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Author: Mr. Intel Story: Harry Potter and the Path of Light Rating: Young Teens Setting: Pre-HBP Status: Abandoned Reviews: 9 Words: 45,919
Harry was still exhausted when he had come back to The Burrow the next day, but it was more from the early morning Quidditch scrimmage that Charlie and Bill had convinced him and Ron to take part in than anything else. In fact, as August began to pass by, Harry didn't notice any discernable side effects from the attack, and he found himself praising Hermione for her quick thinking. The modified shield charm seemed to be holding up well, as he hadn't felt even an inkling of pain from his scar since, and couldn't detect any sign of Voldemort trying to invade his mind. The day after his birthday, Aberforth had shown up to continue his training, this time in the makeshift Quidditch Pitch next to The Burrow's garden. Since his run-in with Voldemort, Harry had become more and more adept at wandless magic, able to perform increasingly advanced spells. Performing the magic was no longer a hurdle, but keeping his magical reserves stable was. After every session, he would sleep off the drained feeling, causing Molly to cluck her tongue disapprovingly at his elderly tutor whenever she had the chance. Now, as he blinked his eyes open two weeks after the attack, Harry heard Ron mumbling something incomprehensible into his pillow. The sun was just peeking over the trees in the east garden of The Burrow and he could hear the twittering of birds in their branches. It was destined to be another marvelous day. "Come on... Hermione, don't say that...," said a still sleeping Ron. Harry covered his mouth to hide a snicker and resisted the urge to hit him in the head with his pillow. Ginny was due back sometime today and Harry was anxious to finally resolve the still-befuddling argument they'd had two weeks ago. He had to resist writing in the journal several times, knowing that even if Ginny had checked her copy, his impatience would likely only anger her. With a large measure of reluctance, he had always managed to put the unmarked journal back in his trunk. Leaving Ron to his dream, who was now mumbling something about Hermione's hair, he sat up in bed, swung around to plant his sock-clad feet onto the floor and stood. Deciding that a house full of boys and Ron's consistent lack of clothing in the morning didn't warrant changing from his bottoms-only pajamas to something else, he walked out the door intent on getting a bite of breakfast. Passing by the sole bathroom on the upper level, Harry heard someone in the shower. Assuming it to be Bill or Charlie, he continued down to the kitchen and was once again bowled over with the weighty smells of Molly's cooking. Instead of Molly Weasley at the cooker, however, Harry was surprised to se Bill busily preparing rashers of bacon, eggs, and fried potatoes, some with magic and others without. A large plate of fat bangers lay off to the side of the counter and Harry was tempted to grab one, but one sideways glance from Bill set him straight. "Morning, Harry," he said, pulling another large serving plate from the cupboard. The water stopped running through the pipes to the shower upstairs, but he could still hear water gurgling down the drain. When Harry gave him a quizzical look, Bill said, "Mum's in the village picking up some apples for a pie later today, so I took over for her this morning." "I didn't know you could cook," he said sarcastically and was rewarded with a flip in the back with the towel Bill had been using to wipe to counter down. Harry rubbed at the growing welt on his shoulder blade and wandered to the kitchen table, where a full service was already laid. Pouring a glass of juice, he sat back in his chair and focused blankly on the Weasley's clock. Arthur's was already pointed at 'Work' next to Molly's at 'Shopping'. Percy's had been on 'Lost' since last year and the rest of the family was at 'Home'. He sipped at his juice and continued to stare at the clock. Something wasn't right about it; his food-deprived brain worked hard trying to discover what it was. Then, with a start, he realized what the problem was. Ginny's hand was on top of the stack pointing to 'Home'. "Good morning, Mum!" Ginny's voice rang through the kitchen as she descended the stairs. Harry stiffened at the sound of her voice, both nervous and excited. She was taking the stairs slowly, rubbing a towel in her still damp hair. "Beautiful morning, isn't...." Ginny stopped dead as she turned on the last step and laid eyes on Harry. Her head tilted slightly and her mouth twitched a little as she stared unabashedly at him. "Do I look like mum?" asked Bill sardonically. "Make yourself useful and fetch the milk." Without even looking at him, Harry could tell Bill hadn't turned around to see his sister. A heat crept up his neck and face and he cursed his decision to leave Ron's room shirtless. Ginny and Harry continued to stare at one another for a moment when she said, "Sure thing, Bill, I'll be right there." Walking slowly past the table and Harry's seat, she lingered by his chair, dropped her towel into the seat next to his, and whispered, "Did you know that your whole chest turns red when you blush?" Then without another glance, she continued to the icebox to retrieve the milk. Heating even more, Harry cleared his throat and made for the stairs. As he climbed, his gaze caught Ginny's again and the mischievous smile on her face caused him to miss a step and he had to grab the railing to keep from smacking into the stairs. Ginny let out a giggle, which earned her a curious glance from Bill as Harry sheepishly continued up to Ron's room. Muttering under his breath the whole way, he grabbed his shirt from the floor, thrust it on hastily, and walked back down to the kitchen. Ginny was now sitting in the seat next to where Harry's half-empty juice glass rested, still grinning widely. Not wanting a repeat performance of his trip up, he focused all his energy on the last of the steps and then asked, "Can I help with anything, Bill?" A plate of rashers flew over to the table and set itself down next to the potatoes. "No, Harry, I think we've got everything handled," he said with a glance at the two of them and returned to the kitchen. Turning back to the table, and the prospect of sitting next to Ginny, Harry made every effort to not make eye contact. As he sat down in his chair, he noticed a warm vanilla scent around her that cut through the heavy smells of cooked breakfast meat like a knife, and groaned inwardly. "So, Harry," she said sweetly. "We never finished our conversation...." He looked up at her, expecting to see that maddening smile on her face, but saw instead a piercing gaze that reminded him strongly of Dumbledore. "No... we didn't," he said quietly. "Are you ready to talk now?" Another small smile curled on her lips, this one warm and sincere. "I need to apologize again." She paused and then said, "I'm sorry for being angry with you. I just...." Pain flashed on her face and she closed her eyes. "I just worry about you, Harry." He could feel something catch in his throat, but managed to squeak out, "Thank you, Ginny. I'm really lucky to have you for a friend." Feeling bold, he put his hand on hers on the table. "I never apologized properly for how I treated you. I - I was a real prat that night and didn't give you a second thought." His hand slid off hers and he hung his head slightly over his empty plate. "I was so caught up with my own problems that I didn't even think how worried about me you might be until I read your message the next morning." He looked up at her with an apologetic glance. "Please forgive me?" Ginny smiled again and nodded her head. "I forgive you, Harry." "Friends?" offered Harry gratefully. "Friends," she agreed immediately. They shook hands and Harry felt a surge of gratitude and warmth flow between them. They continued to stare at each other, grinning stupidly when Ron thundered down the stairs. "Why didn't you wake me, Harry? I'm starved." His eyes raked the table up and down and before Harry could answer his question, had devoured an entire banger in one bite. "Finally decided to join us?" said Bill, as he floated a plate of fruit down next to the eggs. "Let's get started then." Charlie soon followed his younger brother, drawn by the pleasant smells like a fly to honey. Molly bustled into the kitchen a moment later and set down two sacks on the counter. She beamed as her boys and Ginny ate with gusto, cleaning off every bit of food. Harry's pajamas had become uncomfortably tight and he had to scoot his chair out a bit to make room. "Great breakfast, Mrs. Weasley, Bill," said Harry after stifling a belch. Ron nodded in agreement as he continued to chew on the last piece of toast. Ginny sighed contentedly as Bill and Charlie glanced at different sections of The Daily Prophet. Three owls flew into the kitchen, trailing each other with synchronous beats of their wings and dropped two letters each onto the table in front of Harry, Ginny, and Ron. The three eyed each other curiously as the owls swooped over their heads and exited the same window they'd entered. Harry picked up his letters and knew immediately what they contained; their standard, yearly list of books and supplies... and their O.W.L. results. Ginny grabbed her letters and shot off to the stairs without offering a word of explanation. Molly hummed to herself as she gathered the dishes, waiting patiently for the boys to open their letters. "Six!" cried Ron after he had tremulously pulled a piece of parchment from the top one. "I got six, Mum!" Ron was dancing on his chair, waving the letter proudly above his head. Charlie grabbed it from his hand and surveyed the parchment, as if to make sure it was authentic. "Good job, little brother," he said heartily. Harry grinned at his best friend, excited for his scores. If anyone needed to get some happy news, it was Ron. Then as he opened the second letter, a badge fell out and onto the table, but Ron didn't seem to notice it. His face went from ecstatic to a scowl in seconds as he read further down the paper, and his hands shook, rattling the parchment. Finally, he pushed his chair away from the table roughly and stomped outside, leaving the letters on the flat wooden surface. Charlie picked up the other letter and badge, then after reading it for a second, let out a low whistle. "They took away his prefect's badge...." he explained. "Then what was the badge that fell out?" blurted Harry, too curious to restrain himself. "McGonagall's made him Quidditch Captain!" said Bill, now reading over Charlie's shoulder. "Talk about taking your good with your bad.... I wonder why they took his prefect status away." Charlie shrugged and put down the letter. "It doesn't say." Molly pulled out her wand and started to banish the dirty dishes to the sink. "You boys clean up so we can get your books from Diagon Alley today. I want to be done before lunch." Harry looked at his own letters and decided that he would wait to find out how he'd done on his O.W.L.s. Truth be told, he was more interested to see which one's Ron had passed, but even more desirous to know how Ron was feeling about being Quidditch Captain. A thought niggled in the back of his brain that he might be the new Gryffindor Prefect. Hefting the Hogwarts letter in his hand, he tested it for weight and bulk, but found it just as thick as normal. Remembering back to Dumbledore's office at the end of June, Harry reminded himself that the reason he hadn't been made prefect in the first place was he "had enough responsibility to be going on with." Perhaps, with the contents of the prophecy weighing on his mind and his now unstable link with Voldemort, his headmaster thought that the responsibility hadn't slackened enough to give him the badge. But then who else could it be? he asked himself. Shoving the envelopes in his back pocket, he walked outside to find Ron and ask him. Arriving outside, he didn't see any sign of his passage, but on closer inspection, was able to see a fresh set of tracks in the dew-laden grass. He followed them for a few minutes until he realized where they led. The Quidditch pitch. Silently cursing himself, he ran back to The Burrow and grabbed his Firebolt. Of course that's where he'd gone. Last year, Harry had been jealous of Ron's badge and although he got over it quickly, he was still somewhat disappointed about being left out this time around. If he was honest with himself, deep down inside, Harry knew he could be a brilliant Captain, but admitted that Ron was probably best suited for the job. Arriving on the pitch, Harry's broomstick began to vibrate softly, as if it knew Harry was about to mount it. Ron was circling slowly by a particularly large oak tree on the north side of the pitch, head down, lips moving. A breeze carried his mumbling over to Harry, but he couldn't quite make out the words. Harry flew up beside Ron, a little behind him and smiled when he realized what he was saying. "...need one new Chaser, Ginny's a cinch. Dumbledore will have to lift the ban on Harry... so I won't have to worry about a Seeker." Their brooms curved around the lazy circle they had been flying in and Ron jumped when he saw Harry out of the corner of his eye. "Blimey, Harry!" he said as he teetered on his broom. "Don't do that!" "Sorry," chuckled Harry. There was an awkward silence for a moment, broken when Harry said, "I guess I should say, I'm sorry and congratulations?" It was Ron's turn to chuckle, but it was mirthless. "Yeah, I suppose so." Harry let the silence linger, figuring that Ron needed to get it off his chest. "I... I don't know what to think about it all," he said turning to face Harry. "I mean, last year I was so excited about being a prefect that I didn't think about it being a job. Then after going to meetings and listening to Hermione jabber on about responsibilities and...." He sighed and pushed his broom towards the oak tree. Harry followed silently. They floated to one of the higher branches and Ron jumped onto it expertly, sitting down with practiced ease. Harry leapt to the limb, and had to grab the trunk to keep his balance before sitting down next to his friend. Ron picked at a piece of bark on the thick branch they were sitting on and after a few minutes of silence, said, "I guess it's a lot of work to be a prefect and since I'll be busy with Quidditch, maybe McGonagall didn't think I could handle it." "Maybe McGonagall just wants you to be focused on getting the cup again this year. She was awfully chuffed when Snape had to give it up third year," said Harry as he pulled a leaf off a nearby branch, twirling it between his fingertips. "Yeah," said Ron with a wistful look on his face. "Ol' Snape didn't like us kicking the pants off his great slimy team, did he?" "And now it's your turn to keep the cup out of the greasy git's office." Harry clapped Ron on the back, almost knocking Ron's balance off. Ron grabbed the trunk for support and elbowed Harry in the side. "Ow!" cried an indignant Harry. "Watch it, mate or I'll kick you off the team!" "Hah!" said Harry becoming solemn. "Too late for that. That Umbridge cow already banned me." "That's rubbish, Harry. You're the best Seeker in the school. I'll quit the team if they don't let you play." Humbled by his sincerity, Harry blinked and said, "Thanks, Ron." Ron smiled cheekily. "So how'd you do on your O.W.L.'s?" Harry grabbed the letter from his back pocket and held it out in front of him. "I don't know. Never opened it." Both boys stared at the slightly crinkled envelope before Ron grabbed it from his hand. "All right, then I'll open it." He slit the seal and pulled out a single sheet, unfolding it before clearing his throat. "Let's see...." Ron's eyes went wide. "You got seven, Harry!" Harry grabbed the letter and read it over himself. Ron was right, seven O.W.L's, one each for Defense, Transfiguration, Charms, Care of Magical Creatures, Herbology, Astronomy, and Potions. It was the last score that really floored Harry. He had an 'E' for the written and an 'O' in the practical for Potions. He needed N.E.W.T. Potions to be an Auror and Snape only let students with an 'O' into his upper level class. "I got an 'O' in Potions!" "Rotten luck, then," said Ron with a smirk. "Two more years with that git." "What?" asked Harry. "You didn't make it?" Ron paused for a moment and then smiled. "Yeah, I made it too." Harry breathed a sigh of relief. "I don't know what I'd have done without you with me. It'd be like a whole different class without you." "Nah," he said pushing his hand through his hair. "Hermione'd be there with you. It's not like you could keep her from a N.E.W.T. level class, anyway." Harry chuckled. "She's probably got the whole year plotted out already." "Study calendars, revision timelines...," said Ron with a wide grin. "That's our Hermione." Harry was feeling much better as they hopped back onto their brooms and made for the Burrow. Arriving in the back garden, brooms over their shoulders, they heard Mrs. Weasley scurrying about the kitchen. The door burst open and she popped into the doorway. "There you are," she said exasperatedly. "We're leaving for Diagon Alley in fifteen minutes. Go on now and get dressed." She shooed them upstairs and they hurried to get ready. * Flooing was as traumatic as ever for Harry and he slid into the Leaky Cauldron on his backside, eliciting laughter from his friends and minders. Aunt Jeanie and Molly came with them from the Burrow and the five of them met up with Lupin and Tonks, who were talking with the Grangers by the Muggle entrance. Ginny helped Harry up and he was somewhat surprised by her strength. "Thanks," he said as he brushed off his t-shirt and jeans. She smiled at him and wiped her hands with a handkerchief. "Not a problem, Harry." Then she walked over to give Hermione a hug and they instantly started twittering like birds. Harry gave Ron a look and they both shrugged. "Didn't even say hello to me," Ron groused. "I guess that tells you how important her own boyfriend is...." "Oh, keep your shirt on, Ron," she said as she walked over to the two boys and swept Ron up in his own hug then grabbed his hand. "Be glad I got all that girl stuff taken care of first so I can give you my undivided attention the rest of the day." She kissed his cheek a little slower than she normally did which left both of them tinged with pink. Ron pulled her away from the rest of them then took out his O.W.L. results and Hogwarts letter. Harry could see her eyes go wide, then scrunch together as she read both pieces of parchment. They spoke for a couple of minutes while the adults consulted about the day's schedule and Ginny looked anxiously at the entrance to Diagon Alley. "Right then," said Aunt Jeanie, taking charge of the situation. "Gringotts, then Flourish and Blotts." * As they walked back from the wizard's bank, pockets jingling merrily with new coins, Hermione sidled up to Harry with an expectant look on her face. "I got seven, Hermione," he said, heading off the question before she could ask it. "Oh that's wonderful!" He could tell she was genuinely pleased. "I expect you missed History of Magic and Astronomy...," she said tapping her fingers to her lip. A passing group of fifth-year girls giggled and pointed at Harry as they passed. He pushed his fringe down over his forehead and ducked slightly behind Hermione until they were out of sight. With a laugh, Harry pulled the letter out of his pocket and handed it to her, rather than explain the whole thing. She skimmed the sheet through and handed it back to him. "You passed Astronomy, then? Oh, but not Divination...." She narrowed her eyes but the expectant jab at her least-favorite subject never came. "Well, I guess we'll be in mostly the same classes then. Except, of course I'll have Ancient Runes and Arithmancy as well." "So you passed all your O.W.L.'s?" Harry asked, as he was clearly expected to. "All O's, or did you miss one?" he added teasingly. Hermione huffed and fumbled with her bag before producing her own letter. Harry unfolded the well-worn page and read through it once, then had to re-read it twice more to make sure he had read correctly the first time. "Hermione...," he said in awe. "You got eleven O.W.L.s!" Harry was looking back and forth between the letter and his friend. "All O's!" She beamed and took the letter back, replacing it in its envelope and slipping it into her bag. "I had to appeal the Astronomy practical, as they initially gave me an E, but because of the mitigating circumstances, they let me re-take it." "What!" Harry goggled. "You can't re-take O.W.L.'s." "Well," she said looking somewhat abashed. "Normally, they don't, but since there was someone else taking their O.W.L.'s over the summer, they let me retake this one." Still stunned, Harry didn't even think to ask who the other person was. Soon enough they were in Flourish and Blotts buying their books. The adults stayed outside as Tonks and Remus began to have a heated debate over the Tornado's new lineup this season. Hermione's stack of books was unusually tall and Ron offered to help her, which surprised Harry because Ron was usually too focused on his own stack to notice anyone else's. Ginny followed Harry closely and seemed to be getting her own books from the same areas that he did. "Hello, Harry! Nice to see you here," came a melodious voice from behind Harry as he reached for his Transfiguration text. Harry turned around and saw the smiling face of Katie Bell. "Oh, hi, Katie!" he said with pleasant surprise in his voice. "I haven't seen you in a while." Katie moved in to give him a hug and Harry had to switch his books around awkwardly to return the embrace. Ginny's eyes narrowed as she looked on, but Katie didn't seem to notice. "It's been right boring without you coming to the shop. I had to put everything back after you left all by myself." Harry chuckled and said, "How long did it take?" "I just finished yesterday, you'll have to come by and check it out," she said with a satisfied look. "By the way, I've still got that weird book you found." "Oh, yeah. I've been meaning to ask you about that," he said as Ginny pushed past them to walk to the Charms section. "Have you been able to translate it at all?" Katie moved in closer to him, looking around suspiciously and whispered, "Some parts are pretty tough, but I've got an idea what it's about." Then with another furtive glance around, said, "I'll get with you at Hogwarts and we'll talk more then." Harry wondered why she was being so secretive about it, but decided to play along. Then remembering something, he said, "Hey, did you hear who the new captain is?" "You got it, didn't you?" she said, beaming. "Actually, Ron got it," replied Harry not having to force a smile. "And he's right chuffed I can tell you." A look of shock crossed Katie's face, but it went away as quick as it came. "I though for sure, you'd be the captain.... McGonagall all but told me she was going to pick you." "Really?" he said, a little surprised. "When did she tell you that?" The old feelings of jealousy crept up inside him and he had to fight them down. "Last year, right before the leaving feast. She said the first thing she was going to do after school let out was to get your ban lifted and then start planning for this year's lineup." She touched Harry's shoulder lightly and said, "Maybe she changed her mind?" "Yeah," said Harry noncommittally, trying to figure out why she might have done that. "Well, I've got to meet my parents, so I'll talk to you later." Katie sent him a sympathetic glance that only annoyed him. "Alright, then, I'll see you at school." "Bye, Harry," she said brightly, before moving off to pay for her books. Walking over to pick up his own Charms book, he followed Ginny to the queue to pay, still mulling over Katie's comment about McGonagall. Ginny seemed to be ignoring him and Harry was wondering if she was angry at something. The queue moved and Ginny put her books on the counter, when a letter fell from her pocket. Harry reflexively grabbed the paper and tapped Ginny on the shoulder. "You dropped this, Ginny." Holding it up for her to take, he noticed the words "O.W.L. results" before she grabbed it from him and hastily put it in her pocket again. "Thanks, Harry," she said stiffly. Harry's brow furrowed and his brain started to piece things together. Ginny going to Hogwarts during the summer, Hermione taking O.W.L.'s with someone else.... He looked at her stack of books more closely as the clerk began to put them in a bag. They were the same as the books he had under his arm. Tapping her shoulder again, he said tentatively, "Um... Ginny?" He shifted his load to both hands and cleared his throat. "Did you take your O.W.L.'s already?" She finished paying the clerk and turned towards him. Her face was cheerful, but her voice was devoid of emotion. "Yes, Harry. Professor Dumbledore asked me to skip years before I left for the summer." Reeling, Harry searched for something to say. "You... you... skipped?" He placed his books absently on the counter and the clerk began to ring up his total. "I'm in sixth year, now, Harry. Just like you." With that, she walked out of the shop to wait by her mother. Harry paid for his books quickly and followed. "Ginny," he said, catching up to her as they started walking towards the Apothecary. "I'm glad for you... I didn't mean to seem so surprised, I just... was...." It sounded lame even to Harry's ears. Ginny pulled a face and then giggled. "I'm not mad, Harry. You don't have to apologize about it." Then with a sigh, she said, "I've just been keeping this a secret for so long, I'm having a hard time telling people about it." She looked penetratingly at Harry and his heart clenched. "I've never been able to do anything like this before. I've never really had a chance to prove myself.... This is finally something tangible that I can point to and say, 'I did that'." Her eyes glinted like steel in the bright sunlight. Then her face softened and she grabbed Harry's hand. "Come on, let's get our Potions supplies and stop by Fortescue's for a sherbet." They refilled their Potion's kits and happily walked over to the ice-cream parlor, where several other Gryffindors were seated. Harry selected a non-magical orange flavor while Ron and Hermione shared a banana split. They joined Dean and Seamus at two tables that had been pushed together while Tonks and Lupin sat at a small table by the entrance. Dean's face lit up when he saw them. "Ginny!" he said in surprise and leapt to his feet. He grabbed her in a hug and spun her around before putting her down. She giggled and pecked him on the cheek. "Hello, Dean." Ron managed to pull himself away from his ice cream and his girlfriend long enough to scowl in Dean's direction. Molly was tutting under her breath, while Jeanie simply looked on at the pair. Harry's light mood seemed to cloud over and he found himself no longer hungry for ice cream. Ginny and Dean sat down by Seamus and talked about their holidays. She showed Dean her O.W.L. scores and he hugged her again. Harry stabbed at his sherbet until it was a melting pile of mush in the bottom of his bowl. Harry leaned closer to Ron to hear his heated conversation with Hermione. "She's too young to be dating, Hermione. Besides, he's not good enough for her," he added with a glance at Harry. Drowning out the rest of the conversation, Harry resolved to not care about Ginny's social life. If she was happy with Dean, then he would force himself to be happy too but it irked him that he even cared that they were together. * Harry was the first one to leave the parlor and deposited his ice cream cup into the nearest receptacle. As they walked towards the second-hand robe shop, he motioned to a store on their left. "I didn't think their shop was open yet." Hermione bumped into him accidentally when he stopped suddenly, her mouth slightly open in surprise. Dozens of teenagers, children and their parents were filing in and out of the medium sized shop across from Gambol and Japes. One excited first-year accidentally set off a dungbomb in an attempt to shove his haul into a small paper sack. The crowds were so determined to investigate the new store that only a handful of people succumbed to the smell and left the queue. "Wicked!" said a clearly impressed Ron. "They told me it wouldn't be open for weeks!" "That's because you worship the ground they walk on," explained Ginny, coming up behind them. Dean and Seamus were apparently done with their shopping and had left the alley. "You have to act like you don't care and they'll tell you everything." Ron folded his arms across his chest, still peeved about her and Dean. "Is that so?" "Absolutely," Ginny said with an air of indifference. "It's how I found out what happens in the Order meetings." "They told you?" Ron exclaimed, clearly outraged. "They wouldn't tell me for all the gold in Gringotts!" Hermione, who had been fighting back a laugh the entire time, took Ron's hand and patted it lightly. "Don't pay any attention to her, Ron," she said, with a wink in Ginny's direction. "Your sister's just trying to get a rise out of you." Ron obviously missed the conspiratorial nature of the exchange between the two girls and visibly relaxed. "Well, I'm going to go cash in on my sibling discount. Let's get in before all the stink pellets are gone." He left without a backward glance and Hermione let out a nervous laugh before following him. "Well I've got to hand it to you, Weasley," said Harry, still resolved to be normal around Ginny. "You had me fooled for a while there, thinking you'd actually gotten the twins to tell you about the meetings." They began walking slowly towards the shop, avoiding a small girl who was running from a boy holding something green and wet in front of him. "Who said I was joking?" Ginny said with brows raised in solemn question. "Nice try, Gin. I'm not as daft as your brother, you know." "Really? Well, you could have fooled me." "Ha, ha," commented Harry dryly. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were stalling." Ginny's eyes flashed for a moment and she said, "Indeed, Mr. Potter. I'll have you know that I never stall." Harry stared at her, waiting for a better explanation. "I was... merely giving my brother more time to ogle the pranks with Hermione," she finished lamely. "Indeed," said Harry, repeating Ginny. "So you have no problem telling Fred and George that you skipped years, then?" She paused for a second, then said in a conspiratorial whisper, "Do you have any idea the crap those two dunderheads are going to give me?" "That's rubbish," said Harry a little warily. "What's the worst they can do? You've got the worst hex known to man." She smiled and leaning into whisper in her ear, said, "Between you and me, I think they're as afraid of you as they are of Aunt Jeanie." Harry though she shivered as he spoke to her, but he couldn't tell. She tapped her bottom lip thoughtfully and said, "You know... I think you're right." Tilting her chin proudly, she linked her arm with his and pulled him into the store, cutting ahead of the entire queue. "They've got another thing coming if they think I won't be just as deceptive and unruly as I was last year." "That's the spirit," Harry said, still wondering what strange things were floating around in his friend's brain. Ever since she had come back from Hogwarts, there had been something very odd about her behavior. They walked into the store and Ginny paused, scanning the crowds with her lively brown eyes. Then, spotting whatever it was she was looking for, they proceeded to push through the throngs of people holding sacks of charmed sweets, exploding wands, and other magical practical jokes. "Ah! There's our favorite sister and our generous benefactor now," said George, who was talking animatedly to a group of third year students. Lee Jordan was running the till and seemed a bit frazzled as he looked down the long line of customers. "Fantastic to see you, as usual," Fred chimed in after he had finished filling the order of a tall man and his two daughters. "Sorry we couldn't drop by The Burrow and chat with you sooner." "But as you can tell," continued George. "Business is booming and we've slept at the shop more often than not." Fred winked at a passing seventh year girl from Ravenclaw and said, "Bloody difficult to keep up with demand, I tell you." George opened his dragon skin vest to reveal a Galleon hanging from a thick gold chain. "But the benefits have been more than worth the effort." Harry's eyes perked up. "Hey, isn't that-" he blurted out. "Yeah," finished Fred knowingly, fishing out his own. "From the D.A." Ginny beamed. "We wanted something to remember our final and best year at Hogwarts," explained his brother. "Precisely, George. What better way to do that than to immortalize the symbol of our effort to undermine the Hogwarts High Inquisitor?" Then in unison, they shouted loudly, "Dumbledore's Army, Harry Potter Regiment!" With a mock salute, they finished by kissing Harry on both cheeks in turn. Harry only let them because Ginny was giggling at their antics. As their laughter calmed, Ginny spoke up. "What would you say if I told you I got seven O.W.L.'s?" "What do you mean?" said George quizzically. "Exams are at the end of the year." Ginny pulled out her results and thrust them defiantly at them. "Oh no," said George sadly, scanning the page. "Where did we go wrong, Fred?" "I blame Ron," he said, looking over his brother's shoulder. "We certainly did everything we could to set a proper example for you Ginny, dearest." "Indeed. Next thing you know, you'll be a prefect." George gave an exaggerated shudder. Fred groaned and said dramatically, "And just think of poor Peeves." Fred looked his brother in the eye. "He'll be all alone in his quest to unseat our arch nemesis." "Filch." "Keeper of chains and detentions." "A rule breaker's nightmare." "How will students learn to relax and enjoy themselves?" They turned on Harry and Ginny, grabbing their sister solemnly on the shoulders. "Ginny, we were counting on you... and you let us down." They broke into fake sobs, howling every now and then for good measure. Not wanting to break the flow of the conversation, Harry remained quiet, but he could tell that Ginny's anger was winding up. "We're not going to go soft on Filch just because she's skipped grades," he said, more to Ginny than to the twins. Ginny seemed to transform at his words. No longer seething, let out a breath and glanced under her brother's still outstretched arms. With a flash of movement, she reached behind her brothers and extracted a small velvet bag from under the counter. Fred and George lunged for it, but Ginny was too quick and leapt back out of reach, bumping into two fifth year Hufflepuffs. "Give that back!" they cried. She held it out and a grin spread on her face. "Ooh, this must be pretty important, then." George licked his lips and Fred shot a nervous glance around the room. "That's got a load of... prototype... products in it." "You could get hurt, Ginny." She arched her eyebrows and retracted her hand. "So you're just worried about poor ickle Gin-Gin, is that it?" she bristled. Harry touched Ginny's arm lightly with his fingertips. "Ginny's got a lot of experience with dangerous things. I think she'll be just fine." Again she visibly relaxed, as two customers clamored for the twins' attention. Harry used the distraction and pulled her towards a less busy corner of the shop. "Don't let them get to you Ginny," he said carefully. She smiled a little and regarded him with warm eyes. "You're sweet Harry, but I'm not upset about it." "It didn't seem that way to me," he prodded gently. "Yeah, well, we have a bit of a history, those two and I." "I'm sure that whatever is in that bag," he said soothingly, "you'll be just fine with it." Harry's heart leapt as her hand came up to his cheek and touched it softly. "When did you change, Harry?" "I... uh... didn't think I had." Ginny smiled again, full and warm and he had a difficult time concentrating on anything but the shape of her eyes. Her hand moved to his shoulder and she said, "You have... and I think it's for the better." "That's - that's good then, right?" he asked lamely, now captivated by the way her lips moved when she spoke. With a suppressed giggle, she said, "Yes, Harry. It's a very good thing. The old you wouldn't have even come into this crowded store with me." Her face turned serious and then she smiled again. "But you did... so thanks." "You're... you're welcome." Ginny removed her hand and he caught himself leaning forwards a little as she withdrew. She hesitated just a moment and turned to finish her conversation with the twins. Sudden clarity struck Harry like a jolt of electricity and he decided that he very much enjoyed spending time with the youngest Weasley. At that moment, Ron ran into him. "Hey, mate! Did you see these new Filch Bombs?" In his extended hand were several packages of the oddest pranks Harry had seen. "What do they do?" asked a very interested Harry. "I'm not sure, really, but I think they somehow display an image of Filch telling you off or something after they explode." Ron was clearly excited to try them out. "Is there a Mrs. Norris variety?" said Harry, trying to figure out a good use for the new pranks. "If we could set one of each off, say... at each end of a corridor...." Ron's eyes lit up and he said, "Then we could get Malfoy to think he was cornered and he'd have a week of detentions from an imaginary Filch! Brilliant!" "Yeah," temporized Harry," But it would only be good for one go. We'd need a Snape, a McGonagall...." Hermione appeared then, huffing as she drug a large bag behind her, filled with pranks, through the bustling crowd. "Ron, I don't know why I agreed to this." Harry guffawed. "You're having Hermione carry your jokes around for you, Ron?" Ron opened his mouth to defend himself, but Hermione wasn't finished. "Oh, it's not that... I'd be happy to carry his bags for him. It was just a few things at first, and then he loaded them down with ten of each item and I haven't had a chance to give it back to him." She thrust the bulging sack at Ron whose arm was instantly pulled to the floor from the weight. Shrugging his shoulders, Ron explained, "With the twins gone this year, they're going to need someone to advertise for them." Hermione rolled her eyes. "It's not like they're hurting for customers, Ron," she said as two women chased their children through the aisles, knocking Hermione into a display of Weasley's Whizbang Fireworks. Dragging the bag behind him, Ron walked towards the queue in front of the till. "I'll just pay for these and then we'll go." * On their way to the secondhand robe shop, Ron and Hermione walked ahead of them, while Harry and Ginny stayed back. Harry noted with amusement that Ron's hand seemed to accidentally brush against Hermione's several times during the short walk across the street. Judging from the smile on Molly's face, he assumed that she had noticed as well. As they turned into the shop, Hermione looked down the alley and then at Ginny. Stopping suddenly, she gasped, and then said, "Are those what I think they are?" Hermione was pointing to the parchment folded in her hand. Ginny seemed perplexed at first, then realization dawned on her face. "Oh," she said unconsciously fingering the parchment in her pocket. "Here." Hermione squealed and grabbed the letter. "You did it!" she announced. Ron goggled at her and Harry just smiled. "I knew you'd do well." Ron seemed to be working out a puzzle in his head. "Hang on," said Ron suddenly, a frown on his face. "Didn't you get two letters at breakfast like Harry and I?" Ginny's smile faded a little, but her eyes retained their mirth. "Yes, Ron," she said with an air of getting the worst over with. "I got my O.W.L. results too." Ron's jaw worked soundlessly for a moment until Hermione smacked his shoulder. "What?" he said to his girlfriend. "Ask her how she did, you ninny," she said through clenched teeth, but Harry detected a hint of humor in her voice. "How - how'd you do, Ginny?" he asked sheepishly. "I got seven, three 'O's, including one in Potions." Ginny had stepped up to her brother, so that she was next to Harry and was touching his hand with her fingers. Shivers ran up his spine at the unexpected contact and he had to force his face to remain neutral. "So you're in sixth year?" Ron said, still clearly trying to come to terms with his sister's grade advancement. Ginny growled, low and feral: now gripping Harry's hand tightly. "Yes, Ron. Dumbledore asked me to skip in June, after the Department of Mysteries." "But - but I didn't know you were that smart." Ron muttered. Seconds later, he yelped - Molly Weasley had stepped up to her son and whacked him with the back of her hand while Lupin and Tonks looked on, grins spread across their faces. "You know he asked me to skip after second year, don't you?" said Hermione a bit peevishly. Now Ron goggled at Hermione, "He did?" Hermione's eyes flashed and Ginny growled again. "He actually gave me the choice of skipping ahead or taking the time turner." Tonks seemed to perk up at this bit of information, but didn't say anything. "Well," said Hermione looking around at the adults. "It's obvious which one I chose." Ron's shocked exterior melted and he pulled Hermione's hand a little until she was closer to him. "I'm glad you decided to stay in our year...." "Yeah, me too," she said a little breathlessly, her anger suddenly subdued. Ginny tugged on Harry's arm and pulled him past their friends. "Oh get a room, you two," she said as she passed them and went into the shop. * Once Ron and Ginny had chosen some robes to try on, Harry decided to wait outside while they went into the changing areas with Molly and Jeanie. This part of the alley was mostly deserted with only a few witched and wizards ambling quickly past the less frequented shops. He sat down on a rough-hewn wooden bench and stretched his legs. As Harry closed his eyes, a feeling of intense hatred burned a hole in his chest, matched only by the burning in his scar and he had to use all his strength to fight it down. It was Voldemort again; the shields Hermione had erected weren't quite strong enough to keep him out it seemed. Visions of his parents being tortured filled his mind. Their screams echoed in his head and he had to bite back the tears that threatened to spill down his cheeks. None of his Occlumency skills, such as they were, seemed to work, so he ran through the good feelings and memories he had for his friends. Each of the Weasleys flashed through his mind; the years of friendship he shared with Ron, the motherly love of Mrs. Weasley, and fatherly advice Mr. Weasley had given him two weeks ago. With each successive face appearing in his mind, he felt Voldemort retreat just a bit. When he came to see Ginny's face, the feelings changed entirely. No longer did Voldemort retreat. Instead, a wailing of pain and anguish erupted in his mind so powerful that he could no longer stand it, letting a whimper escape his lips. A subtle shift in the pain took it away from Harry completely and back into his invader's mind. It was the same screaming that was heard in the Ministry last June, when Harry had been possessed. This time however, it wasn't Harry that was screaming for the pain to stop. Sensing that he had the advantage, Harry recalled how Ginny had said his name, how her lips moved, the freckles on her face, and the way her hair fell onto her shoulders. The screaming intensified in his mind and he started to shake uncontrollably. It was working. The vision of Ginny changed to the time they were under the beech tree. He drank in her features, red hair shimmering in the sunlight, lips parted slightly as she listened to Harry talk. Finally, he heard something audibly snap and as Voldemort's presence left him, he heard Voldemort say, "You haven't won, Potter. Now that I know where you are vulnerable, you will be even easier to destroy. Love is weak." High-pitched laughter faded in his mind and the world went black. * A rough hand pulled Harry back to consciousness. Blinking away the darkness, he strained through a pounding headache to see who it was in front of him. Remus Lupin smiled concernedly at Harry, eyes filled with unasked questions. "What - what happened?" he said as he brought himself back to a sitting position. Everyone else was still in the shop so he must not have been out for very long. "The very question I was going to ask, Harry." Remus was now sitting next to Harry on the bench and offered him some chocolate. "You always seem to have this when I need it." He took a bite and smiled up at his former teacher, trying to deflect the awkward questions that were sure to come. "Why do you always carry it around, anyway?" "Moody may like to harp on vigilance, but I think preparation is just as important." He clapped Harry on the back and turned to look at some of the passing crowd. Then gesturing at the partially eaten chunk in Harry's hand, he said, "That's not the same as Muggle chocolate, Harry. Wizarding chocolate is made with restorative and calming potions and it's considered standard first-aid to treat a patient with healthy chunk of it." "Hmm," he said noncommittally, wondering why no one had ever told him that before. "So you reckon the girls will take a while?" "Most likely," he said evenly. "Plenty of time for us to talk about what happened, I'd wager." Sighing in defeat, Harry told him about the visions and how he'd been able to fend off the attack but feeling the heat rise in his cheeks, left out whom it was that he was concentrating on. "It's only a matter of time before he finds all of my friends and kills them." Harry's head hung limply between his legs as he wrestled with the despair that filled him. "There is only one thing that will give Voldemort victory, Harry." After a small pause, he continued. "If the people who oppose him give in to their fear and hatred. All we need to do to stop the spread of evil in our lives is to do nothing about it." "But how do I protect my friends?" he said, bringing his eyes back to Lupin's face. "He saw them all... in my mind just now. How can I keep them alive? What can I do?" "You can't do anything, Harry, except to keep living your life and to stay close to the ones you love." His old professor's eyes were wrinkled and tired, but still held a sparkle of youthful energy. Deep down inside, Harry knew he was right and that he had to keep his friends close, but it was increasingly difficult to not run off and possibly keep death from touching them again. Harry hung his head again and nodded mutely. Lupin's hand squeezed his shoulder and he wondered how he would be able to fend off Voldemort in the future. What if he attacked during Quidditch, while he was fifty feet in the air, or in the middle of an exam? He smiled sardonically and reasoned that only Hermione would be worried about that particular scenario. The girls and Ron were done in the robe shop and came out with packages and smiles on their faces. Harry shakily got to his feet, using Lupin for support. Ginny smiled at him, but then gave him a concerned look when she saw he was having trouble standing. Lupin left to talk with Tonks and Harry waited for everyone to pass before he followed. Ginny waited with him. "You all right, Harry?" she asked sincerely. He wanted to tell her everything was fine, but the look on her face made it impossible to lie. "I, uh... had another visit from our favorite dark lord." She sucked in a quick breath, but didn't say anything right away. Harry silently thanked her for not overreacting like he knew Hermione would. As they turned the corner and started toward the Leaky Cauldron, Ginny looked at him again and said, "It's not your fault, Harry." He stopped, unprepared for her insight. "It's not your fault," she repeated. "And you can't for a moment think about running away from us. It would only make us miserable and worried." "I don't want you to worry about me," he said more sharply than he intended. Ginny didn't seem to notice however, and looking into his eyes, said, "We can beat him if we stick together. If you try to stand alone, it'll just be easier for him to peel you off and crush you. He doesn't understand love or friendship or loyalty. If we refuse to act afraid, then he's lost his most powerful weapon." She brought her arms around him and pulled him into a hug. Harry stiffened, and then relaxed as her words sunk in. He didn't need to be alone and he didn't need to be afraid. Feeling her sincerity and understanding, he slowly brought his own arms up and returned her embrace.
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