the platform and found Ginny with her family, all of whom were comforting Molly and each other. Arthur was sitting next to his wife, but he stood when Harry approached and came to him. He took Harry's arm and led him a few feet away.

"That was remarkable, Harry," he said. "My admiration for you has just gone over the top. I know for a fact that Kingsley had planned to say something completely different. When he heard your words, he must have decided to throw his own speech away." He shook his head. "Remarkable."

Ginny, Ron, and Hermione had joined them. "That was not the speech you wrote," said Hermione. "What made you change it?"

"Something someone said to me." He looked down, then at Ginny. "It was another wake up call."

She took his hand. "Come on, let's eat. I have to be at the castle half an hour before the ceremony."

Several dozen small tents were set up on the lawn, with food–laden tables inside them. The Great Hall could not accommodate the large number of people, so most students ate out on the lawn, even though the weather was getting worse. The clouds had lowered and a chilly, damp breeze was blowing from the north. Dumbledore's Army sat together, and everyone wanted to hear about Dumbledore's Regiment and its attack on the house outside Hogsmeade.

It began to drizzle, and Harry and Ginny moved inside with the others. It was still an hour before the second ceremony, so they went into the crowded Great Hall with Ron and Hermione and found the Weasleys at the Gryffindor table. At first there was no room for them to sit, but as the soft showers started turning into a downpour, more people left, either to go wait on the train or to Floo back to their homes from a fireplace in the castle. Professor McGonagall stopped by to tell Ginny that the dedication would take place, no matter what the weather.

Soon there were seats for them, and Ron began eating again. "It's a shame," said Molly. "People should have some respect and at least try to go to your service, Ginny."

"It's alright, Mum," Ginny said; she wouldn't really be sorry if no one showed up. She wanted to do it, but she would have preferred to do it privately. "No one needs to get all wet and catch cold just to be there."

"Ginny," Harry said suddenly, pointing to the Ravenclaw table, "there's Mrs. Wilson. Come on, I want you to meet her."

They walked around the end of the Hufflepuff table and up the aisle. Ginny recognized Elizabeth Derby's parents, as well as some of the other people who had come to Hogwarts a year ago to collect her remains. "I don't remember seeing her grandmother," she whispered to Harry.

When they stopped behind Sagittaria's mother, the people around her looked up and Mrs. Wilson turned. "Harry! It's so good to see you. And this is your beautiful fiancée, Miss Weasley. Ginny, if I may, I'm delighted to meet you."

She stood and shook Ginny's hand. "I was not here a year ago," she said, "and I never got a chance to thank you. I'm so pleased that I could be here today. And..." She looked at her family. "We have heard that my sons are in custody at the Ministry."

"Yes," said Ginny. "They came to the Burrow last night, and Harry and I took them there. I think they'll be well–treated. Oh," she smiled, "and my mum said she'll send them food. She's good at things like that."

"I'm sure she is, and that's very kind. Please tell her that —”

She was interrupted by a cry from the Gryffindor table; everyone looked. Bill and Molly were holding Fleur who was trying to stand; the rest of the family were hovering around them, except for Ron who was still seated. His face was white and he looked like he was in danger of losing everything he had just eaten.

"My God, she's having her baby!" Ginny cried. She rushed back with Harry trailing uncertainly behind. She almost crashed into Madame Pomfrey who was also pushing past people who had stood up and were craning their necks to see.

"I will walk," Fleur was saying insistently. "It is a baby, for goodness sakes. No one is ill."

Bill looked at Madame Pomfrey, who nodded. "If she can walk, then let her, but let's not dawdle. Veela babies come quickly."

"Yes, zat is right, zey do not like to wait. Come, darling," she said to Bill, "let me 'old your shoulder." She saw Ginny and smiled. "You must not wait for me, chérie. I will come see it later."

Ginny stared and Fleur patted her cheek as she passed, then she cried out again and put her hand back on her stomach. "Ahh! Anozer one. Vite, vite!"

The procession — Bill, Fleur, Madame Pomfrey, Molly, Arthur, and Madame Maxime who had also left the staff table with the nurse — left the Great Hall, and a buzz of conversation rose.

The Weasleys looked at each other. "Well," George finally said, "the next generation arrives in style and right on time."

"Shouldn't we go upstairs, too?" Ginny said, glancing toward the door. "This is Mum and Dad's first grandchild. I think we should be with them."

"I don't," said Charlie. "I don't think Fleur wants a mob around her, and besides, we came here to be with you, Gin. This afternoon is supposed to be your show."

"'ear, 'ear," George seconded. "Fleur said not to wait."

Ginny looked at a bemused Harry, and she almost laughed at his lost expression. "Sweetie, it's only a baby. Fleur will be fine."

"But she — she was..."

"I'll explain later," Ginny giggled. "It's okay. Just take deep breaths, and if you get dizzy put your head between your legs. And maybe Ron should do the same thing."

Ron had turned green, and was swaying slightly on the bench. Hermione was sitting next to him with her arm around him, a slightly sympathetic smile on her face. "I'd take him up to the hospital wing," she said to Ginny, "but I'm sure Madame Pomfrey would just kick him out. Come, dearest," she stood and took his hand, "let's go outside. The fresh air will revive you nicely."

"Poor Ron," George shook his head as Hermione led him out. "I hope he can keep his lunch down. It took him quite a while to pack in all that food."

"This is an interesting family," Audrey Tinklebell remarked; Percy had gone rigid at Fleur's first outcry, and was just now starting to relax.

"Wait till you meet Aunt Muriel," George chortled.

At that moment Professor McGonagall walked up. She gave a general nod to the family, and spoke to Ginny. "Because of the weather, we'll meet in the Divination classroom down the hall to prepare. We should begin fairly soon; it looks like it will get worse out there."

Ginny gave Harry a quick kiss and followed the Headmistress out. Harry also followed and saw Ron and Hermione standing in the open front doorway; outside was a teeming rainstorm. Harry walked up to them.

"Is everything okay, mate?" he grinned at Ron. "It was getting a little stuffy in there, wasn't it?"

"Ha ha," Ron said grumpily. "It was that clam chowder; it didn't agree with me."

Harry nodded and exchanged glances with Hermione. "Well, what's going to happen with this rain? Do you think they can cast a weather charm for a few minutes?"

"It would be easier just to put up a canopy of some kind," said Hermione. "This is a shame. No one's going to be there. It's not fair to Ginny."

"I don't think she minds," Harry said. "She's doing it for Elizabeth Derby, not for a crowd of people."

"Well," Hermione glanced outside at the rain, "shall we?"

They put their cloaks on, pulled their hoods up, and threw waterproofing charms on each other. They sloshed down the path to Hagrid's cabin but turned off about two hundred yards from the castle. A few yards from the path was, indeed, a large white canopy. They stood under it, and while Ron and Hermione talked quietly, Harry became lost in thought, his reverie going back to that day a year ago when he came within a few yards of this spot and saw Ginny bent over a body. How he had yearned for her then, and how in one year that desperation had turned into utter joy and fulfillment!

They saw more people descending the path. The Derby family arrived, then Dennis Creevey and his parents; Emma and Claire came running across the lawn, splashing through puddles and ducking breathlessly under the canopy. Hagrid came and stooped down to get under, then had to sit on the ground because it was too low for him to stand. Everyone from Dumbledore's Army came. The Weasleys arrived, and Charlie announced that the baby was expected momentarily.

As more and more people arrived, the magical canopy expanded, and then chairs started appearing, forming a large ring around the central spot. The Derby family sat in the front row, and after a moment one of the wizards rose and came over to Harry, who was standing next to Hagrid with Ron and Hermione.

"I'm Lothar Derby, Elizabeth's father," he said to Harry. "John and James are my brothers. I believe you met them last night."

"That's right." Harry offered his hand and Derby shook it. "They came to the Weasleys' house and asked Ginny and me to help them surrender."

"Well," the man gave a sigh, "let's hope for the best. We've been trying to get them to do that for several months. We were afraid that the longer they stayed out, the worse it would be for them. At any rate, I want to pass on the thanks of the family." He smiled sadly. "We seem to run into you and your friends at the worst of times. Maybe things will start to turn around now."

"I hope so," Harry said. "This is really important to Ginny," he indicated the spot in the center of the circle of chairs.

The man nodded, then went back to his seat. Harry looked at Elizabeth's mother, sitting next to him; she was dressed in black robes, a stark contrast to her silver hair and looks that were as stunning as Fleur's. She looked at Harry, and he saw the same haunted look that had been in Molly Weasley's eyes so often of late.

There were now several dozen people under the canopy. Harry took a seat in the front row and Ron and Hermione sat next to him with the rest of the family. A moment later they heard the wailing of the bagpipe, and then a small procession appeared through the rain on the path coming from the castle. In the lead was Rathbone Rastlebuck playing another mournful tune. Next was Ginny, followed by Professor McGonagall and the rest of the Hogwarts staff, and the Minister of Magic.

The music stopped and they entered under the canopy. In the silence, the rain beat on the roof. Ginny moved to the center of the circle; she was wearing a set of very formal dress robes that Harry hadn't seen before, and a formal witch's hat. She glanced once at him, then walked to the center and looked down at the very spot where Elizabeth Derby had died.

She stood there for a long time in complete silence. Harry saw Elizabeth's mother, sitting across from him, weeping into a handkerchief; her husband's arm was around her.

Ginny raised her eyes. "Something terrible happened here," she said in a voice that trembled slightly. "The world ended. Something beautiful vanished. Evil triumphed. I saw it happen and I have never felt so hopeless as I did at that moment. Elizabeth was only fifteen years old; she didn't have to be here, but she decided to stay and fight. They caught her and killed her, right here." Her voice broke. "I saw it happen."

She bowed her head, and Harry knew that she was unable to continue. He closed his eyes and filled his heart with Ginny. She looked up and let her eyes go to his for a moment. Then she went on.

"That day, we won, we defeated evil. But what had vanished did not come back; it will never come back. And that is not right; it isn't right that something as foul as what killed Elizabeth should be allowed to triumph. That's why we're here. We're going to reverse that triumph, even though we can't reverse Elizabeth's death. On this spot, from now on, there will always be beauty and life, forever."

Even though her voice was now strong, tears were running down Ginny's cheeks. As she took her wand out, Minerva McGonagall, Filius Flitwick, and Pomona Sprout all stepped forward. They formed a circle and pointed their wands.

First, a large stone fountain appeared; it was made of gleaming white marble with a large catch–basin. The upper part, from which water began to cascade, was in the shape of two hands cupped together toward the sky. Directly above it the canopy opened, exposing the fountain to the sky and the rain.

Professor Sprout stepped forward, and she and Ginny moved their wands. Lily pads appeared on the water's surface in the basin; yellow, white, blue, and red flowers sprang from the lily pads. Vines sprang out of the ground and climbed the pedestal; they twined around it and around the basin.

Professor McGonagall and Ginny made wand gestures together, and there were gold and yellow and red fish swimming in the fountain.

Finally, the canopy drew back again, and, with Ginny and Professor Sprout gesturing with their wands, a rowan tree sprang out of the ground next to the fountain. It grew until it was taller than the fountain, almost reaching the canopy; its branches spread and feather–shaped leaves formed on them. The branches bent as the rain fell on them.

Ginny waved her wand again and a white bird burst from the cupped hands. The dove soared into the air, then returned and landed gracefully on the topmost branch of the tree. After a moment it hopped down to a lower branch that was more sheltered. It ruffled its tail feathers and settled on the branch.

"This is an eternal fountain," Ginny said. "It will be here as long as Hogwarts stands. The creatures and flowers in it will never die. The rowan tree will grow here forever, and there will always be a family of doves living in it. The dead cannot be brought back to life, but their memory can. Elizabeth Derby, and every person who died in the battle, is now immortal." Her voice dropped to a whisper that could barely be heard above the rain drumming on the canopy. "Goodbye, Lizzie. I'm sorry I couldn't do more."

She lowered her wand and stood with her head bowed, and her tears fell on the grass. Ginny's grief overwhelmed Harry and he covered his eyes with his hand as his own tears joined hers.

Slowly, Elizabeth's mother rose and walked to Ginny; they embraced, then Elizabeth's father did the same. Other relatives pressed Ginny's hand, and Elizabeth's grandmother, Mary Wilson, took her face in her hands and kissed her brow.

Ginny was silent, nodding to some, smiling to others. Gradually the tent emptied until only the Weasleys remained. Harry took her hand and then they all left. As the last person, Charlie, walked from under the canopy into the rain, the canopy vanished, leaving the fountain and the tree standing in the open air.

They hurried back to the castle and up to the hospital wing. They were met at the door by a beaming Arthur. He threw the door open wide and they saw Fleur sitting up in a bed with Bill next to her and Molly on her other side; Olympe Maxime stood next to the bed. Fleur was holding her daughter, wrapped in a silver blanket that sparkled in the candlelight.

"'ere is your niece, Victoire Weasley," she proclaimed. "She is as beautiful as I t'ought she would be. Now Veela blood is Weasley blood. She will be a blessing to bot' families."

* * * *

The Ravenclaw match was two weeks later, and Ginny had the Gryffindor team honed to as fine an edge as possible. Dennis was still not perfect, but she was confident that her Chasers would be able to overwhelm the Ravenclaw defense. The great uncertainty, of course, was the Golden Snitch. There was always an element of luck in who saw it first, and she couldn't help worrying. The night before the match, Ron and Hermione had dinner in the flat over the inn, and afterward Hermione went off and read in an armchair while the others talked Quidditch around the magical table.

"Love, you have nothing to worry about," Harry said, reaching across and taking Ginny's hand. "Even if we lose, which we won't, the Harpies aren't going to cancel your invitation. You've already shown them so much. They already love you. Look at how that coach reacted in the Hufflepuff match."

"I know," Ginny fretted, "but I want everything to be perfect. I wish I knew what they were planning."

"It doesn't matter," Ron said. "You've trained this team better than half the professional clubs. There's no way Ravenclaw can stop you. They may be smart, but so are you."

"I'm worried about Jimmy. If Dennis misses a save, Jimmy's gonna start trying to cover for him, and that'll throw the whole defensive scheme off. He started to do it in the last match, but then Dennis saved the next one." She got up and started pacing between the casement window and the picture window. "I won't be able to sleep tonight, and then I'll be too tired tomorrow to think straight, especially if Peakes screws up; it'll just make me mad, and then I'll lose concentration, and then Hector will spot the Snitch, and then —" She stopped in front of the picture window and looked out.

"They're all here! Look!" She grinned at Harry and pointed out the window. The others came and saw McPherson, Bailey, and all six owlets perched on the top branch of the elm tree.

"Tell them to come to the other window!" Harry ran to the casement window and flung it open. Ginny waved to the owls, and they all took off around the side of the inn; five seconds later McPherson was on his perch and Bailey was on the mantel with the owlets. They walked back and forth, knocking over photographs, clucking and chirping, and peering around the room. Peanut flew into the kitchen, but came zipping back when McPherson let out a loud screech.

Ginny was jumping up and down, clapping her hands and laughing. "They're beautiful!" she cried. "This is brilliant!"

"Are they housebroken?" said Ron dryly.

"Who cares? I wonder if they can carry messages yet."

The owlets suddenly grew still. They lined up along the edge of the mantel under the critical eye of Bailey, and each one puffed out its chest.

"That looks like a yes," said Harry. "Why don't you send a note to the twins?"

"Good idea." Ginny ran into the bedroom and came back with a small piece of parchment. She quickly scribbled a note. "Which one is Rosie? Maybe we'd better send Mocha, too, just to keep peace in the family."

Harry fetched another parchment and wrote another note, then he tied his note to the light brown one; Ginny picked out the russet one, and with two loud chirps, the two owlets flew out the open window. Harry went to watch and had to duck as McPherson took off after them.

"A little adult supervision, I suppose," Ron observed. "Weren't you talking about giving one to Mum and Dad?" he asked Ginny.

Ginny smiled. "I was, and I was also thinking about Bill and Fleur. What do you think, Harry?"

"If that's what you want. They'll be at the match with Victoire, won't they?"

They talked about the owlets, and then Ginny realized that she was no longer worried about the match. An hour later, the owlets came fluttering back through the window with McPherson right behind them. They plunked down on the table where all four humans were sitting, and held up their legs with notes attached.

"Maybe we all look alike to owls," said Hermione with a grin; Rosie was standing in front of her, hopping on one leg, trying to keep her balance. "Over there," she pointed at Ginny. "That's the one you want."

Rosie obediently hopped over to Ginny who reached out and gently scratched the bird's head. She took the note, and laughed when she read it. "Emma is a touch excited. What about Claire?"

"I can hear her shrieks from here," Harry answered.

The owlets were exhausted, so Harry handed out owl treats, and then the winged family flew back out the window and around to the elm tree; they roosted with the owlets on a low branch and the two parents on the top branch.

Ginny watched them settle in, then sat back down at the table. It was starting to grow dark, and she took Harry's hand. "I better be getting back, or Momma Jimmy's going to start worrying about me."

"We wouldn't want that, would we?" Harry smiled and got up. Ginny had decided to sleep at the castle so she could have breakfast with the team — as she had done before the two previous matches — and Ron and Hermione would stay in the flat, in the bed while Harry slept on the red rug. They all walked back to Hogwarts in the warm spring evening. Harry gave Ginny a good–luck snog in the common room, and he, Ron, and Hermione returned to the inn.

The next morning, the weather for the match was perfect: blue sky, cool temperature, and almost no wind. The trio got to the stadium early and claimed a row for the Weasley family. The stands filled slowly. George and Angelina were the next to arrive, then Molly, Arthur, and Charlie from the Burrow, and then Percy and Audrey. They saw the teams arrive and go to their dressing rooms, and it was almost game time when Bill and Fleur got there; Bill was carrying Victoire wrapped in blankets, and all the witches around them oohed and aahed when he handed the baby to Fleur.

"Don't forget the muffling spell," Molly said to Bill with a worried frown.

Harry was sitting between Fleur and Ron, and he peered at Victoire. Fleur pulled the blanket from the baby's head and Harry saw that her hair, which had been long, dark, and wet the last time he saw her in the hospital wing, was turning into a layer of short silvery down. Victoire yawned and smacked her lips; her eyes were closed and she sighed. Harry marveled at how much she resembled her mother; Victoire was indeed a beauty.

"She is sleeping," said Fleur. "She is a perfect baby, she sleeps, zen she eats, zen she sleeps. She never cries."

Harry remembered the other infant he knew, Teddy Lupin, and he felt a pang of guilt; he had not gone to see Andromeda as he had told her he would at Sagittaria's funeral, and he promised himself he would do it soon. He thought of the two babies, and smiled to himself, wondering what Teddy would do with his hair color if he and Victoire were put together.

The stadium was now full, and the Gryffindor section, just behind the Weasleys, was in full throat, led by the roars of Emma and Claire in their lion costumes. Across the way was the Ravenclaw section, a sea of blue and bronze. A large blue eagle was parading back and forth in the stands, knocking people out of their seats with its flapping wings.

"That has to be Luna," Ron remarked. "No one else would do something like that."

"Isn't their eagle supposed to be gold?" Harry asked.

"I think so, but maybe she thought it would clash with her hair."

Harry began to feel a sense of heightened anxiety, and at that moment the teams walked out onto the pitch and he knew that it was coming from Ginny. She didn't look up at him, but scanned the Ravenclaw team, nodding to their Seeker, Hector Freeman, who smiled back. Madame Hooch released the balls and blew her whistle; the match had begun.

It was quickly obvious what Ravenclaw's strategy was. They played their third Chaser, a sixth–year named Alistair Newton, as though he was a Beater; he never flew past the mid–point of the pitch. The result was that Ravenclaw's attack was completely anemic, but the Gryffindor Chasers were blocked from mounting a sustained attack of their own. In addition, the Ravenclaw Chasers played a good twenty feet higher than was normal. Ron was the first to notice.

"You see that?" he pointed to the two Ravenclaw Chasers; they weren't level with the rings, but several yards higher. "The bastards are helping the Seeker. The higher they are the more they can see. No one's going to score a goal in this match."

Soon most of the crowd had also figured it out, and jeers and whistles began to be heard from the students, especially the Gryffindors. Harry shaded his eyes and cast around, looking for the Golden Snitch.

High overhead, Ginny was circling the stadium at a faster clip than she normally flew. She had immediately seen what the Ravenclaws were doing, and she had read about this very tactic in her Harpies' Quidditch book. The counter for it was two–fold. First she signaled Jimmy Peakes to move forward so that he was positioned between the Gryffindor Chasers and Will Reynolds, the other Beater; if the Ravenclaws weren't going to bother mounting a sustained attack, then Gryffindor could afford to play loose with its Beaters.

Second, by speeding up her own sweep, she could cover more space, have a better chance at spotting the Snitch, and wouldn't have to accelerate as much if Hector Freeman saw it first. The only problem was, if the Snitch showed up behind her, it would take longer to turn. On balance, though, Ginny calculated that she was better off flying faster, which was, after all, an advantage of riding a Firebolt.

Jimmy Peakes was delighted to become part of the Gryffindor attack, and soon he completely abandoned any pretense of playing defense. It paid off when a Bludger aimed at Demelza Robins instead hit Jimmy in the face, allowing her to move in for a clean shot. She scored, and Gryffindor led ten to nil.

But there were no more goals after that. Ravenclaw refused to attack; they were playing for time, hoping that Hector would catch the Snitch. And Jimmy now had to cope with a bloody nose and an eye that was swollen almost completely shut. The game became a test of patience, and the crowd grew more and more unhappy.

Harry could feel Ginny's frustration. She kept circling, looking around for the Snitch. The match went on, the jeers and whistles grew louder, but Ravenclaw refused to budge. Everyone was distracted by the Quaffle's constantly being dropped by both sides, and then Hector Freeman spotted the Snitch.

But Harry had also seen it, almost the instant that Hector did; he had not let himself be distracted. The Ravenclaw Seeker dove, and Harry felt his insides lurch as he realized that Ginny was on the opposite side of the stadium, watching the Ravenclaw Chasers. But then she dove, too, a streak of red and gold flashing across the pitch.

Hector was much closer; he was blind to everything else, including Jimmy Peakes riding up from below, blood streaming from his nose, intent only on blocking the Ravenclaw Seeker. Hector had to swerve to avoid a collision, and Ginny arrived at the Snitch a half–second before he did.

The Gryffindor section exploded in a great shout, with a lion's roar reverberating around the whole stadium. Ginny circled, then dove toward Harry; she zoomed past him and he could see her triumphant grin as she held up the Golden Snitch.

Ron put his mouth close to Harry's ear. "I have no idea how she did that," he shouted over the noise of the crowd. "She was looking the wrong way, then all of a sudden she was diving."

"She's good!" yelled Harry as he applauded. "She's just damn good!"

The teams headed into their dressing rooms, and the Weasleys waited in the stands for Ginny to come out. They talked about the match and how well Ginny had adjusted to the Ravenclaw strategy. Charlie said that he had seen three Holyhead Harpies sitting nearby, taking notes and commenting on the match. Then Victoire woke up and wanted to eat, so Fleur put a blanket around her and the baby and served lunch. The Athair twins came down to sit with them — they had taken off their lion costumes — and told Harry what excellent messengers Rosie and Mocha were.

Ron poked Harry in the ribs and he looked down. Several people were standing in front of the stands below them: Ginny, Madame Hooch, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Flitwick. Ginny was waving, and Harry realized that she wanted him.

"What's going on?" he said to Ron. "She doesn't look happy."

"Dunno," Ron shrugged. "Neither does Flitwick."

The stands were empty except for the Weasleys, and they all watched as Harry descended to the pitch. He climbed over the railing and looked at the serious faces of the three professors.

"Hi, babe," he smiled at Ginny. "Great match. The Quidditch Cup is yours."

Ginny frowned, but Madame Hooch spoke first. "Perhaps it is, Mr. Potter, but first we want to know if there was any kind of communication between you and Miss Weasley during the match, especially at the end."

"Communication? What are you talking about?" Harry was astonished, but also angry at the question. "I was sitting in the stands and Ginny was a hundred feet up in the air. How could I communicate with her?"

"There, you see, Rolanda?" Minerva McGonagall said. "Nothing happened. Miss Weasley caught the Golden Snitch fair and square. The Cup belongs to Gryffindor."

"Not so fast, Minerva," squeaked Professor Flitwick. His bushy eyebrows were knitted together in a rare scowl. "There is no way Miss Weasley could have seen the Snitch at the moment she dove. Someone tipped her off, didn't they, Mr. Potter?"

Harry couldn't believe this. Two mature, intelligent, and otherwise friendly colleagues were arguing because one of them would have the Quidditch Cup in his or her office for a year, while the other one would have to look at an empty shelf for the same year. He couldn't help himself, he started to laugh.

"Mr. Potter!" said Madame Hooch indignantly. "If you don't mind, I would like your solemn word as a former student that you did not illegally signal to Miss Weasley the whereabouts of the Snitch."

"Of course," he said immediately. "Er, I mean of course not. Ginny's the best Seeker in the history of Hogwarts and she's about to become a member of a professional club. She's good! She has a sense for the game. How can you deny her a victory when Gryffindor was clearly the better team?"

"Well," Madame Hooch turned to Professor Flitwick, "I'm sorry, Filius. I must accept Harry's word. The Cup goes to Gryffindor."

The tiny professor glared at her, then turned and stalked off the pitch. Harry had never seen him angry like that, and he marveled at the power the game of Quidditch held over people.

The rest of the family had climbed down and, after everyone had a chance to congratulate Ginny, they left for the Hog's Head and lunch. Winky had prepared a great victory feast — "Winky knows that Ginny Pott — Ginny Weasley has won the Quidditch Cup" — and it was a merry afternoon in Hogsmeade.

Late in the evening the last celebrants, Ron and Hermione, departed for home. Harry and Ginny sprawled on the red rug in front of a small fire. Harry was on his back and Ginny was using his stomach as a pillow.

"It's over, love," she sighed. "No more Quidditch at Hogwarts."

"You went out with a bang, though. You were brilliant, the way you adjusted to their tactics."

Ginny was silent, then she sat up and leaned on her arm. "Harry, I did feel something up there. I know it was you, and I know you didn't do it deliberately. Can you remember what happened?"

He looked up at her from the rug. "I had kind of a scared feeling. Are you telling me that you felt that? I wasn't trying to tell you, I just reacted because I was sure that Hector was going to get the Snitch."

Ginny was silent again, then she sighed. "Love, this is not good. If I had been flying for the Harpies and this had happened, it would have been a scandal; I would be kicked off the team."

Harry sat up. "What! That's ridiculous! You didn't do anything, and neither did I, for that matter. How can you say it's a scandal?"

"It's happened before. Ask Ron. There's always been problems with people using magic to get an advantage. And if it came out that my boyfriend — Merlin, I mean, my husband — was passing me signals, it would be bad for both of us. It's illegal, Harry, it's cheating. Think of what something like that would do to your own career."

"If it's cheating, then why didn't you say something to Madame Hooch? Does the Cup belong to Ravenclaw?"

"Don't you think I haven't thought of that? But it wasn't deliberate, and when I felt you, I didn't know for certain what it was. It wasn't all that specific, it just made me look."

"Ron said you dove before you looked."

"No," she shook her head, "he was mistaken. I looked and saw the Snitch. Don't you see, love? If that's what Flitwick thought, too, then it must have seemed like I dove blindly, but I didn't."

Harry stared at her. "You're saying that I can't go to any of your matches?"

Ginny nodded; she felt tears come to her eyes as she looked at Harry's stricken face. "Yes," she whispered, "I think that's what I'm saying."

Harry slumped back onto the rug. Ginny put her hands on either side of his shoulders and leaned over him. "It's awful, but I don't see any way out. It would be impossible for either one of us to completely control our feelings. It's bound to happen again."

Harry smiled wanly; he reached up and pulled her down so that her head was on his chest. He stroked her hair. "It's okay. All I need to know is that my beautiful, brilliant wife is a Quidditch star."

"Oh, Harry, don't say that," Ginny was now crying. "I —"

Harry's mouth was on hers. They both felt an overwhelming need, not a physical need but a need to let the whole world know that no matter what the adversity, it didn't matter. Nothing mattered now but their kiss.

Ginny was on top of Harry as they clung together. The kiss went on, and still their need grew. Harry's hands went down her body, then he pulled her shirt out of her jeans. She sat up and violently, almost angrily, flung it away. They both stood. Ginny's eyes were blazing and tears were still streaking her face as she ripped off her own clothes. Harry did the same with his, then he swept her up in his arms. He kicked open the bedroom door and carried her to the bed. In a moment the covers were thrown back and everything else in the world disappeared.

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