Reign O'er Me

cts

Story Summary:
This fic picks up from where OotP ended; unlike many fics dealing with this period that are angst-ridden, this fic explores a different direction - what might happen if Harry should instead start to get his life together.

Chapter 19

Chapter Summary:
Some of the Weasleys are not exactly happy with Percy, but he does have Dumbledore in his corner. Sirius has pictures as well as a lot of additional information, Snape seems to have picked up some middle English, and Voldemort has obtained some senstive Ministry documents. The kids spend a bit of quality time talking in some pairing they haven't been able to for awhile... and Snape says the wrong thing once too often and Perenelle reads him the riot act.
Posted:
10/31/2004
Hits:
2,880
Author's Note:
Thanks to ohboehm, who kindly beta'd this chapter!


Chapter 19 - Sister Disco

Bye, goodbye Sister Disco, Now I go
I go where the music where the music fits my soul
And I, I will never let go, I'll never let go
'Til the echo of the street fight has dissolved

I will choose nightmares and cold stormy seas
I will take over your grief and disease
I'll stay beside you and comfort your soul
When you are lonely and broken and old

- Sister Disco, The Who


Percy attempted to answer some of the questions from his siblings and parents about how he had spent the past year, but it was obvious that he was distracted with worry about Penny; he kept a close watch on the kitchen door for some sign of Madam Pomfrey. Finally, after a half-hour had passed, a house elf entered the kitchen and told him the Mediwitch was asking for him. Sirius told Percy that he had taken them to one of the second floor bedrooms, and Molly offered to go upstairs with him to show him the way.

Percy’s older brothers and father had remained cool to him; but after he had left the kitchen, Dumbledore told them that the extended estrangement had been very difficult for Percy. Even though he knew that the information he had been passing to Dumbledore was crucial, letters from Molly, a public confrontation with Arthur at the Ministry, and seeing Bill recognize him in Diagon Alley and then abruptly turn around and walk in the other direction had almost broken his resolve to continue in his covert role.

“Yes, Percy made a mistake,” Dumbledore said. “One for which he wanted to make amends long ago. I imposed on him to take advantage of the situation and his unique position, and I insisted that he remain estranged, both for his protection and for the safety of all of you. Without his help, we might have had a very different outcome in the Wizengamot today. If you must remain angry, then direct your anger at me, not Percy. We are at war, and war often makes harsh demands. Sadly, I fear this will not the last sacrifice which must be made.”

Bill and Charlie nodded, and Arthur asked, “But what will become of him now? It was Amelia’s intent to replace everyone in that office.”

“The Minister – and for that matter, the Order – can hardly afford to treat him publicly as other than one of Cornelius’ sycophants,” Dumbledore replied. “I certainly do not wish his role to become public. However, there is no reason Percy should not seek another Ministry job, ideally one distant from both of his prior positions. Your own department has many vacancies, Arthur. If Percy still desires to become Minister one day, he would do well to become familiar with all of its departments.”

Arthur said, “Perhaps I should discuss this with the Minister.”

“I believe you will find her quite receptive. She is now aware of the role Percy has played,” Dumbledore replied. Then, looking at Harry, he continued, “Speaking of awareness, I would have much preferred that we had been made aware of events before the four of you chose to place yourselves at risk.”

“We tried!” Ginny replied, a little sharply. After a moment, she continued in a calmer tone, “I tried to Floo your office, the Flamels, Professor McGonagall, the twins’ shop, and even Fleur hoping Bill would be there. Sirius was out, and Mum and Dad had gone to Diagon Alley. Nobody was home.”

As Dumbledore began to reply, Molly entered the kitchen, obviously upset. She approached the table but did not take her chair. She said, “Penelope is not… not in very good shape. She’s not in danger, but… there are complications… Albus, Madam Pomfrey wanted you, Minerva, and the Flamels to join her upstairs. And… Arthur, will you please come up as well?”

Dumbledore, Minerva, and the Flamels rose and followed Molly and Arthur out of the kitchen. Bill looked at Fleur and said, “It looks like most of the excitement’s over; and I need to get Fleur back. We rushed off and left Charlie’s da… er, a friend of Charlie’s holding down the fort at a pub.”

“This friend of Charlie’s,” Sirius asked, grinning, “wouldn’t happen to be of the female persuasion, by any chance? Anyone we know?”

“Gee, thanks a lot, Bill,” Charlie said. “Not a word to Mum, any of you, or else! Sirius, will you call us if there’s anything significant with Percy… or Penelope?”

“Go on back. I’m sure she’ll be okay; she’s in very good hands, you know. I’ll call if anything happens,” Sirius said.

The twins also took their leave, saying they had left Lee Jordan juggling several things in their shop. As they left, one of them had wrapped an arm around Charlie’s shoulder and both were taking turns telling him how badly they needed dragon scales for their work. The implication seemed to be that if they had an adequate supply of raw materials, they would be far too busy to discuss his personal life with their mother.

“You know, it’s a good thing those two didn’t want to go into the Ministry. They’d either be running the place or in Azkaban by now,” Sirius said; then, looking pointedly at Harry, “It wasn’t much fun coming back here and finding all of you missing. I thought Molly was going to mount my head over the fireplace. I didn’t realize she and Arthur had gone out or I would have stayed here.”

“Maybe we should have left a note,” Harry conceded, “but we’re all way past the age of needing a full time minder, Sirius. You’re the one who gave me legal standing as an adult a year early. Besides, time was short, and it worked out pretty well.”

Sirius nodded. “This time, anyway. It’d be nice if the most I had to worry about was your getting back late from a date.”

“That’s the one worry you’ll never have,” Ginny said, with just a touch of smugness. “It’s just a little bit too late for that now. Teen Witch Weekly is going to have to update their list.”

“I’m not used to… that quite yet, either,” Sirius said. “But I was still saying Lily Evans months after James got hitched. Anyway, I was going to talk to you tonight after I got back, Harry. Jon came up with some info.” He pulled a packet of folded papers from his pocket and handed them to Harry.

Harry unfolded the papers and stared in shock at the image on the first page. Though the quality had suffered, no doubt as a result of being faxed multiple times, the features were sufficiently clear to leave little room for doubt. The rational portion of his mind had, albeit reluctantly, accepted that a sibling might be a possibility, but he wasn’t prepared for a face with features so like his, yet different. “I guess this… kind of clinches it.”

Sirius nodded as Ginny tugged Harry’s hand toward the table and gasped with surprise as she got her first look at the page. Ron and Hermione stood and moved behind them. Hermione said, “I’d say it does, Harry.”

“You know, she’s cute,” Ron teased. “If Hermione and I weren’t together, I might be tempted…”

“Hermione’s still my sister,” Harry said distractedly, as he was reading through the text. “This says she has green eyes, and auburn hair.”

“Lily’s eyes and hair, I reckon, but her face is very much like yours and James’s,” Sirius said. “When I saw the picture, there wasn’t much room for doubt.”

“Merlin, it sounds like she had it worse than I did,” Harry said. “Abandoned at a daycare center….”

“Most likely because Electra Rosier was killed,” Sirius said. “The timing is exactly right.”

Harry continued reading; as he flipped through the pages, Ginny took them as he finished, and she and Hermione read them together along with Ron, who stood to look over Hermione’s shoulder.

“And I thought it was bad with the Dursleys,” Harry said after going through the next two pages. “Looks like she never stayed very long at any of these foster homes or temporary care facilities. She was moved from place to place.” He continued reading; then, after finishing the last page, continued, “And for the last three years, it looks like she’s constantly running away, and all of these towns are different. This doesn’t tell us much about where she is, does it?”

“Jon said she started in New York and has generally been moving further south,” Sirius said. “I’m afraid I can’t give you a lot of details beyond that; I’ve been to New York and Salem a couple of times, but that was years and years ago. I don’t know much about the lay of the land over there.”

“We can look up where some of these places are on a map,” Hermione said.

“That might be just a little hard to come by here,” Ron commented.

Sirius said, “There’s a set of maps in my case that we can use. Was never quite sure where I’d end up for a while there. Want to head upstairs?”

“I’d like to wait for Dumbledore. He should probably see this,” Harry said, indicating the papers.

“And I’d like to find out about Penny when they come back down,” Ginny added.

“Ok, then I’ll get them,” Sirius said. He stood and walked out of the kitchen. A few minutes later he returned, carrying a large, thin book with a paper cover, titled 1994 Road Atlas. “This should at least give us some idea.”

They opened the book of maps, and easily found New York on the United States map, but some of the other places were not shown on the national map. They were forced to use the state-by-state maps that were more detailed in order to find some of the locations.

“The only pattern I can see…” Hermione began, but stopped as a figure dressed in black, carrying a small leather case, tumbled from the fireplace. Sirius was on his feet at once, his hand on his wand; Harry and Ron also stood, but kept their hands at their sides. Sirius said, neutrally, “Severus.”

“Sirius.” Snape’s expression also remained carefully neutral. “The Headmaster required my presence.”

“He should be on the second floor, in or near one of the bedrooms off the left hallway,” Sirius replied.

Snape nodded curtly, and walked quickly from the kitchen.

“Anyway, the only pattern I can see in all this is that all of the places where she’s been have been connected by the green dual carriageways,” Hermione said, as they turned their attention back to the map. If her pattern remained consistent, the next two towns of any size are Columbia to the southeast, and Atlanta to the southwest.”

“But she didn’t stop in every big town -- those are the ones in the largest print, right?” Ron asked.

“We have no idea where she may have stayed, only where there was some record of her being arrested,” Hermione replied. “Sometimes it was months between the times she got caught. But the last place she was found was a couple of months ago… no, make that less than a month ago; the Americans write their dates backwards. So there’s a chance she hasn’t gone too far.”

“We also have a name,” Harry said. “What can we do with that?”

“McGonagall is here,” Hermione pointed out. “We could ask her about the address writer.”

“Or even try following an owl, now that we have some idea of where to start from,” Ron said.

“That wouldn’t be my first choice,” Sirius said. “That’s a pretty exposed thing to do, and you’re talking about very unfamiliar ground.” They continued talking until they heard footsteps approaching, and a moment later Dumbledore entered the room.

“I will shortly return to Hogwarts,” Dumbledore said, “but first I wanted to make sure there was nothing further we should talk about tonight.” Harry silently gathered the papers and handed them to Dumbledore.

Dumbledore looked intently at the first page for several moments before saying, “This would appear to validate what Pettigrew told you, Sirius.”

“I know. And the day Electra Rosier was hit and killed was the same day the paper trail on the girl began,” Sirius said. “And these are Muggle records.”

Dumbledore continued reading through the other pages before remarking, “Instead of a trail over a decade cold, we know where she was less than a month ago. And I also find myself concerned over how quickly you were able to acquire this information.”

“According to Jon, records are one thing Muggles do exceptionally well,” Sirius said. “Their computers apparently allow them to sort through a great many records very quickly. And I’ve also told Jon not to spare the thestrals and to grease palms freely.”

“Then we must assume that the same information is available to Voldemort,” Dumbledore said.

“I’m afraid so,” Sirius said, “though Jon’s best guess is that we’re a few hours ahead of them. And from looking at the map, she’s generally been moving south. Hermione noticed that it’s always been between larger towns and cities along the major carriageways. Right now, our best guess if she’s not in the last place she was caught, she’s in one of two places, either Columbia, South Carolina, or Atlanta, Georgia.”

“Atlanta,” Dumbledore said, thoughtfully. “I believe that is where the Olympic Games are shortly to be held. That might be attractive to someone on the run.”

Ron asked, “What are the Olympic Games?”

“It is a sports festival,” Dumbledore answered, “where Muggle athletes from all over the world come to compete. It is not unlike the Quidditch World Cup, other than that it lasts for several days, and that a wide variety of different sports are played.”

“Why would that be attractive to someone on the run?” Ginny asked.

“Because there are a lot of people there – the players, the spectators, the media – most of them far from home… a stranger doesn’t stick out, but can blend right in with the crowd. There’s a lot of confusion; and if you’re trying to lay low, it’s a perfect environment,” Sirius said. “At least if your face isn’t plastered everywhere on a wanted poster.”

“What do we do now?” Harry asked. “Have we narrowed it down enough to start looking ourselves? Those three places look pretty close together.”

“Harry,” Dumbledore said, “America is a very large country. The scale of the maps is different from many of the maps used here. It would be far better if you would continue to allow others to pursue this. Voldemort no doubt already has some of his most powerful and experienced Death Eaters looking. They will not be like the three young, foolish, and inexperienced recruits you and your friends captured tonight. Further, I must be away for at least the next few days. The International Confederation of Wizards has called an emergency meeting, and I must attend. Nicholas will attend as well, as one of the representatives of France. I would strongly encourage you to continue what you are doing now, allowing the professionals to continue the search, and we will evaluate the situation upon our return.”

“What if they find something or get close before then?” Harry pressed. “I’ve got a responsibility…”

“Indeed, Harry, you do. Our world ultimately must depend on you.”

“That’s why we can’t allow Voldemort to reach her first,” Hermione said, surprising all of them. “From just the little I learned from that book, a sibling of Harry’s would have a strong affinity…”

“She’s also my sister,” Harry added, not entirely comfortable with where Hermione seemed to be coming from.

Dumbledore nodded unhappily, “I would like to believe that the wards and other protections we have constructed around Harry are sufficient, but blood magic is old and powerful, and not always well understood. At least promise me this, all of you, that you will seek Perenelle’s counsel before involving yourself directly?”

They all nodded, and Harry said, “We will.”

“Or at least we’ll try,” Ginny amended.

“You will all have one of the communication devices the Order has devised by morning. We should have done so earlier, but they require significant time to make, and there have been many who have needed them.” Dumbledore then looked at Sirius, “I would ask the same of you, Sirius, as I did of the students. While no one would ever question your courage, both you and Harry often respond impulsively. It concerns me greatly to leave the two of you without Remus’ calming influence readily at hand.”

Sirius gave Dumbledore a “Who, Me?” look before saying, “We won’t do anything stupid, Albus.”

“That would certainly be… refreshing,” Snape said, entering the kitchen and walking toward the table. “Headmaster, Madam Pomfrey no longer requires my services; if you have no objection, I shall return….” The Potions Master stopped abruptly, his jaw snapping shut as his eyes took in the grainy picture on the pages Dumbledore held. Sirius had been about to make a slashing reply, but the expression on Snape’s face made him stop. Snape continued to stare at the image for several moments, then asked, stiffly, as if the words were being pulled from him against his will, “How is this possible?”

Dumbledore looked at Harry; after a few moments of hesitation, he nodded reluctantly and Dumbledore said, “Fetum Inter Matris. And it seems to be as it appears, Severus.” Dumbledore held out the papers to Snape.

“The surrogacy spell?” When Dumbledore nodded, Snape muttered, “Electra Rosier. She did find it, after all. The Dark Lord was not aware that she had succeeded.” He then read through the pages as the others silently watched. When he had finished, he looked at Dumbledore and said, “You are aware of the particulars of why the Dark Lord was seeking this specific spell, Headmaster?”

Dumbledore nodded, and Snape continued, “Even though Electra is dead, it may be that all knowledge of the spell did not die with her. It is most important that any papers or other possessions that remain in the Department of Mysteries and anything she had on her person when she was killed be secured at once. Even so, once he knows she was able to discover the means, or some record… the spell he used to regain his body shows he has already come far too close.”

“Voldemort already knows about it… and her,” Harry said, flatly, as Dumbledore nodded confirmation.

“Ja…the girl cannot be allowed to fall into the Dark Lord’s hands!” Snape snapped, as the minimal color in his face drained away. “Even her death would be preferable…”

Ginny’s hand on Harry’s arm kept him in his seat, but no one restrained Sirius as he stood and took two steps toward Snape and said, menacingly, “That’s James and Lily’s child you’re talking about….” as Dumbledore moved between them.

“Think, Albus,” Snape hissed, ignoring Sirius. “Of… that… that lineage,” he said, his eyes resting on Harry for a second, “and her…” his eyes this time touching briefly on Ginny. “Redde herre as flaume of fir, sibbe gardein ond proptectour whos espuse of sonderd twines.”

That stirred something in the back of Dumbledore’s memories, but he could not recall the details. However, there was one thing of which he was certain: this was not the time or the place to pursue it further. Sirius’ success in driving the process this quickly was certainly unexpected, and Harry was already much too involved; events were beginning to spin out of his control, if he’d ever had any to begin with.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Voldemort sat in a darkened room, intently studying several pages of papers. A robed figure entered the room and knelt, but Voldemort ignored her for several minutes while flipping through the papers before finally saying, “I trust you have something worthwhile to report this time?”

“Yes, my lord, our agents have confirmed that there was a child, a girl-child who was called Lena Rosier. Thus far, we have learned that when Electra Rosier left…”

“Fled!” Voldemort spat, as he fingered his wand with malevolent intent.

“Yes, my lord, when Electra Rosier fled, she originally traveled to South Africa, where she stayed for a short time before booking passage on a cargo ship to Canada. From there, she apparently traveled in some fashion to America, though we as of yet know little of her movements; almost three years later she was killed in New York by a Muggle automobile.”

“She was killed by Aurors, even if indirectly,” Voldemort said. “Her body was returned to the Ministry here. What of the girl?”

“We have learned that she became a ward…”

Voldemort again interrupted, “Dumped in an orphanage?”

“No, my lord, but with a succession of American Muggles. It appears she is there still. She ran away over two years ago, and has been running ever since, though the police have caught her periodically. We are being sent details, including where she was last seen.”

“You will bring that to me at once. And I will hold you…personally… responsible for finding this girl, and bringing her to me. Alive, Bella. I want her alive and unharmed… and untouched. Do you understand? Unharmed and untouched. You will not deliver a healed body with a damaged mind. Indulge yourself elsewhere if you wish, but not with her.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“I do not wish her placed under Cruciatus or Imperius; in fact, I wish her as little touched by magic as possible.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“You will select as many as of my Death Eaters as you need, and remember that I will not permit mistakes or accept excuses again. Failure may have fatal consequences. If you are lucky. Now, tell me again where you found this.” Voldemort held up the sheaf of papers he had been reading.

“My lord, Draco Malfoy discovered these in the dwelling of a Muggle official. Strangely, these papers were not secured with the documents we sought, but were lying casually on a device Muggles use to create such documents.”

“I find it strange that such a document would not be properly secured,” Voldemort said. “Or for that matter, carried outside of the Ministry itself. There is much wisdom collected here. For example, ‘I will not gloat over my enemies’ predicament before killing them.’ Had I but followed that with Potter… And much of what is written here is intended for Muggles; many references are made to their guns and other weapons… perhaps I should study their weapons…. Yet whoever wrote this had knowledge of Magic. For example, ‘I will not turn into a snake. It never helps.’”

Bellatrix continued to kneel quietly as Voldemort continued speaking. “It further seems strange that such a lowly placed Muggle official would have access to such a sensitive document dealing with Evil Overlords.” He paused for a moment, and returned to the task at hand. “Take Draco Malfoy with you, and instruct him to befriend her if the opportunity should present itself. He is close to her age and should be able to gain her confidence. But she is to remain untouched. If you are even slightly unsure of his ability to follow this last instruction, geld him yourself first.”

“Yes, my lord.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dumbledore was seated behind his desk; Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel, Minerva McGonagall, and Severus Snape were sitting in chairs nearby. Their departure from Grimmauld Place had not come easily; both Harry and Sirius had demanded answers and it had taken all of Dumbledore’s powers of persuasion and diplomacy to restrain Sirius and Snape from going wand to wand.

Upon returning to the castle, Snape had left the others and had descended into the dungeons, joining them a few minutes later in Dumbledore’s office, carrying an obviously ancient leather-bound book. Snape placed the book before the Headmaster, opened it, and pointed. Dumbledore read, and then passed the book to McGonagall, who was closest to his desk, who seemed to struggle with the indicated passage before passing the book to Perenelle. She and Nicholas read together.

Perenelle looked at Snape after reading. “This is very old. Even so, it is not the original; it has been transcribed at least once, perhaps even before my time. How did this come into your hands, Severus?”

Snape snapped, “How do you think? Voldemort sought out all knowledge of the barriers between life and the afterlife, and of enchantments and Magic that dealt with life and death. I happened to have had this particular tome because of the draughts described within. But Voldemort is certainly aware of the passage you just read.”

“And there’s no doubt as to Harry’s lineage,” Nicholas said.

“Or, for that matter, of Ginny’s,” Dumbledore commented.

“Or their relationship,” Perenelle added.

“That foolish little tart certainly lost no time in making sure the entire world knew she had bagged…”

Perenelle’s voice was soft but perilous as she interrupted Snape, “That foolish little tart at least had the wisdom to know that your erstwhile master had possessed her and invaded her mind, the intellect to find an answer that none of us had seen, the courage to stand up and be counted… and the cunning to do it at precisely the right moment. You will not speak of Ginny - or of Harry - in such a fashion ever again! Or as surely as you draw breath, Severus, not only will I personally ensure every child who passes these doors knows all of what you have kept hidden, I will publicly challenge you to an affaire d’honneur! Do I make myself clear, Severus? You will go wand to wand… or wand to hand avec moi!

“Please, Perenelle, Severus, we must not fight among ourselves,” Dumbledore said. “This only serves the cause of…”

“No, Brian,” Perenelle interrupted again, “this has been allowed to fester far too long. That has served the purpose of the enemy. And I am ending it here. Maintenant!” Then, looking again at Snape, she continued, “Understand this, Severus, that when Pymander and Fawkes joined to free you, they did so to fullfill Harry’s need! You’ve touched Harry’s mind; you have no excuse; you know his true measure. And Ginny is worthy of him: the action you denigrate so casually is proof sufficient, all by itself. The wizard debt you owe Harry dwarfs what you owed James – James Potter only saved your life. You said yourself the Dark Mark was a mark on the soul. And Harry would have been unable to do what he did for you without the healing Ginny had already brought to him.”

There was total silence for several moments until Nicholas finally said, “A meeting of the Confederation has been called; indeed, this is our doing.”

“And this will put Nicholas and me beyond easy reach,” Dumbledore said. Looking at McGonagall, he added, “And we cannot both be away from Hogwarts for an extended period, Minerva.” Dumbledore then looked at Perenelle, then at Snape. “This leaves me little choice other than to hope the two of you can manage to find some common ground if events unfold quickly. Given the rumors running rampant through the Ministry and the shortage of Aurors, it may prove best not to involve anyone from the Auror division other than Moody, Kingsley, and Tonks, especially given the jurisdictional issues.”

Both Perenelle and Snape nodded, keeping their eyes fixed on Dumbledore. “It is unlikely Remus will be in any sort of shape to instruct them in the morning,” Perenelle said. “I will meet with them then, and while you and Nicholas are absent, I will stay at Grimmauld Place. If worst should come to worst, I can reach Nicholas.”

“And if some word of finding this Lena Rosier should come, what then, Albus?” McGonagall asked.

“Jamie,” Snape said softly, as they all looked at him. “Jamie; that was to have been her name. Jamie… Potter.”

Fawkes and Pymander, who had occasionally opened a sleepy eye to observe the meeting progress, opened both eyes wide as Snape spoke, and both trilled several notes as he finished speaking.

“It would appear that the over-plumaged budgies are in agreement with you, Severus,” Nicholas said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After the professors returned to Hogwarts, Sirius and the four teens remained around the table talking until a Floo call arrived for Sirius; he chased them from the kitchen, and they began making their way upstairs. When they reached the second floor, they saw Molly, Arthur, and Madam Pomfrey standing in the hallway talking; Ginny started toward them, but Molly held up her hand and pointed upstairs, indicating she would talk to them later. As they continued up the stairs, Harry touched fingers with Ginny and asked her if she could distract Ron for a few minutes; he wanted to talk to Hermione alone.

When they reached the third floor landing, Ginny said, “Hey, Ron, hold up a second. There’s something I need to talk to you about. The two of you go on up, and we’ll be along in a minute.”

Harry gave her a puzzled look, then shrugged and continued on up the stairs, Hermione following. They entered the suite, and Harry settled on one of the sofas. Hermione claimed the other and said, “You’re not that good an actor, Harry. I saw you and Ginny on the stairs.”

“It didn’t matter if you figured it out,” Harry said with a wry grin. “I just wanted to talk to you by yourself for a minute or two. What’s wrong, Hermione?”

“Wrong? There’s nothing wrong, Harry.”

“We’ve been friends far too long for that. Something’s been bugging you for the last few days; before Percy came, every time I tried to hint about it, you changed the subject, so I thought it might have been because you didn’t want to talk about it with Ron around.”

“It’d be a lot easier if you and Ron would just stay thick all the time,” Hermione said then sighed. “You’re more… something: perceptive, I guess, since you and Ginny got together. I don’t know… it’s just that it’s like we’re not like we were a couple of years ago, or even the last part of fourth year. I really miss that, and it seems like we get close, then it slips away. It’s like Ron and I are on the sidelines now… sometimes I feel like you’ve outgrown us.”

“Hermione… it’s not like that at all…”

“I know, Harry. I know. I, uh, guess part of it is seeing you and er, Ginny like you are. The two of you are so perfect together; you never argue… and how she looks at you, and how you look at her, and the bond you have. I guess… maybe I’m a little jealous and a little lonely. I’ve tried to talk to Ron and Professor Flamel… Perenelle… but Ron, well, Ron doesn’t seem to feel anything’s missing, and she says we’re not ready… I think. I’m… I’m not even sure I understood what she meant. I feel like my… my best friend’s getting further and further away and moving on… and my other best friend is more wrapped up in being my boyfriend than my best friend, and that he thinks that’s just how it should be… Sometimes I need just the friend without the boyfriend, and that’s been hard to come by recently.”

“I guess I have kind of gotten kind of swept up in all that’s going on,” Harry said. “I’m sorry, Hermione.”

“Harry… you noticed… and you’re talking to me now, and that really means a lot. And I really appreciated what you said about my being your sister. I’ll be okay.”

“You know, we really are a team,” Harry said. “We’d have never gotten Sirius back if you hadn’t figured out a way, and like I said that night, if I really can take Voldemort, I’m depending on you – not on Dumbledore, not on Nicholas Flamel – to figure out how I can do it. You’ll never be on the sidelines, Hermione. Want me to talk to Ron?”

Hermione shook her head, “No, he’ll come around.” She smiled fondly, and added, “Eventually.”

Harry got up and sat beside Hermione and pulled her into a hug. She wrapped her arms around him, and held on, whispering, “Thanks, Harry.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ron had leaned against the railing looking expectantly at Ginny. She waited until Harry and Hermione were out of sight and hearing and said quietly, “Ron, Harry’s birthday is coming up soon, and I need some ideas. Do you know of anything that he wants or that you think he’d really like?”

Ron grinned and said, “Actually, I have a pretty good idea. How about a leather jacket, a good one? I think Sirius called it a ‘bomber’ jacket.”

“You mean like Sirius wears? What in Merlin’s name would Harry want with something like that?”

“Well, according to Sirius, they usually come without all the metal and shiny stuff; you have to add that yourself. Anyway, I know what Sirius is getting for Harry’s birthday, and he’s going to need one… uh, Sirius kind of suggested this. And you might want to get one for yourself at the same time,” Ron said, grinning mysteriously.

“Are you going to tell me what you’re talking about, or do I have to hex it out of you?” Ginny asked as she placed her hands on her hips.

“Can you keep it from Harry? And Mum? And if I tell you, will you help me with something?”


”Yes, yes and it depends on what.”

“Sirius is getting Harry a motorcycle, and I need…”

“A motorcycle? Mum will kill him and maybe you too if she finds out…”

“Remember, you promised, Ginny. Now, I need your help. What’s worrying Hermione?”

“I don’t know; the two of us really haven’t had a chance to talk since before exams at Hogwarts,” Ginny said thoughtfully.

“But something’s wrong, haven’t you noticed?” Ron pressed.

“Well, yes, and so has Harry. He’s upstairs trying to talk to her now and find out what,” Ginny said. “You know, subtlety has never been your – or Hermione’s – strong suit.”

“I guess I should have known better than to ask you for help,” Ron said as he started to get angry.

“Hey, I didn’t say I wouldn’t help you. Look, I’ll go on up and see if Harry’s had any luck, and if not, I’ll see if I can talk to Hermione. There’s a lot she might not tell Harry but will probably talk to me about. I’ll see what I can find out, and I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Okay? Why don’t you go on to bed or read or something? Just don’t come up to our room tonight.”

“Thanks, Ginny.” He kissed her cheek, taking Ginny by surprise. Before Ron had started Hogwarts, he had frequently shown his affection in such a fashion, but she couldn’t remember such a gesture since the summer after her first year.

“Don’t worry, Ron. It’ll be okay,” she said as he turned toward his room, and she started up the stairs to the fourth floor.

Ginny entered the sitting room and settled on the couch by Harry. “Where’s Ron?” Hermione asked. She noticed Ginny and Harry had joined their hands again.

“I told him to call it a night or read a book,” Ginny said. “And Harry, why don’t you say good night, too? Hermione and I haven’t had a chance to talk girl-talk since Hogwarts, and I think we need to.”

Harry nodded and said, “Actually, I’m not sleepy; but I think I’ll go down and make some hot chocolate and talk to Sirius for a while. Good night, Hermione.” He stood and walked out of the sitting room, closing the door behind him.

Ginny turned to Hermione and looked at her expectantly. “You know, I reckoned it would be tough getting Ron to talk about Harry’s birthday long enough to give Harry a chance to talk to you, but he wanted to talk to me about you instead. He’s kind of worried about you.”

“Ron’s involved in this, too? I saw you and Harry doing it, you know… you already know what I told Harry, I guess?” Hermione asked.

Ginny shook her head. “Ron and Harry haven’t talked. Ron asked me on the stairs just a minute ago what was bothering you. And no, Harry didn’t really tell me much, just that something was wrong and that everything wasn’t perfect between you and Ron. He thought I’d be the better agony aunt.”

“Harry just…” Hermione deflated onto the couch, shaking her head. “Has it been that obvious?”

“For both Harry and Ron to notice?” Ginny giggled. “That’s pretty obvious, Hermione. Want to tell me about it? All of it, not just the little you told Harry?”

“Not really. I must have sounded like an idiot to Harry.”

“What’d you tell him?”

“That I felt kind of left out. That it wasn’t like it used to be, kind of like Ron and I are on the sidelines, almost like he’d outgrown us…”

“I guess I did sort of mess up the trio.”

“No, Ginny, it’s not like that. Please don’t think that. You were what Harry needed; no one who saw him last year and then saw him now would doubt that for a second. You should… you should have been part of things a lot sooner…. Besides, Harry pointed out that Ron and I have both been in the thick of everything, and I guess he’s right; we have been. He told me we wouldn’t have gotten Sirius back without me and that he was counting on me to help figure out how he could defeat Voldemort.”

“He wasn’t saying that just to make you feel better, you know. Harry and I might not be here if we’d gone through that veil. But really, it’s a whole lot more than even that. You and Ron were the first friends he ever had. Hermione, I know how Harry feels. You’re a big and very important part of his life. He really cares about you and he does think of you as his sister…and his best friend.”

“I know.” Hermione sighed. “I guess I’m… well, I’m a little jealous of you.”

“Of me?” Ginny asked, surprised. “But I always thought you and Ron…”

“Not like that,” Hermione said. “It’s of what the two of you have together. The closeness; you never argue…”

Ginny giggled, “I wouldn’t go quite that far.”

“But you know what I mean,” Hermione said, quietly.

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“I’ve tried to talk to Perenelle, but the only part I understand is that we’re not ready. And Ron seems fine with… with all of it.”

“He’s come a long way, holding your hand in public and admitting you’re a couple,” Ginny pointed out.

“I know… and when it’s just the two of us, well, he’s not lacking in enthusiasm. But it still feels like something’s missing. And what he said tonight,” Hermione paused, then seeing Ginny’s puzzled look, continued, “you know, the picture of Harry’s sister, that she was cute and he’d be interested if he weren’t with me…”

“That’s just how guys talk, and he was just trying to yank Harry’s chain,” Ginny said. “Ron’s fancied you a long time. I don’t think there’s any threat there… or anywhere else.”

“That’s what my head tells me, but that’s not what I feel here,” Hermione said, touching the center of her chest. “That and some other things he’s said like that have kind of hurt.”

“Ron isn’t exactly the most sensitive guy to come down the pike,” Ginny said. “Have you tried to talk to him?”

Hermione shook her head. “No, either the time’s not been right, or we were doing something else…”

“Like snogging?”

Hermione blushed but admitted it. “Yeah, I guess, sometimes anyway.”

“You know, it really doesn’t sound like it’s all that bad.”

“Sometimes that’s what Ron does when he doesn’t want to talk about…stuff… and I guess I might have started it a time or two myself…for the same reason.” Hermione paused, then quietly asked, “When were you really sure about you and Harry, Ginny?”

“That first day,” Ginny replied softly, “when Harry said the only thing that frightened him more than losing to Voldemort was losing my friendship. And that he felt more for me than just friendship and he cared about me. That he wanted me and needed me at his side. That was before we knew about the bond and any of the rest of it.”

“But what held up your bonding? Something went wrong, didn’t it?”

“Tom,” Ginny sighed. “There was… stuff… that happened with Tom Riddle. In the diary; stuff that was so bad I couldn’t remember it; I refused to remember it until Perenelle helped us unblock it.”

“Us?”

“Harry… was with me; well, Perenelle helped us join our minds…”

“Now you’re starting to sound like Perenelle.”

“It’s not easy to describe. Sometimes there just aren’t words, or at least I don’t know them….”

Hermione nodded for Ginny to continue.

“Harry was with me the whole time, Hermione. He saw it all, the memories, and it was pretty awful, and his love never changed. I was so upset, I even asked Perenelle to sever the bond; I felt so dirty and tainted that I knew Harry couldn’t possibly want to be with me; no one would that knew the truth. But Harry didn’t waver. Perenelle sent us to our room,” both girls giggled, “well, I know how it sounds, but she did, and I think I spent the next hour bawling my eyes out. Then, when I finally couldn’t cry any more, Harry turned me over and told me I’d cried so much I was dehydrating myself; then he conjured a glass of water without his wand – I don’t even think he realized what he’d done – then I told him there was no point his trying to be honorable, I’d do what was needed, then go….”

Ginny blinked her eyes several times before she continued. “After that, Harry reached out and took my hand, but not like we’d been doing for the past week, but he held it like Nicholas and Perenelle did, and somehow, we were able to do what Perenelle had helped us do before; but this was different, it was deeper, somehow, and just the two of us. His love and comfort flooded me, Hermione; but… even then I still doubted. I made him go through it all again, I made sure he saw all of it and in every detail, and his feelings didn’t change at all. All I could feel was how he cared for me… and for a moment, his anger at Voldemort, but as soon as he realized I’d felt that, he pushed it away. He said that the diary was gone, and that all that had happened there or that it had contained was destroyed.”

“And once you were past that, there was nothing else to slow down your bonding,” Hermione said, more of a statement than a question. “The next day… both Ron and I talked about it; something had changed. You know what he thought it was.” She giggled.

“Well…” Ginny’s cheeks colored. “I guess you could say we closed the deal on my name change that night, too.”

“Did you know what the bonding implied then?”

Ginny nodded. “Not until I thought about it. I guess what made me think of that was Mum’s handing me the potion the second day. That wasn’t quite what I’d expected. You know, now that I think about it, she did say she didn’t want you and Ron to get any ideas.”

“We heard; Ron had a pair of the twins’ ears.” Hermione smirked. “I had to explain it to Ron later that night, though.” Seeing Ginny’s surprised look, she explained, “Ron got a lot of his ‘facts’ from Fred and George. Most of them weren’t very factual, actually. Some of the things they told him…” She paused, shaking her head. “He started going crackers the first time I opened my mouth during a kiss.”

They both laughed, and then Ginny said, “Looked like he’d gotten over it in the Library the other night.”

Hermione nodded sheepishly. “Well… I could hardly let him keep thinking I was going to end up in the pudding club.” More giggles. Then Hermione, serious again, asked, “Did Harry know what it meant? The bonding?”

“Uh… not until I told him.”

“When was that?”

“The day we went to Diagon Alley. I woke up first, and I’d sketched him while he was asleep. He asked to see it when he woke up and saw me holding the pad, and he looked at the next page where I’d been writing my name. My new name.” As Hermione smirked, Ginny added, “Hey, he’s had a lot to get adjusted to all at once, you know. I thought he needed some time to get used to the idea.”

“Yes, and a few days later you’re announcing it to the Wizengamot,” Hermione said, and they both laughed.

“He actually took it pretty well,” Ginny said. “He was surprised you hadn’t told him.”

“That was one detail I hadn’t come across,” Hermione said. “Er… do you feel like talking about what happened with Riddle?”

Ginny’s grin faded, but she said, “Actually in a way I’d kind of like to. There’s some stuff I’m still not very comfortable talking to Harry about, even though he’s seen it, link or no…” Ginny went on to tell Hermione part of what she had experienced: how Riddle had first shown her his memories of his encounters that had taken place in Slytherin house, and how this had slowly led into involving her in more and more... As Ginny finished, Hermione sat silently for several moments before saying, “Ginny… Merlin, I’m sorry. None of us had any idea.”

“I know. I just… couldn’t, then. But thanks for listening tonight; I guess I’ve still got some stuff to deal with, but this has helped a lot, just talking about it. But turnabout’s fair play, Hermione.”

“You mean about me? And Ron?”

Ginny nodded and grinned. “If you can’t talk when you’re alone for all the snogging, it can’t be all that bad.”

Hermione laughed and agreed, “No, it’s not all bad, but I can’t claim we’ve really got a handle on all our issues yet, either. We’re still arguing way too much.”

“Are you sure that isn’t just how you’ve learned to talk around other people?” Ginny asked. “How you set your own space?”

Hermione looked thoughtful. “I’d never thought about it that way… but no, I don’t think that’s it. We do it when it’s just the two of us, too.”

“You know, the two of you really do need to spend some time talking. That can scare Ron, you know. When you talk with him by yourself, it’s not hard to pin him down. Snogging probably is his defense mechanism.” Again, both girls giggled.

“But it’s not just Ron,” Hermione admitted. “A few times he’s been willing to at least try, and I’ve chickened out. I’m not even sure why.”

They continued talking for almost another hour; finally, Hermione started yawning and got up to go to her room. Then Ginny said, “You know, I do have one idea you might try.”

“You know, fifth years are supposed to come to sixth years for advice,” Hermione smiled. “Tell me.”

“Talk to Perenelle. Really.”

“I’ve tried that.”

“But I think you’ve been asking the wrong questions.”

“Maybe you’re right; I’ll think about it, anyway. Good night, Ginny. And thanks.” Hermione wasn’t quite sure what Ginny was talking about, but this was at least a starting point that she could get her arms around.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Harry started down the stairs from the third floor to the second, he heard Ron calling for him to wait up. He paused and waited for Ron, who asked, “Where you heading, mate?”

“The kitchen. I was going to get some hot chocolate and talk to Sirius if he was finished with the Floo.”

“Ginny told you to get lost, too?” Ron asked with a knowing grin.

“Yeah, she wanted to talk to Hermione.”

“Did Hermione… er, say anything to you?” Ron asked.

“Ginny told you?” Harry asked, and Ron nodded. “No, not really, just that she was feeling left out, and that she missed how it used to be a year or two ago.”

Ron sighed as they entered the kitchen; there was no sign of Sirius. “I guess I know she would like things to be like they were third or fourth year, but…”

Harry nodded slowly as they fixed their hot chocolate, “A lot has happened since then. You ever wish you’d ended up in another compartment on the train our first year?”

“Well,” Ron hesitated for a moment and then admitted, “a few times I have, when I’ve been upset. Once was last year after you told us all to sod off, and I dreamed about that train ride and being at Hogwarts. That we didn’t sit together, and that you shook Malfoy’s hand, and you were sorted into Slytherin. And that Hermione was… was killed… by the Troll… and that Ginny…” Ron’s voice dropped to a whisper, “died… in the Chamber. We never found her. That’s when I woke up. It was so real, I got up just to make sure you were still there in our room.” Ron paused, then finally added, “I’ve never wished that again.”

Harry nodded as they took seats; bad dreams were familiar territory. “Dumbledore says sometimes the most insignificant-seeming things have the greatest consequences. I’m certainly glad you couldn’t find another seat, and that Neville lost his toad. You know, that was the day I met Ginny, too.”

Ron nodded, “That’s when it all started, didn’t it?”

Harry was a little surprised, but nodded. “Yeah, other than that I was so dense that it took me the next five years to figure it out. What I needed… had been there all along.”

“I can’t exactly talk,” Ron said.

“No, you can’t, you git. You at least knew what you wanted. It just took you forever to admit to each other what had been obvious to anyone who’d spent five minutes around the two of you. And both of you in Gryffindor,” Harry grinned. “Believe me, it could have been a lot worse. At least you never made a complete idiot of yourself like I did with Cho.”

“You think it’s going to be tough next year at school on you and Ginny?” Ron asked. “What Ginny did today…it’s going to be a big deal.”

Harry shook his head and said, “I haven’t had time to even think about that. Ginny told me that bonding was… well, you know, proof of …”

Ron chuckled, “Can’t even say the ‘M’ word, eh, mate?”

“I guess by tomorrow everyone else will be saying it. Rita Skeeter and her photographer showed up at the worst possible time today.”

“Yeah, I saw that; then again, everybody did. I think the two of you got as much applause as the new Minister,” Ron grinned.

“It certainly didn’t bother your sister. She had Rita send a copy of tomorrow’s paper to Cho,” Harry said.

“That’s Ginny for you, she has a long memory. Just wait till we find your sister; you’ll see what it’s like and what I’ve put up with all these years.”

“Weren’t you telling me a few hours ago that kid sisters were a bad thing?”

“Nah, that was somebody else.”

“That they steal your things and snog your friends?” Harry pressed.

“No, that was somebody else, too.” Ron grinned. “Just somebody trying to cheer you up. You know, I’ve missed this. Just talking….”

“Yeah, me too. You think….”

Harry’s question was lost when a head appeared in the fireplace and called for Sirius Black. Harry stood and moved to where he could be seen and said, “Just a second, we’ll get him. Mr. Howe?”

“Harry? Yes, please, get Sirius, if you would. It’s important.”

“I’ll get him,” Ron said as he left the room.

Harry wanted to ask questions but waited impatiently. Sirius came running in a few minutes later closely followed by Ron. “What is it, Jon? Did you get anything about Portland?”

“No, nothing on that yet. One of our investigators just called from the States about the Rosier girl. It’s still fairly early in the evening over there, you know. Do you want me to go ahead?”

Harry realized that Howe was giving Sirius a chance to chase them out before saying anything, but Sirius told him to go ahead. “Ok, like I said, one of the investigators called with some additional information. It seems that the file on Lena Rosier – the police file – was accessed a day or two ago. It was accessed by a precinct – that’s sort of a district police office responsible for a part of a town – in Atlanta. They pulled the complete file, not just the summary. When our investigators saw this, they checked all the records and made a few calls. There’s no record of an arrest, or of any girls anywhere close to that age or description being held as far as we can tell, though getting information on juveniles is always tricky. In any case, this report was accessed from a computer in the detective division; seems sort of strange that they would be accessing the records without a really good reason. And if they’d arrested her, we should have been able to find something.”

Harry asked, “Can we find out anything from whoever got the information?”

“The agency has five people on a plane to Atlanta now, Harry, but they’re flying in from Newark – that’s near New York City – and it’ll be a few hours before they are on the ground there. But they have mobiles and will contact me directly as soon as they know anything.

“Sirius,” Howe continued, “There’s something else you should know, too. There have been several other accesses on the girl’s file. All of them came through Interpol, which means they originated outside the U. S. According to the agency, this is damned unusual for this sort of file.”

“So they know,” Sirius said.

“They’ve got the same report we do,” Howe said. “Right now, we’re a few hours ahead of them, and if we’re lucky, they won’t think to have anyone go back to look at who else is accessing the files. But we can’t count on that.”

“Wasn’t there any way to find someone already in the area?” Sirius asked.

“It takes a bit to set something like that up, and right now, the security stuff in Atlanta is crazy anyway because of the Olympics – a huge sports thing, lasts for days, with thousands and thousands of people. We were lucky we could get these guys on a plane to Atlanta today.”

“Is it enough?” Sirius asked. “Five people? Dumbledore seems to think You Know Who has taken a lot of interest in this girl. And is it time?”

“The people we’re sending are very good, Sirius. Two of them are former Aurors and are pretty tough customers. The other three are former military Special Forces; you really are getting the very best that money can buy. As for you going over… keep in mind these guys are professionals, and would be a lot happier if you stayed out of their…”

“It’s Harry’s gold, and it’s my party, and I’m calling the shots,” Sirius said firmly.

“Okay, but listen to them, Sirius; these guys are pros, and they know what they’re doing. And no, I don’t think it’s quite time for you to go; but at this point, I could call back in an hour or tomorrow morning and say go. Have you decided on how you’re going?”

“Dumbledore didn’t think any of the normal public channels would be a good idea, so what you suggested about the charter seemed like the best idea. Besides, there are other aspects that appeal to me.”

Howe shook his head and said, “You’ll be the death of me yet, Sirius. I’ll alert them to be ready on short notice.”

“All the documents are ready?”

“Yes, and you realize that it would be very easy for Arthur Weasley to have my license not to mention my arse over his two kids, not to mention the Granger girl’s parents?”

“Oh, Jon, don’t worry so much. Arthur can’t go after you on Ginny’s account. Only Harry can do that,” Sirius said with a huge grin.

“That’s supposed to make me feel better? Though with Arthur as head of Magical Law Enforcement, I wouldn’t count on it, Harry notwithstanding.”

“Jon… Keep in mind what’s at stake here. That girl’s name should have been Jamie Potter. That’s James and Lily’s daughter.” Sirius looked apologetically at Harry for a second, and then said, “She’s the Girl Who Lived. This isn’t shuffling parchment around the Ministry, Jon, and it’s not shuffling papers around the Old Bailey. You’re spearheading something that could be pretty important for all of us.”

Howe nodded, “I know, that’s why I keep letting you drag me across the line. Have your bag packed, Sirius. We’re close.”

“Okay, and thanks, Jon.”

“Sirius.” The head disappeared from the flames.

“I’m starting to feel like a mushroom, Sirius,” Harry said.

“It’s called plausible deniability, Harry,” Sirius said.

“Huh?”

“It means if you don’t know, you can’t get in trouble. Not everything Jon is doing is… well, completely on the straight and narrow.”

“I gathered that much; don’t play games, Sirius, what have you been doing?” Harry demanded.

Sirius was saved from answering by another face appearing in the fireplace. The fiery image of Albus Dumbledore said, “Sirius, ah, and I see Harry and Ron are with you. I’m afraid I have troubling news; Lucius Malfoy has escaped.”

“How?” Harry asked.

“We’re not entirely sure,” Dumbledore’s head replied. “He was found to be missing during a routine head count; two hours earlier he was reported as being in his cell. As far as we can tell, no one entered or left the cellblock during those two hours. On the other hand, there was considerable activity around Lucius Malfoy during Cornelius Fudge’s last few hours in office; it is not impossible that this is related, though the cells are warded against both Apparition and Portkeys. None of the other prisoners are known to have escaped.”

“That’s just bloody brilliant,” Harry said, scowling. “If he’d been in Azkaban…”

“Amelia Bones had intended to do that quite quickly; unfortunately, not everything that Cornelius did in the last several months can be undone instantly, I’m afraid. However, I am very much concerned that Lucius Malfoy will quickly become embroiled in attempting to find your sister, Harry. He certainly has been one of Voldemort’s most trusted followers, and he has both contacts in America and the expertise and means to enhance Voldemort’s effort to find her. He no longer has any reason to hide his association with Voldemort, and undoubtedly feels pressured to prove his loyalty to his master after Narcissa’s defection. Lucius Malfoy will be exceedingly dangerous.”

Dumbledore looked steadily at Harry for several moments before continuing, “Harry, Lucius Malfoy held that you were responsible for his incarceration. He is very much a threat to you, personally; he might well attempt to kill you outright at the first opportunity, even in defiance of Voldemort’s orders. Can I not persuade you that the best course of action is to let others pursue…?”

“No, Professor,” Harry said. “You told me just yesterday, ‘This above all: to thine own self be true.’ Were those just words, without any meaning?”

Dumbledore answered slowly, “No, Harry, I believe them to be a profound truth.”

“Then you understand I have to do… whatever I have to do. Maybe these are the words… ‘I'd gladly lose me to find you. I'd gladly give up all I had. To find you I'd suffer anything and be glad.’ That’s what I have to do to be true to myself and to my parents. I’m still nowhere close to dealing with the idea of even having a sister, Professor, but if Ginny and the Weasleys have taught me anything, it’s that family matters. A lot.”

Dumbledore nodded resignedly. “I have often counseled students to choose what is right over what is easy… but now find it difficult to follow my own advice. Harry, please be very careful.”

“I will, Professor.”

“Sirius,” Dumbledore continued, “Perenelle had intended to come in the morning and stay there until after Nicholas and I returned from the Confederation; but under the circumstances, I am asking both her and Severus to join you at headquarters tonight. It is important that we work together; will you please attempt to set aside your differences for at least the short time Nicholas and I will be gone?”

“What were you just saying about right and easy?” Sirius grinned. “I’ll try, Albus. But I really need to fill you in on what we just learned here.” Sirius quickly told Dumbledore most of what Jon Howe had described a few minutes before.

As Sirius began talking, Perenelle and Snape arrived in the kitchen, obviously via Portkey. Harry heard Perenelle say to Snape, “There, wasn’t that better than going through the Floo?”

Dumbledore acknowledged their arrival and closed the call a minute or so later. Sirius turned toward Perenelle and asked, “Did you catch all of that?”

“I believe so. Things are moving quite quickly, and I suppose we will need to keep a watch overnight,” Perenelle replied.

“The fireplace in my room is also connected,” Sirius said, “so there’s no reason to keep someone down here.”

Perenelle nodded. “In that case, Harry and Ron, might I suggest the two of you retire for the night? It would be best if you are both as rested if possible if something should develop.”

“Harry’s sort of locked out at the moment,” Ron said with a grin.

“Fight?” Sirius asked, also grinning as Snape shook his head disdainfully.

Harry glared at Ron for a second, then said, “No, Ginny and Hermione wanted a chance to talk. Actually, they finished a few minutes ago.” He looked back and forth between Sirius and Perenelle and shrugged. “All right, I’ll remain a mushroom a little longer. Good night,” he said, then walked from the kitchen, with Ron following him.

Sirius apparently had started to follow them out, but Harry heard Perenelle call him back. “Wait a moment, Sirius. There are a few things I want to talk to the two of you about first. Would you be so kind as to make us all a cup of tea?”

Ron said, “Think Professor Flamel knows what she’s getting into with those two?”

“If anyone can handle them, she can,” Harry said. They climbed the stairs together; when they reached the third floor, Ron and Harry exchanged good-nights, and Harry continued up to the fourth floor alone. The sitting room was empty and the door to the bedroom ajar; Harry closed the door to the suite and entered the bedroom. A pair of candles on each of their bedside tables provided a dim illumination; Harry could just make out Ginny waiting for him. He kicked off his trainers and removed his shirt and outerwear and slipped into bed beside her.

“Have a good talk?” Harry asked.

“Just girl-talk,” Ginny giggled. “You’re a bloke, you couldn’t possibly understand.”

“Fine, fine. Is Hermione okay?”

“I think so, Harry. I was actually kind of surprised, she actually told you just about all of it.”

“We are pretty close, you know. What took the two of you so long?”

“Well, she did tell me in just a little more detail,” Ginny said, laughing. “And she did want to know some things about us, and I told her about some of the stuff that happened in the Chamber. And if you promise not to repeat it, I might even tell you what I think.”

“Okay, it’s just between us.”

“I think Hermione finally found a situation where there’s not an answer somewhere in a book. Can’t look up a Ronald Weasley and find a list of ten simple steps to ensure a perfect storybook romance. She’s having to figure this out as she goes.”

“It’s not like you exactly came with an operator’s manual either, you know,” Harry chuckled as he pulled her into his arms.

“You don’t seem to be having any problems now, Harry. Like Charlie said, the only problem was that it took us too long.”

“Charlie said? That remark originated with you, Ginevra Weasley Potter.”

“Just think of those Occlumency lessons you’d have missed with old Snape.”

“Don’t remind me, especially with him downstairs.”

Ginny started to ask what Severus Snape was doing at Grimmauld Place, but all thoughts of the Potions Master were abandoned as Harry grinned and said, “Want to see if we can make Voldemort forget about my sister for a bit?”

“See? I told you that you didn’t need an operator’s manual,” Ginny sighed as her lips met his.