Backfire

Author's Notes: Thanks so much for all the great reviews and comments! I'll respond more specifically to them over in the review forums since Schnoogle is having issues with its author notes format, but I wanted to make sure and thank you all before getting on with the story. This chapter is LOADED with spoilers and characters from Prelude to Destiny, so if you haven't read that story yet (shame on you!), I would strongly suggest reading it before you continue. Hope you all enjoy the chapter, and thanks again for reading!

CHAPTER 13

For What It's Worth

Anyone in the stands who was new to Hogwarts Quidditch would notice one thing right away. Gryffindor had two players who could fly like they were born on brooms.

A redheaded girl and a black-haired boy--one a Chaser, the other a Seeker--zoomed around the pitch seamlessly. It appeared as though their brooms adjusted instantly to every motion, every turn of their hips, every swivel of their shoulders. Rarely had any of the Houses had a flyer like them, let alone two at the same time.

The girl was remarkable, her smaller stature and lower center of gravity giving her a shockingly tight turning radius, which she used to duck and skirt Bludgers, Beaters, and opposing Chasers at point-blank range. People who knew her family might say that she took to her broom like her brother Charlie: with the same ease and equal aggression, but with much more calculation in her eyes.

But the boy, now he was really something. A strict-looking woman in Gryffindor colors, a professor, turned to the blonde couple sitting next to her and said, "I reckon he's better than James. Can you believe it?"

To which the petite blonde woman quietly replied, "True." Her older brother said nothing, eyes glued to the players zooming to and fro between the rings. He looked stricken, like he was in pain.

On the other side of the brother-sister pair, another blonde man--this one several years younger than the first--sat with his wife and child, discussing the match and the players with his friend, who had somewhat darker hair.

"Hope he falls," the young blonde man said, pointing to the Ravenclaw captain and earning an eye-roll from his wife.

"Will, that's a student!" his darker-haired friend chided. Will smirked.

"And?" Will returned. The friend shook his head.

"You always were an intense fan," the friend replied.

"Intense nothing. GO STEVIE!"

"He doesn't have the ball," Will's wife chimed in helpfully, as the Ravenclaw Seeker moved as close as she could to the Gryffindor Seeker.

"Hit her in the face!" Will called out as one of the Bludgers zoomed toward a Gryffindor Beater.

"Again: intense," the friend observed with a slight smile.

"Chad, you say intense, I say familial obligation," Will explained, with a straight face that threatened to break into a smirk until something in the match caught his attention. He pointed at one of the Gryffindor Chasers. "Hey, who's that redhead? The little chit can move." Chad directed his attention toward the redheaded girl who was currently weaving her way toward the Ravenclaw rings.

"That's Ginny Weasley." The response came from Will's wife as she bounced her young son on her lap. At the surprised look she received from the two young men, she explained. "McGonagall told me." Will's mouth widened into a grin.

"The love of Stevie's life?" he asked hopefully, and not a little cheekily. His wife socked him in the arm.

"Don't tease him," she scolded. Will grinned and turned back to Chad.

"Tease him? I'm proud of his choice!" Will exclaimed.

"But it is her, right?" Chad asked.

"Yes," Will's wife confirmed over her husband's head. "That's her." She turned back to the toddler on her lap.

"Aren't there like a hundred Weasley kids?" Chad asked. "Or is she the next generation?"

"Merlin, that makes me feel old," Will replied. "Wasn't there a Weasley when we were at school?"

"Yes, but he was in Gryffindor," Chad said.

"Cool little kid, though," Will recalled. "He was always getting detention for trying out difficult spells in the corridors."

"And wasn't there a little Seeker, too? During seventh year, or maybe after we left?" Chad wondered. Will paused to think back to the Quidditch games of their final year at Hogwarts, as Chad went on. "Remember our seventh year, when Gryffindor was terrible, but they had this little Seeker who always got the Snitch, even though they would still lose by like a hundred points?"

"Oh man, they were horrible," Will agreed.

"But not the Weasley kid," Chad qualified.

"Nor, apparently, is his sister," Will added, as said sister scored a goal.

"You really think they're all from the same family?" Chad asked.

"If so, that woman was really pumping 'em out," Will concluded. "That's it Stevie! CRACK THE BAT!"

"Yeah, I think she's his sister," Chad declared, scanning the pitch and then pointing toward the Gryffindor rings. "Look, their Keeper must be another brother."

"Merlin, those Weasleys don't play around when it comes to procreation, do they?" Will observed.

"I wonder how she compares to Lily," Chad said quietly after a few thoughtful moments of silence.

"No one compares to Lily," Will insisted. Then he smiled. "But Stevie thinks she's really something." Chad gave his friend a look.

"Will . . ."

"Fine. Whatever. No teasing my nephew," Will promised. Then, after watching the girl for a few moments: "Why couldn't she have been more studious and put in our house?"

"I think it's a rule. Redheads belong in Gryffindor," Chad explained. Both boys thought back to the other redheaded Gryffindor they knew.

"I can respect that."

Their conversation was cut off as the black-haired Gryffindor Seeker suddenly took off into an almost vertical dive over near the Ravenclaw end of the pitch, and in the urgency of the situation, the other Seeker had no choice but to follow him. As they grew closer and closer to the ground, the crowd stood up in anticipation, leaning over banisters and around each other to get a better view. The Ravenclaw Seeker was smaller than the boy, but was able to keep up just behind him. The spectators in the stands grew more and more anxious as the two players went hurtling toward the ground, and some even started to scream and yell in anticipation of the collision.

But just at the last second, the Gryffindor Seeker twisted around ever so slightly, like a heat-seeking missile whose target had changed, and he took off back up into the sky like a shot.

The Ravenclaw Seeker was not so lucky. She must have noticed that the Snitch was nowhere in sight, and tried to pull up at the last second, but was not quick enough to avoid catching a bit of the ground as she redirected her broom. When the tail of her broom nicked the ground, she was thrown off, but not seriously injured. It could have been a lot worse.

"Wronski Feint," the professor mentioned to her blonde neighbors, in a breathless, almost disbelieving sort of way that suggested amazement, despite the fact that she had seen the boy's moves many times before. The blonde woman nodded but kept rapt attention on the game, her eyes briefly resting on the girl being attended to on the ground, before returning to the Gryffindor who was already 200 feet in the air and climbing. The blonde man leaned over his sister to address the teacher.

"And he's, what, a sixth-year?" The professor nodded. The man shook his head in a mix of recognition and disbelief. "So he just missed Andy by a year. By a couple weeks, actually. I knew he was here when Andy started, but I guess it just didn't seem real until I saw him."

"True," his sister replied.

* * *

Ginny was pleased at how the game was progressing. As usual, the other team was no match for a Firebolt and a Retro, and she and Harry were dominating at their positions. Stevie was playing an inspired game for his family, who were watching from somewhere up in the Gryffindor stands. Ron was having a relatively easy go of it, only having let in one goal so far.

It didn't hurt that Harry had taken Cho Chang for a ride with that Wronski Feint a little while ago.

At any rate, with Gryffindor so comfortably in the lead--almost shamefully so, for a Quidditch final--the match had practically turned into a waiting game. The entire stadium was waiting for Harry to see the Snitch.

Once she saw the glimmer of gold in his path, Ginny took off toward him, perhaps being a little presumptuous about the victory, but mostly just determined to be the first one in his sights when he caught it. She was getting gradually closer when--

SLAM!

She got knocked over, almost off of her broom. Luckily she hadn't lost her grip, and jerked her head around to see where the Bludger had come from. Calvin Wilde, the seventh-year captain. Not a bad bloke usually, but probably bitter at being so thoroughly dominated in his final outing. By now Harry had raced off toward the other end of the stadium, still in pursuit of the Snitch, with Cho Chang trying desperately to keep pace.

Alright, Ginny thought, if Calvin wants to be nasty, I can be nasty. She tore off toward Betsy, who now had the Quaffle, and with one glance at Katie the three of them went streaking back toward the Ravenclaw rings.

Passing, feinting, dodging, back and forth, up and down, the three of them performed maneuvers without error and without visible effort. With Katie racing down the middle, a simple nod of her head sent Ginny and Betsy across to the opposite sides, Ginny underneath Katie as they flew, Betsy right over her. At point-blank range with the Keeper, Katie tossed the ball down to Ginny, who relayed it through a wide-open hoop.

As they rounded back toward their own end, Ginny glanced at the Ravenclaw captain, who nodded and frowned to convey that she had made her point. At just that moment, the announcer's voice started shouting and was promptly drowned out by roar of the crowd.

Ginny's eyes searched quickly for Harry as she flew off in the direction of her teammates. Despite the cheering of the crowd and the stop in play, she refused to cheer until she could see the Snitch in Harry's hand.

When his brown glove shot up into the air in triumph, and she caught a glimpse of the fluttering gold ball, she threw a fist up in celebration and screamed, flying as fast as she could to reach him.

He had caught it right underneath the Gryffindor stands, which meant that, despite her wonderfully fast broom, half of Gryffindor House reached him before she did. She could see Ron and their Beaters, Jack and Stephen, already piled on top of him. As she hopped off her Retro, she entered the bustling crowd with a shout.

"Oy! Mates! Let the Chasers through!" And the horde of red parted like the sea as she stepped toward the four boys, Katie and Betsy close behind her. Once they were in sight, the boys turned around and Ginny took off at run, dropping her broom as she was plucked off the ground by her brother.

He twirled her around in celebration and she kissed him on the cheek as they cheered to each other. When Ron put her down she was met next by Jack, who she hugged quickly. Next she turned to Stephen McGrath, who greeted her with bright eyes and a grin that took up his entire face. She squeezed him tight and gave him a peck as well, only to be torn off of him by his older brother.

"Gin, you were brilliant!" She smiled and embraced her friend, delirious with joy. He squeezed her tight before kissing her cheek and letting her go exchange hugs with her fellow Chasers. The crowd began to settle down as she finally got a chance to look around for Harry.

As she walked back toward Ron, her arm was yanked to the right and Harry's beaming face briefly came into view before she was picked up and twirled around a second time. This second turn in the air was apparently the last straw for her ponytail, which came completely undone, letting loose her red locks and capturing the shocked attention of the small group of friends and family who had come down to congratulate their son and nephew.

As Harry stopped turning and held her tight, Ginny could not know that ten feet behind her four people had stopped dead in their tracks, thinking they'd seen a ghost. From behind Ginny, all Matt McGrath, Will McGrath, Chad Caldwell, and Tracy Merton could see was a black-haired Quidditch player with glasses embracing a red-haired girl with the deepest affection and enthusiasm.

They couldn't see the girl's face, couldn't see her small nose and chocolate brown eyes so unlike the features they knew. They couldn't see that the boy's eyes were green instead of hazel, or that he had a lightning bolt scar on his forehead. They forgot for a moment that they had just watched him play an entire match at Seeker, not Chaser.

For one moment they thought they were seeing another black-haired boy and red-haired girl, who they had known at Hogwarts years before. But their reverie was rudely interrupted as Stephen ran at the boy and girl yelling, "Harry! Ginny! We won!" and causing the boy to look up and the girl to turn around, beaming, and admit him into their embrace. Soon the other Gryffindor players piled on for a team hug and cheers went up with renewed intensity from the sea of crimson that surrounded them.

* * *

After a spell, after the Quidditch trophy had been presented and yet more cheering rose up from the Gryffindor students, the crowd on the pitch began to calm down and disperse in the general direction of the school. Ginny was standing with Harry, Nadine, and Andy, reminiscing about the first game they had played against Ravenclaw, when her ingenuity had begun a new trend of Quidditch uniforms at Hogwarts.

Just when Andy had caused them to laugh in remembrance of Stevie gawking at a half-naked Ginny, the very same third-year boy walked up to them, accompanied by Nadia and several adults. When Andy caught sight of his brother's companions, he smiled.

"Ginny, Harry, this is my dad, Matt McGrath," Andy said, by way of introduction. Mr. McGrath nodded and smiled, looking somewhat bittersweet when Harry reached out to shake his hand. "And this is my Aunt Tracy," he added, indicating the blonde woman who was no taller than Ginny. Andy looked to Harry. "She played Quidditch with your dad at school." Harry smiled as he followed Ginny in shaking the woman's hand.

"Nice to meet you," Ginny said, smiling. Merlin, but Mr. McGrath was handsome. Not bloody hot like Sirius had been in his prime, but handsome and kind-looking, like his son. Andy's aunt looked uneasy. None of the adults could keep their eyes off Harry.

"This is Chad Caldwell," Andy added, with regard to one of the younger men. Ginny and Harry greeted and shook hands with him, Ginny thinking that perhaps he had the same eyes and jaw as Theo.

"And this is my Uncle Will," Andy continued, gesturing to the younger blonde man, who was quite as good looking as Andy's dad, but slightly shorter and more athletically built. "This is his wife, Colleen, and my cousin Michael," he finished, indicating the nice-looking woman--who was clearly several months into another pregnancy--and the small boy at her side. When the little boy's eyes landed on Harry, they widened and he came forward, pointing at the Boy-Who-Lived.

"Mummy, that's Harry Potter!"

"Yes, dear."

"Stevie plays with Harry Potter?!"

"Yes, he does, but what have I taught you about pointing?"

"Not to do it," Michael replied, skulking back behind his mother's leg.

"Good," Colleen McGrath responded, with a measure of motherly satisfaction. She turned to address Harry. "Sorry about that," she offered kindly.

"Don't worry about it," Harry assured her, much too pleased about his new acquaintances to mind his celebrity. "It's great to meet people who knew my parents," he added. Seeing the adults glance at Ginny, then back at him, and finally at each other, Harry seemed to think he ought to lighten the mood. "Remus has never told me . . . am I anywhere near as good as my dad?" he asked, indicating toward the Quidditch pitch with the hand holding his Firebolt. Mr. McGrath looked at his older son, then to Ginny, and then back to Andy again. Tracy cleared her throat before venturing to answer Harry's question.

"You are better than James was," she managed, in a somewhat strangled voice. She attempted a half-smile, but Ginny noticed that it did not even come close to reaching her eyes. Harry and Stevie smiled at this information, which seemed to brighten her spirits a bit. Andy seemed to notice the restrained, slightly odd way that his aunt was acting. Ginny wondered if there was a reason other than grief that made Tracy Merton so uncomfortable seeing Harry and talking about the Potters.

"He played a different position, of course," Harry said to keep the conversation from stalling. Ginny smiled with approval. "I'm sure I'd be rubbish at Chasing compared to him." He glanced at Ginny, who promptly piped up.

"What do you mean compared to him?" she asked jokingly. "You'd be a rubbish Chaser compared to anybody!" she insisted, grinning at him playfully. He laughed.

"Certainly compared to you I would," he admitted. Ginny bit her lip, eyes still smiling at the compliment. Harry turned to Mr. McGrath. "Andrew said that you were Head Boy the year before my dad was," he offered. Andy and Stevie's dad smiled kindly.

"Yes, I was. It was an incredible year, for several reasons, not the least of which was your mother," he replied. Will McGrath and Chad Caldwell exchanged glances. Talking about Lily seemed to light up Mr. McGrath's countenance and put him at ease. Ginny thought that he must have been extremely fond of her. Interestingly, it seemed to have the opposite effect on Andy's Aunt Tracy, whose face was blank and whose jaw seemed to harden. After a pause Mr. McGrath spoke again, with an almost disbelieving smile.

"I'm sure you've heard this a million times, so please forgive me, but you look almost exactly like your father." Harry nodded.

"Yes, sir. That and my mother's eyes," he finished for him. Mr. McGrath laughed. It sounded lovely, like Matthew McGrath was honestly shocked and pleased to be talking to Lily and James' son. All the students smiled, while Andy's aunt showed no reaction.

"Yes, indeed. Your mother's green eyes. It must get bloody annoying having all these people you don't know gawking at you and telling you things when they don't know a lick about you." Harry's eyes and the nod of his head conveyed his confirmation of that statement. "For my part, I hope you will chalk it up to my affection for Lily and my great respect for James. They were the best people I've ever known, besides my wife." Ginny wanted very badly to cry when she remembered that all three of those people were dead. Chad and Will smiled in fondness for all three of the deceased. Tracy McGrath Merton was looking more uncomfortable by the minute.

"Thank you very much for saying so," Harry replied earnestly, but with a contented expression. "Everyone seems to know who they were, but no one seems to have known them. Other than Remus and Sirius, I mean." Ginny grabbed his hand without thinking, and agonized over whether to yank it back or leave it in his. The decision was made for her when his fingers entwined themselves with hers.

"It's actually kind of funny that you mention them, and that I'm finally meeting you near the end of your sixth year," Mr. McGrath began. His expression had taken on a look of pleasant recollection when Harry had mentioned Remus and Sirius. At Harry's look of curiosity, he continued. "Your father punched me once, about this time of year." Will and Chad laughed heartily, obviously knowing the incident to which Andy's dad was referring. Harry's eyes widened, but he calmed when he saw that Mr. McGrath was still grinning at the memory. "He thought your mother was in love with me, and that I was flaunting Christine in front of her."

Harry looked slightly embarrassed at this information, but was a little heartened when Ginny squeezed his hand and smiled at him. Andy and Stevie were confounded at the news of this oddly intimate connection that their parents apparently had with Harry's.

"Why did he think that?" Harry asked, the tone of his voice expressing his hope that his father had had a good reason for punching him. Mr. McGrath laughed openly at his question. Harry seemed a bit less anxious; if Matt McGrath could laugh about it now, it couldn't have been too bad, could it?

"That's what reminded me of this, actually--when you mentioned Remus and Sirius." Harry looked curious. "You see, your dad had fancied your mum for a few years before that, and she had never given him the time of day. And around the same time, I had started suspecting that Remus was a werewolf," he explained. Ginny liked that the fact that Remus being a werewolf didn't seem to matter in the slightest to this man, or to Will McGrath or his wife, or to Chad Caldwell. Oh yes, this was Andy and Stevie's family, all right.

"So, your father and his friends got wind of my suspicion, you see, and decided that James would drink this stuff called Polyjuice Potion"--Ginny and Harry shared a knowing look--"which would make him appear to be Remus, so that 'Remus' would be able to do his Prefect rounds during the full moon, thus disproving my theory." The kids all smiled. "And their plan worked like a charm, until James started to Polyjuice himself for every one of Remus' patrols with her, and she, thinking he was Remus, became good friends with him and told him all about this boy she was in love with, who was now dating one of her best friends."

Harry was transfixed. Ginny got the impression that he had never gotten this kind of memory from Remus or Sirius. It seemed to relax him, and she was glad to see that their little group was now quite alone on the Quidditch pitch.

"So, who was the boy?" Nadine asked, clearly enraptured in the story. Mr. McGrath looked at her with all the affection of a family friend who had known her for her entire life.

"Well, James thought it was me, because it had recently come out that Christine and I had been dating. But it was really your dad," he said, looking at Harry with a smile. "You see, there had been a terrible misunderstanding earlier in the year, when your mum had somehow come to the conclusion that James was dating my sister," he motioned to the strangely uneasy Tracy standing to his side. "And of course, the fact that James was hearing this, and Lily thought he was Remus, didn't make it any less confusing when the truth finally came out."

"But what did Sirius have to do with all this?" Ginny asked, startling Harry out of his reverie.

"Ah, well, he was the only one who could have prevented all the confusion, because he had already become close mates with your mum," he started, eyes still on Harry. "He had somehow discovered that Lily was arse over elbows in love with your dad, but thought that the only way she would give him a chance in person was if she got to know him without the presumptions and misconceptions she had about him. I can only assume he thought that the Polyjuice scheme provided the perfect opportunity for that."

"Except for one small problem," a new voice added. Harry and Ginny grinned with delight when they saw a tired, but happy-looking Remus Lupin walking up to the group. Mr. McGrath looked happy to see him, as did Chad and Will. Remus put out his hand, for Andy's dad. "Nice to see you, Matt," he said kindly.

"You too, Remus," Mr. McGrath replied warmly. They seemed very familiar with each other, and this visibly added to Harry's general contentment with the occasion. "You remember my sister, Tracy?" Matt said politely, briefly setting his hand on her shoulder. Remus nodded to the blonde woman.

"Of course," he said with equal politeness, although it was abundantly clear that Tracy and Remus did not share the fond feelings that Matt and Remus did. "Hi Tracy," he greeted her.

"Hello, Remus," she said with not a little stiffness. Harry's expression darkened slightly. As Remus exchanged much more pleasant greetings with the other three adults, Ginny wondered whether it was the werewolf issue or something to do with the Potters that had come between the former housemates. Remus, observant as usual, turned the conversation back to its original subject.

"Like I was saying, the plan was brilliant until Lily ruined it all," he said jokingly. Mr. McGrath laughed.

"What'd she do?" Harry asked, not knowing whether to laugh or be a little concerned.

"Well, she began to fancy the Remus she knew from her patrols," Remus continued. "Only it wasn't me, it was James. So she was pretty confused when her Prefect partner acted like one bloke during their walks around the school, and then acted totally different in classes and things," he finished. Ginny, Nadine, and Nadia were all taking in the story with considerable affection. The boys seemed amused at the predicament Sirius had declined to prevent.

"And when James found out that Christine and I were dating," Matt added, "he jumped to the conclusion that Lily fancied me, and that I was torturing her by subbing for Remus when he missed patrols for the full moon. So he confronted me, and punched me, and I assured him that Lily did not have feelings for me; and on the absolutely preposterous chance that she might, I certainly didn't know about them."

As Harry was shaking his head and smiling at the funny memory, he removed his hand from Ginny's and slid it around her waist, causing her to lean in casually against him. Neither of them seemed to notice as they shifted positions.

"But he must not have believed me, because soon after that, when I was filling in for Remus another time, he came after me again, only as Remus this time. But he didn't get to punch me, because Lily stunned him and knocked him down before he could get one off." Everyone laughed, and Harry looked delighted at the actions of his mother. "Anyway, I left them to their patrol, thinking it was Remus, but that was the night that James let the potion wear off, and Tracy came running after them because she had found out about the plan, and Lily found out."

"Needless to say, she was furious," Remus added, picking up the story. Ginny and Nadine shared a look and nodded to express their agreement with Lily's take on the issue. "By that time, all of us except for James and Lily knew that they were mad for each other. Lily was simply livid at everyone other than Matt and Christine. James was mad at the situation, because the girl he adored had only liked him when he looked like someone else. Tracy and another girl in our year, Samantha Caldwell--Chad's sister--were outraged that James and Sirius would do such a thing. It was quite a mess."

When Remus had indicated Chad as being Samantha Caldwell's brother, the mention of the name Ginny recognized as belonging to Theo's mother caused the expressions of the men in the group to darken briefly.

"But everything turned out in the end, right?" Ginny proposed, causing Harry to turn his head and look down at her where she stood by his side. "I mean, they got married and everything, didn't they?" He'd started when he noticed their proximity, but when Ginny didn't seem to notice, he relaxed again.

"Yes," Remus replied with a slight smirk. "But not until Lily made him wait all summer before she would agree officially to go out with him."

The conversation carried on in this manner for some time, with Remus and Matt McGrath recalling stories about James, Lily, Sirius, and Christine, and the children all listening in rapt attention. No one seemed to notice Andy's Aunt Tracy, who trailed the group stoically as they retreated under the falling darkness to the Great Hall for dinner.

They were all so wrapped up in their reminiscences and stories that no one noticed when Mrs. Merton left the group. No one noticed her reaction to seeing their blonde Defense professor in the corridor, and no one noticed the hardening of the professor's gaze and jaw.

But Ginny did notice when Theo Nott joined them at the family table in the Great Hall, and watched as he was greeted by his Uncle Chad, and by the elder McGrath men, with warmth and not a little respect. She chuckled to herself as she watched Stephen try to work out whether he could finally, openly greet their long-time family friend.

Theo smiled to himself as the youngest McGrath brother gave him a hug.

* * *

Ginny was growing sleepy as she walked back from the Room of Requirement. Luna had caught up with her as they were leaving dinner and they'd met up for a visit. Ginny was taking the long way back, as she suspected that the common room would still be very much in uproar with the Quidditch victory party, and she wanted to gather her thoughts before facing her rambunctious housemates. As she passed the Owlry, she heard voices--a man and a woman, it sounded like--and she paused near the entrance to find out whose they were.

Tracy Merton stood with her arms crossed over her chest, staring out the window at the moon.

"You all right?" Mr. McGrath asked his sister as he leaned a shoulder against the wall. Ginny envied his effortless ability to look casual and poised.

"Did you expect me to be?" Mrs. Merton asked without moving. They stood like that for a while before a slow smile appeared on Mr. McGrath's face.

"He flies just like his father," he said. "The way he grabbed his broom and kicked off--"

"He doesn't fly a thing like James," Tracy said coldly, cutting him off and stiffening her posture to such a degree that Ginny thought she couldn't possibly be comfortable. "When James flew, people watched. He was flashy and brilliant and daring for the audience. Harry--Harry flies like Lily would cast charms: with an understated brilliance that makes it look so easy that it doesn't seem impressive."

"Tracy--"

"Don't."

"You needed to come."

"I did not," Tracy said emphatically. "I came because you wanted me to see him. Well, I did. Are you happy now? I know what I gave up. I knew it when I chose to move away. I know it now. And what do you want me to say? That I wish I would've stayed? That I should have been more like you or Gertrude Wrightman, or even Severus Snape? I won't. I won't because I could have just as easily been Lily or James or Christine--"

"Don't you dare!" snapped Mr. McGrath in a voice that did not seem to be his own. "Don't you dare say it was okay to run because look what happened to my wife!"

"She died, Matt, because she and Lily chose to broadcast their alliances." Ginny would have cursed this angry-speaking idiot of a woman, but Mr. McGrath's words beat her to the punch.

"She was attacked. She was attacked by Dementors and I wasn't enough of a master at the Patronus to do anything until it was too late." Ginny wanted to cry, wanted to walk forward and embrace that man who looked so much like her best friend. That was why he had wanted Andy and Stevie to learn the charm so badly. That was why--oh, it hurt too much to think about.

"She was my best friend, Matt. It hurts me, too."

"Oh, so that's why you didn't write her--"

"Is this why you invited me here? To rub it in my face that I left them all behind?"

"This isn't about you, Tracy," Mr. McGrath said. "This is about my son and the fact that he wanted his legendary aunt, the Gryffindor Beater, to see his big match."

"Well, I saw the game. I don't see why we can't leave or why you're on such friendly terms with a werewolf." Oh, yes, it was official: Ginny Weasley hated Tracy Merton. "What's next? Are you going to invite Gertrude Wrightman and Severus Snape to talk about Lily when we know she would have sold Lily to Voldemort? And Snape did!"

Mr. McGrath looked as disgusted as Ginny felt.

"You don't know either of them, let alone Remus Lupin! All your life you've assumed you understood the world. Well, why don't you go owl the only person you made an effort to stay friends with at school: the wife of the bastard who probably ordered those Dementor attacks."

"She was wrong, but Sam was just doing what I did. She married to protect her family!"

"No," Matt McGrath said, sounding angrier than anyone Ginny had ever heard before. "All I know is that she stayed neutral, so perfectly neutral, while better women fought." And though Mr. McGrath had said "she," Ginny couldn't help but think there was an implied "you" in that sentiment as well.

"Maybe that's true, but Samantha and I are still alive. Our sons have their mothers." Ginny had to physically restrain herself to keep from hexing Tracy Merton. Matt McGrath voiced what was going through her head.

"Yes, because that's worked out so well for Theo," he bit back.

The two stood there glaring and angry, and Ginny wondered if hexing Mrs. Merton from this distance would land her in any sort of trouble. Maybe if she didn't use her wand . . .

"Don't let Andy get involved, Matt," his sister finally said, breaking the silence.

"What?"

"Take him out--out of Hogwarts if you have to," Tracy said with a strange sort of urgency.

"We will not run from what's coming."

"She's poison for him," Andy's aunt continued. "She'll drag him into the thick of things, and he'll be the one that's hurt," she pressed on ,and Ginny felt her chest tighten with a suspicion that was confirmed a moment later. "Ginny Weasley will be in the middle of this conflict. She's just like Lily, and you saw her with Harry today, just like I did. Don't tell me you weren't having flashbacks."

So many thoughts coursed through Ginny's mind right then that she barely caught hold of one. How odd that Tracy Merton, who was both a Gryffindor and in Harry's mum's year, should think that Ginny was like Lily, when Gertrude Wrightman was convinced they were opposites. Maybe it was just the red hair. Maybe that was why people associated them with each other.

Either way, Ginny had a hunch that Professor Wrightman had known Lily somewhat better than Andy's Aunt could ever claim to. She certainly knew Ginny better than the hard-hearted woman in front of her now.

"You haven't changed," Mr. McGrath said. "All these years and you haven't changed."

"Neither, apparently, have you," she replied, as if to scold him. "You're still just as willing to put those you love in mortal peril. Don't you remember what it felt like to lose Christine?"

"I don't have to remember. I live with it every day," Mr. McGrath returned coldly. "Every day I wake up and she isn't beside me. Seeing Stephen grow up to look just like her, watching Andrew struggle with Nadine and knowing Christine could have helped him, I remember that because we weren't prepared, my best friend died and my children hurt because of it. Stevie doesn't remember her and he doesn't know what to think of the women I date and neither do I, because while I have found myself loving one or two, none of them are Christine and none of them ever will be.

"But do you know what gets me through? The knowledge that people like Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter are in my sons' lives. The knowledge that Gertrude Wrightman and Remus Lupin are watching over them. Ginny Weasley would die or kill to protect my sons and Harry Potter, as young as he is, opposes every wrong. He is his mother's son, no matter that she didn't raise him, and Ginny Weasley is his James, his partner, his support.

"You're right that I had flashbacks out on that field, but it was not of two people I loved that died, it was of two people that I once saw run toward Death Eaters attacking a house to help the people inside. Don't you dare tell me that I should want to keep my sons away from people like that."

Ginny, blinking back tears that she hated and an overwhelming sense of responsibility and pride, decided it was time to leave. She walked back to the common room, replaying the conversation in her head and hating Mrs. Merton, and adoring Mr. McGrath, more each time.

When she reached her room, Ginny went to her trunk and pulled out the old yearbook photos that she had copied and planned to give to Harry at the Leaving Feast. It had been an extraordinary year for Gryffindor all those years ago. But as amazing as they may have been, what they became was hard to accept: four were dead, one had run from the magical world, one was a Death Eater, one had married a Death Eater, and the last was a betrayed werewolf.

Ginny stayed there for a long moment, a single, unanswerable question refusing to leave her head: Is that what will happen to my generation?

* * *

Ginny was walking down to breakfast the next morning with Kerney, Andy, Stevie, Nadine, and Nadia, when they came upon Andy's dad in the front hall of the school. He was standing with Professor Wrightman, Theo, and Naomi Ryan, having what appeared to be a rather pleasant conversation. Ginny didn't remember her Defense professor ever looking so animated in the presence of another adult. Except for Sirius, of course. She wondered if Professor Wrightman would react the same way to Remus.

When Mr. McGrath noticed them, he brightened and called out to his sons. The teenagers all walked over, and Andy's dad was introduced to the Kernel. Ginny stood next to Theo, who nodded in greeting, and smiled at Professor Wrightman, who nodded with kind eyes and--could it be?--almost smiled. And then the funniest thing happened.

When Professor Wrightman indicated that she was going to take her leave, Matt McGrath smiled warmly (and a little sadly) and stepped forward to give her hug. Her face began its automatic response of withdrawing from expressing any emotion, causing Mr. McGrath to hesitate and draw back. In that instant, Ginny saw a look of horror briefly flash through her teacher's eyes; but it was different than anything she'd seen before. It was horror at her own reaction; horror that her body and emotions were so well trained, so finely manipulated, that they denied her the ability to express the ones she actually wanted to convey.

Rather than take offense or be embarrassed, Andy's dad seemed to understand. He extended his hand, and shook hers kindly. He wished her luck in her teaching endeavor, and expressed his desire that they meet again soon. It had been too long since the last time they spoke, he said. Gertrude Wrightman nodded, and--Ginny could have sworn the professor shot her a glance--said that she would make a point to ask them over for tea during the summer. Apparently, this wasn't an empty gesture, because Mr. McGrath looked rather gratified.

As her Defense professor left, Ginny paused for a moment and followed her.

"Professor?" she asked, causing the petite blonde woman to stop and turn, a knowing look on her face.

"Yes, Miss Weasley?" she replied patiently.

"Was that for my benefit?" Ginny asked.

"Which part," her teacher answered.

"The part about Andy and his dad coming to your house for tea over the summer holiday," Ginny offered.

"Not entirely," was the reply. Ginny smiled, mouth closed. Professor Wrightman had made the invitation both to comfort Ginny about spending the summer in a strange place and soothe Andy's dad at the same time. Ginny decided that she liked the changes that came over her teacher when the woman's old schoolmates were around. She was starting to see how Sirius could have been attracted to her.

She was his opposite in every way, notwithstanding the hard-and-fast sense of loyalty instilled in them both. Where Sirius was outwardly brash and rebellious, only rarely slipping into the manners and proper decorum that had been ingrained in him during childhood, Gertrude Wrightman was the picture of contained and controlled self-possession, only rarely allowing a glimpse of raw emotion. But even with the family issues that divided them, Ginny knew now, after all she had seen, that Gertrude's feelings for Sirius had been--perhaps still were--as strong for him as his had been for her.

It was strangely comforting.

"Thank you," Ginny replied, both for herself and on behalf of her friend's father.

"Not quite so deliberately mean, then?" Professor Wrightman asked. Ginny chuckled.

"No, ma'am," she agreed and, with a nod, her professor turned and left.

By the time Ginny turned back to join her friends, they were gone. She looked to the entrance of the Great Hall, and saw the last of the doors shutting behind Nadia and Stephen. Turning back to the front doors of the school, Ginny saw Mr. McGrath standing alone, looking at her expectantly. When he saw that she had noticed him, he smiled and began walking toward her. She did the same.

"Hello, Ginny," he greeted her. She couldn't help the grin that sprang to her face.

"Hi," she answered politely, not sure why he wanted to speak with her.

"I just wanted to say . . . well, I've heard a lot about you from Andrew, and Nadine, and . . . Stephen." Here he paused to smile on Stevie's name, and Ginny blushed, remembering the crush Andy's younger brother still had on her. "Well, I've heard a great deal about you, Miss Weasley, and to know that you are also very good friends with Harry Potter and Theo Nott, well, it makes me very happy." Ginny was slightly embarrassed to hear this, but kept herself from showing it.

"Er . . . I'm glad," she said, in as perky a way as she could manage. Andy's dad grinned at the awkwardness, but then his tone took on semblance of gravity.

"Listen, I've spoken with Gertrude Wrightman this weekend, and I thought you should know something, from someone else who knew Harry's mother. Don't let people compare you to Lily." Ginny's mind jumped back to the vehement row she had overheard the night before, as well as to her own discussion with Professor Wrightman on a similar subject. He continued.

"You might hear things like that in the coming months, but I want you to remember, always remember, that you are unique. You may have red hair, but you are not Lily, and she wasn't you. And anyone who says otherwise either doesn't know you or they didn't know Lily. You are both so important to us, but for very different reasons. Just don't forget that you are your own person, and you should be who you were meant to be." He spoke so earnestly, in such an obvious attempt to reassure her, that Ginny was beginning to worry that something was wrong.

"Mr. McGrath, is everything all right?" she couldn't help asking. He appeared to shake himself out of his grave countenance at the concern in her voice. He considered her thoughtfully for a moment, until a small smile spread onto his face.

"Yes," he said after a moment, the smile extending a little further. "Yes, I believe it is." He extended his had to shake hers. She took it with pleasure. "It was very nice to meet you."

"It was lovely to meet you, too," she returned. He smiled then, in a way that Lily would have recognized as one of the smiles he used to humor Christine with at school.

"See you this summer," he said cryptically, before turning to leave. Having started toward the Great Hall, Ginny's brow furrowed as she wondered what he meant. Then it hit her: Professor Wrightman apparently trusted him enough to tell him about their summer arrangement. She turned back to address him on the subject, but he was gone.

* * *

The lull that descended upon Hogwarts after the Quidditch Final was lightened only by the gradually improving weather. It was getting sunnier, and the rain was less biting each time it fell, but the pressure of impending O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. exams for the fifth- and seventh-years seemed to make all the other students grouchy and somewhat less cheerful than usual.

Ginny's classes had become an odd mix of harried revision (in her O.W.L. classes) and perfunctory calm (in her N.E.W.T. courses). The only classes that brought any semblance of fun or humor were Defense and Potions. In Defense, she often had the opportunity to practice hexes and shields with an increasingly pleasant Harry, while in Potions the monotony was periodically broken by Professor Snape's derisive mocking and, on occasion, a delicious quip from her esteemed partner.

Theo had returned to school with a gravity to his person that had not been there before. The old Theo was still in there somewhere, as evidenced by the smirk that graced his face every time he made Ginny laugh, but otherwise he always seemed . . . preoccupied now.

Ginny tried to carry on as if nothing was different, comprising the lion's share of the conversation as they worked, in their usual way. Once in a while she would look up to find him watching . . . no, considering her in a thoughtful way. When he saw that she had caught him, he would simply smile and return his attention to his part of the assignment. It happened during meals in the Great Hall as well.

She had expected that his direct personality would lead him to broach the subject of the rather passionate kiss they had shared outside Dumbledore's office, but perhaps the chain of events that immediately followed had buried it in his mind for the foreseeable future. She doubted this latter theory, however, as she had found Devon looking at her strangely during their last two Potions study sessions.

As Ginny sat her remaining O.W.L. tests, her thoughts turned to the Seventh-Year Ball. She had nearly forgotten about it in the quick succession of events that had started with her date with Theo, until Luna had mentioned it the night of the Quidditch Final. And it hadn't been one of her spacey, idle musings either; Luna had learned the day before that Cho Chang--having broken up with Michael Corner yet again a week before the Quidditch championship--had asked Harry to be her date the Ball.

And he had accepted.

When Ginny asked why Luna hadn't told her this as soon as she found out, Luna replied that she didn't want to spoil the Quidditch Final for Ginny.

Indeed.

Ginny chastised herself, but she couldn't help wondering whether Cho had done it exactly for the reason Luna had held off on telling her. Everyone had been predicting that Gryffindor would have no trouble with Ravenclaw in the final, and Cho must have known that she didn't stand a chance against Harry in getting the Snitch. Her only hope would have been a poor performance by the Gryffindor Chasers. Had she done it with the intention that Harry would tell Ginny before the match, or that someone would overhear and inform her before they lined up to play, thinking that Ginny would dissolve into a pathetic wretch, completely useless on a broom?

Maybe in her second year, she might have, but if Cho Chang thought Ginny could be thrown off that easily now, she had another thing coming. Or maybe Cho hadn't thought about the Quidditch game at all. Maybe she just wanted a popular boy to flaunt around at the Ball. It would undoubtedly rub Michael the wrong way to know they were going to together.

As much as Ginny liked Baron Ramsey, she couldn't deny that she wished she was going to the Ball with Harry instead. Then again, if they hadn't been asked by seventh-year students, they wouldn't be going at all. At this point, Ginny wasn't sure she wouldn't prefer staying at home with Harry. But Baron was counting on her, and he had honored her by singling her out. So she would go.

* * *

As Ginny was walking with Luna on their way back from their habitual visit to Hagrid, a commotion down the corridor from the Great Hall caught her attention. The scuffling and the raised voices sounded familiar and, sure enough, when they got closer Ginny recognized one head of untidy black hair and another head of silvery-blonde in the midst of bodies tossing and hitting each other. Exchanging a glance with Luna, they hurried to join the onlookers who were not about to step in and attempt to separate the life-long enemies.

Among the students observing the tussle was Theo, a fact which seemed odd to Ginny and made her pause thoughtfully before she remembered why she had come over in the first place.

"HEY!" she shouted at the top of her lungs, causing the two boys to halt their mutual assault on each other, and causing the students around them to gawk at her and Luna. "What are you on about?" she asked, causing Harry to look sheepish. He went to stand up, and brushed his pants and shirt off. Unfortunately for him, Malfoy had no intention of stopping their duel, and grabbed his wand. By the time Ginny noticed that Malfoy was doing something from the ground, there was no way to stop the hex from hitting Harry in the back.

But Harry must have been able to sense what was coming--or perhaps his many years of experience with Malfoy as a nemesis had taught him to be cautious--because he threw up a block just in time, and turned back toward Draco, blasting him back into the wall and knocking him out.

"POTTER!" came the familiar, angry voice of their Potions professor. Harry's shoulders slumped in resignation, knowing that he would get no favors from Snape. When Ginny looked up to see where Professor Snape was coming from, she was slightly surprised to see Professor Wrightman approaching as well.

As both professors arrived and took in the scene, Theo calmly took out his wand and sent a second blasting curse toward Malfoy, throwing his unconscious form against the wall a second time, though not very hard. Ginny was shocked at this, but nearly laughed at the perplexed expressions on the faces of the two Slytherin faculty members. Theo was certainly not in the habit of getting detention, and both Professor Snape and Professor Wrightman appeared to be absolutely confounded at his behavior.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Snape finally ground out, his frustration at being unable to account for Theo's behavior evident in his temper. Harry shrugged, watching Theo curiously--and not a little skeptically. Feeling eyes on her, Ginny turned to find Professor Wrightman observing her keenly. Luna snorted in amusement, though Ginny could hardly pick out what she had found so funny.

"Sir," Theo piped up, again to the surprise of all present. "Draco was insulting Harry's mother, who is, as you know, no longer with us. He was provoking Harry to the point where he was forced to retaliate. Frankly, Draco deserved it, because he fired the first curse. Apparently he neglected to recall that Harry has always been his superior in Defense, and Harry's return volley hit home." Snape's countenance didn't seem to take Theo's characteristically blunt explanation in a favorable way.

"And is there a particular reason why you felt the need to curse Mr. Malfoy after the fact?" Snape demanded sourly.

"Yes, sir." Theo confirmed calmly. Ginny had to try very hard not to burst out laughing, as Snape's face began to flush in anger when Theo did not answer further.

"And would you be so kind as to explain your reasoning to us, Mr. Nott?" Snape ventured, clearly resenting Theo's patronizing response.

"He deserved it, sir." How Theo was able to maintain a stoic countenance, Ginny would never know. For her part, she was biting her fist to keep from laughing, and could feel Luna shaking in contained mirth behind her. A look on the other side of Professor Snape showed wry amusement on the face of Professor Wrightman. Snape seemed to be too flustered by Theo's unexpected actions to process what was going on, and went on to the part he knew best.

"Detention, both of you. Tomorrow night." But before he could continue, Professor Wrightman broke in calmly and forcefully.

"If you both would come to my office at 8:00, I will provide you with a suitable activity." Snape scowled at her interference, but she paid him no mind.

The small crowd began to disperse, mostly toward the Great Hall for dinner. As she and Luna went to join them, Ginny noticed Harry watching Theo walk away with the rest of the Slytherins. He was clearly unsure what to think about what had just transpired.

* * *

For that night, and the entirety of the following day, Ginny was hard at work trying to suss out what would make Theo act so oddly. In the end, all she could think was that he wanted an opportunity to speak with Harry alone, with no chance that someone else would interrupt them, and no way that Harry could leave before Theo finished what he wanted to say. That left Ginny with the much more interesting question of what exactly Theo had to say to Harry that was so important.

It was with these thoughts in mind that Ginny decided a walk around the school felt like a good idea. After about an hour of searching out the most common detention sites, she came upon the corridor that housed the trophy rooms. Her heartbeat quickened with excitement as she heard a familiar voice coming from within the middle room, which held all the non-Quidditch and non-academic awards. As she began to listen from outside the door, she found that she had arrived at a most opportune moment.

"Do you even understand what hanging out with you does to a person in the eyes of a Slytherin?" Theo asked Harry. "Most of my housemates flinch back at the mere mention of you."

"Because Malfoy hates me?" Harry guessed. Theo gave him a rather patronizing look.

"It's more because of the Dark Lord."

"Oh. Right," Harry said, looking a bit embarrassed about the fact he hadn't thought to mention the Dark Lord who was constantly trying to off him.

"I've heard that you don't really acknowledge how famous you are," Theo continued, "and that you avoid being the center of attention when Polyjuiced professors aren't putting your name in enchanted cups, but I promise you that no one else has forgotten who you are or why you're famous. You're the poster child for the fight against the Dark Lord and while I don't mind an association like that, you can be sure that some people desperately want to avoid any mention of being in the same room as you."

"People who want to be Death Eaters," Harry guessed.

"People who don't want to fight," Theo corrected. "People who don't want to be used as bait to lure you into the Department of Mysteries. People who don't want to be involved in the politics of war."

"You."

"Me? No. I'm not one of those people," Theo said, smiling a half-smile. "I quite enjoy the fact that your association irritates my father and makes my mother feel a lot of guilt, which leads to lots of wine at family meals."

"Thanks," Harry replied sardonically. Ginny had to bottle up a snort of amusement in order not to have her presence detected.

"Devon Pearce isn't one of those people either, you know," Theo added, clearly startling Harry out of his wry expression.

"What do you mean 'Devon Pearce isn't one of those people?' What does she have to do with anything?" Harry asked, doing a pretty poor job of pretending he didn't know exactly what Theo was getting at. Theo sent him a look that indicated he wasn't interested in humoring him. Harry sighed and put down the plaque he was cleaning. "Ginny told you about Potions." A scowl--almost a pout--was evident in his voice.

"No, my best friend told me," Theo corrected. At Harry's very confused look, he clarified: "Devon Pearce. We've been friends since before we started at Hogwarts." Ginny was surprised to hear Theo say this, but once she thought about it, it made sense. Devon had been the one who initially brought Theo to her attention, and Theo was a topic of conversation between them more than anyone else besides Harry.

"She told you about Potions?" Harry inquired, somewhat anxiously.

"She told me that she was studying with Ginny twice a week, and that you joined them in their study sessions. Since you aren't in Potions this year, I figured that you missed the requirement for N.E.W.T. Potions and still wanted to sit the exam. It's been done before--Snape isn't the first member of the faculty to set the bar for N.E.W.T. classes outrageously high in order to weed out the students he doesn't want. And most people assume that you're going to be an Auror when you get out of school, so it made sense that you'd want to keep studying a subject that you haven't shown much enthusiasm for in the past."

"That's essentially it," Harry confirmed resignedly. "But Ginny was getting ready to take her Potions O.W.L. early and she had to catch up in the N.E.W.T. material, so it wasn't just for me."

"There would be nothing wrong with your arrangement if it was," Theo assured him. Ginny smiled at the fact that Theo could recognize where Harry needed to be reassured, and chose to alleviate his anxiety rather than exploit it. "As I understand it, Devon was pleased for the opportunity to spend time with her friend outside of class, and intrigued by the opportunity to see what you were really like."

"Which brings us back to our original subject. You said Devon isn't one of those people who doesn't want to be seen with me on account of politics and Voldemort. But she only spends time with Ginny and me in secret, and under the excuse of studying. Why should we consider her our friend if she's hiding us? Isn't she just like the people you're talking about?" Theo shook his head.

"No. She's doing it because, on the off-chance that circumstances deteriorate to how things were the first time Voldemort was a threat, it will be important for you and Ginny to have allies in Slytherin that the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters are unaware of. Your mother and Professor Wrightman conducted their friendship under a similar arrangement for many years. Only your father, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and the McGraths knew of their close friendship, but for a long time only Sirius Black knew about it."

Harry paused thoughtfully, recalling what he had learned from Ginny and Professor Wrightman on the subject. He nodded slowly, as he came to the conclusion that Theo's theory was on the right track.

"So, what about you?" Harry asked. "I can understand your reasons for resenting the people who brought you up, since I certainly resent the people who raised me, but that can't be the only reason you don't mind being seen with me. When you cursed Malfoy yesterday, you might as well have thrown your lot in with me against Voldemort. You know how Malfoy is. He'll run and tell his daddy." Theo nodded in agreement.

"My situation is different from Devon's," Theo explained. "Because of my last name, the first thing everyone thinks is that I'm a little Death Eater-in-training like Malfoy. What most people don't know, and what you probably didn't know until the day of the Quidditch Final, is that the other side of my family was closely connected to those who opposed the Dark Lord, including your parents. Matt McGrath and his wife Christine, Will McGrath, and my Uncle Chad were very close to your parents. You saw how friendly they were with Professor Lupin and Professor Wrightman."

"But not Andy's Aunt Tracy," Harry said.

"No, not Andy's Aunt Tracy. She fled the wizarding world almost as soon as she left Hogwarts. She married a Muggle and has chosen to shelter her magical children from our world. Much like my mother, she was a coward who selfishly chose to run away from the war rather than fight. Also like my mother, she has become increasingly more bitter as she realizes the regret of her decision to hide."

Harry seemed to appreciate Theo's bluntness. No one but Remus, Sirius, Hermione, Ron, and the twins had ever been this straight with him before. In response, Harry went over to a shelf housing year books from the twentieth century and found the volume for a particular year. He flipped to a page and then brought it over to Theo.

"This is your mum," Harry said, showing what looked like a photo to Theo, who raised an eyebrow and nodded. "Did you always know they were friends?"

"Your mother and mine?"

"Yes."

"Yes."

"You didn't say anything."

"I'm sorry, should I have made us matching friendship bracelets because our mothers were in the same year?"

Harry narrowed his eyes. "They were best friends."

"And yours died a hero while mine married a Slytherin who was widely suspected of being a Death Eater. I can only imagine they had some sort of falling out," Theo said, turning back to his detention task of cleaning the trophies.

"Your father is a Death Eater, isn't he?"

"He's in prison," Theo replied. Ginny noticed that he never actually incriminated his father. Well-played with an undertone of familial loyalty that Ginny found very attractive, despite the subject it was directed toward. "Sometimes being an orphan doesn't seem so bad, does it?"

"Obviously you've never met my aunt and uncle." Harry put down the special award trophy and picked up a Quidditch Cup.

"If you would quit saving the school so damn much we'd have less work," Theo observed wryly. Harry shook his head.

"I didn't save anything. The trophies were ceremonial."

Theo rolled his eyes. Well, Ginny couldn't even see his eyes right then, but she knew he was rolling them. "Destroying a Basilisk and saving Ginny's life seems a bit more than ceremonial."

"How'd you know about that?"

"It's impossible to keep a secret in these walls." Theo held a trophy up to the light to check for spots.

"You kept your mother's identity a secret for a while. And your relationship with Ginny."

"About my mother, I hid nothing. I just didn't bring it up."

"That's keeping a secret."

"I don't exactly see you gabbing on about your family."

"They're dead. It's not the same."

"You'd be surprised how similar death and Azkaban can feel." Theo kept polishing. "Or maybe you wouldn't. You see Thestrals, and from your reaction on the Quidditch pitch, you seem to feel the Dementors like I do."

"I didn't faint." Boys were stupid with their pride sometimes.

"You fell off your broom and blacked out."

"I lost consciousness."

Theo motioned as if to say, same thing. They continued for a time in silence and just as Ginny was beginning to accept that they were fine with one another and she didn't need to stay (and that they wouldn't keep talking so she didn't have a reason to keep eavesdropping), Theo started talking again.

"What are you doing with Ginny Weasley?"

"What?"

"That's rapidly becoming one of the most irritating responses I've ever heard."

Harry looked at Theo and asked, "Well, what do you mean 'what am I doing with Ginny?'"

"I mean that she's in love with you and she's not about to give another bloke a chance unless she's sure you're dead, gay, or secretly a Weasley already, though I'm not sure either of the first two would make her completely give up."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Then you're a moron. A blind moron, and I'm going to have to assume it's the second option."

"I'm not gay!"

"Denial's the first sign--"

"She doesn't love me."

"I don't even know how to respond to such a patronizing statement . . . and the thought that she's pining away for you--"

"I didn't see her pining away when you two were snogging in front of me," Harry replied hotly.

"You didn't see her initiate anything either, did you?"

"Like that matters."

"Of course it matters. Who can resist me?" Theo asked facetiously. Ginny smiled. "Only a girl that can't get over another bloke." Ginny stopped smiling. "And you obviously like her. Maybe you even love her, I don't know. So why can't you ask her out, prove yourself a mere mortal, and fade away into your next heroic deed?"

"I'm not going to date her," Harry said defiantly. Ginny's heart, which had expanded at the thought of Harry liking her, suddenly broke in two. Ouch.

"Then you really are a moron." Both the boys had stopped shining trophies and stared at each other. "I can't see how any bloke wouldn't want to be with her." Harry glared.

"Of course I want to be with Ginny!" he shot back, reviving Ginny's spirits slightly. "Of course I do! But it's not that simple."

"She's infatuated with you and you with her. I'm missing the complication."

"Voldemort is the complication."

"Why? Because he might try harder to kill you if you're dating a redheaded girl?" Theo asked, smirking sarcastically. "I'm pretty sure he's trying his best as it is."

"I'm not worried about him trying harder to kill me," Harry said. "I'm worried about him trying to kill Ginny."

"You think she's not already in danger?" Theo returned, starting to lose his cool a little. "Did you hit your head and get amnesia, making you forget what happened in second year?"

Harry shook his head. "That wasn't him. It was a memory of him trapped in an old diary." Ginny wasn't sure if that's all it was. She supposed she and Professor Wrightman would find out over the summer.

"Doesn't matter. She's on his radar. Even if it weren't for that, she most certainly is for having that particular shade of red hair and the last name Weasley. Dating you would be like a chocolate chip buried in large cookie of reasons."

"His primary goal is to kill me." Harry said.

"Then all these years he's been lying to his minions who believe he wants to take over the world."

"I'd be putting a bull's eye on her forehead."

"So what?"

"So what?!" Harry raged back. "I don't know what I would do if--if anything happened to her." Ginny was frozen in place, her emotions dueling between happiness at hearing him say those words so earnestly and fury at his insistence on staying away from her.

"You'd probably go off and kill the Dark Lord like you're supposed to anyway."

"I won't let her be hurt!"

"Then you're being selfish," Theo said.

"It's not selfish to want her to live."

"Yes it is," Theo said, sounding rather passionate. He leaned toward Harry as he kept speaking. "How can you stand there and not want to give that girl anything her heart desires? Do you really want to make her miserable? Do you even realize the power you have over her? She would do anything for you. Are you willing to do the same for her? If you're not, then you don't love her, and you should make that clear so she can move on with her life." Harry looked momentarily stricken by what Theo had said, before his face dipped into the hero-scowl that he had perfected over the years.

"So she can move on with you, you mean." Theo shrugged and nodded.

"Preferably, yes, but more than anything I want her to be happy. And let me be clear: It's more important for her to be happy than for her to be safe. I'm sure she would agree. And I won't let you ruin her life."

"If I gave in, if I asked her out and made her my girlfriend, that would ruin her life. That would end her life."

"No, you're being an idiot again," Theo said, beginning to show his impatience in his tone of voice. "None of that matters. Do you think Matt McGrath regretted marrying Christine just because she died? Do you think that even for a second Christine regretted accepting his offer because she ended up dying? Did she think that accepting his proposal ruined her life? And do you really think Gertrude Wrightman is proud of the decision that protected her, the decision she made to turn away from Sirius Black?" His knowledge of some subjects was a little overwhelming at times. "And do you really think Ginny would be less angry at you if you rejected her and went away than she would be fighting at your side? If you do, then you don't deserve her."

"I don't deserve her."

"No one does, but you've saved the wizarding world. Like twenty times. You ought to get some credit for that."

"I didn't save--"

"I get it, I get it," Theo said, waving a hand at Harry. "The humility, it's overwhelming." Ginny would have laughed if she hadn't been so moved by what the boys had said.

There was another pause as Theo pulled a wand out of his sock and magically cleaned all of the trophies in the room simultaneously before standing and looking at Harry, who stood up as well.

"Look, mate. Believe me when I say that I wouldn't step aside if you were any other bloke. But I suppose if anyone deserves a break, it's you. Just don't waste the chance you've been given."

Ginny didn't hear the last thing Theo said, because the sight of Theo finishing their task magically indicated that they would be leaving the room soon, and she wasn't about to be caught eavesdropping. She ran the entire way back to the common room, and then spent a sleepless night thinking about what she had overheard. By morning, she had come to a rather daunting conclusion: Now that she had heard some evidence of how Harry felt, she couldn't justify trying to be with Theo. She'd have to come clean and tell him that she intended to wait for Harry, no matter how long it was going to take.

* * *

As it turned out, Ginny wouldn't get a chance to talk to Theo before the Seventh-Year Ball, which he would also be attending, as Gretchen Ramsey's date. One person she did see was Devon. With N.E.W.T. and O.W.L. exams out of the way, the two girls were enjoying a leisurely lunch in the Room of Requirement.

As they ate in comfortable silence, Ginny thought back on the last few days. She had watched Devon and Theo out of curiosity spurned on by what she had overheard during Theo and Harry's conversation in detention. She had never really taken the time to notice how Theo and Devon interacted with each other, and what she saw through a few days of observation surprised her.

While Devon had gradually become more comfortable in Ginny's, and even Harry's, presence, she seemed wholly at ease around Theo. Only many years of close contact and a complete understanding of each other's background and personality could produce such a relationship. They looked out for each other, able to sense when something was amiss. Each seemed to anticipate the needs of the other, whether it was providing a quill for an assignment or passing a particular dish at the dinner table.

Theo carried her books sometimes, and they walked to and from classes together. They ate nearly every meal together in the Great Hall, and there seemed to be an understanding without possessiveness that surrounded their attachment. On the rare occasions that either of them smiled, the other was usually the cause. Ginny chastised herself for never having noticed it before. They were quite as close as she was to Andy, and probably closer.

But it was Devon that had startled Ginny the most. While Devon certainly had a hold on Theo--not merely as the only Slytherin he trusted, but as an obvious source of comfort and contentment--there appeared to be an even stronger attachment in the opposite direction. While Theo had a habit of watching Devon when she wasn't immediately next to him, there was a subtle but nonetheless distinct difference in the way Devon's eyes followed Theo.

How could she have missed this?

How could she have spoken so callously of Theo and Harry and her own indecisiveness in front of Devon?

But even more curious, how could Devon have suggested Theo as a potential partner for Ginny, when Devon so obviously wished to be with him herself?

Regardless of how inexplicable Devon's actions now appeared, Ginny's discovery of them helped to make her decision not to get romantically involved with Theo that much more firm. Now she just needed to figure out how to broach the subject with Devon without sounding like a complete git. She finished the bite of strawberry shortcake that she was chewing and sat back in her chair.

"Devon," Ginny began, taking a drink from her pumpkin juice as Devon wiped her face with her napkin and turned her full attention on her.

"Yes?"

"I've been doing some thinking."

"Have you."

"Actually, let me start by saying I came to a decision about something several days ago, and in the meantime I have come to another realization that sort of relates to the first thing."

"Okay," her Slytherin friend replied, clearly not sure why Ginny felt the need to impart the timeline of her thinking.

"The first thing is that I'm not interested in Theo. Or, what I mean is, I'm not interested in being his girlfriend." Devon took a drink from her goblet, so Ginny couldn't get a good look at her reaction.

"Is there a particular development that brought this on?" Devon wisely inquired.

"Yes, but it's not important. Suffice it to say, I want Harry, and nothing is ever going to change that." Devon nodded as if Ginny's answer was perfectly satisfactory.

"And have you mentioned this to Theo?"

"Not yet. I haven't had a chance to talk to him since I made my decision. We haven't had Potions since exams started."

"No offense, but I rather think he's been expecting something like this." Ginny frowned.

"I can't say that I blame him," Ginny admitted. "I feel horrible about the whole thing. He's brilliant, and I love being around him, but it's just . . . I don't . . . he's not . . ."

"He's not Harry," Devon finished for her. Ginny nodded sadly.

"I want to be his friend, but it sounds so stupid to tell someone no and then come back with 'I hope we can still be friends.' I think I would hex someone if they said that to me."

"Not to worry, I have every reason to think that Theo will save you the trouble. The two of you get along very well, he respects you, and your sense of humor is somewhat more lively than what he's used to. I doubt he'll want to give those things up, even if it means he won't be allowed to hold your hand."

"Well, that's good," Ginny replied, sounding somewhat unsure in view of the topic she was going to bring up next.

"And the second, related thing?" Devon inquired. "What is this wondrous realization you've come to since deciding against Theo?" If Devon had the slightest suspicion of what Ginny was about to say, she didn't give any indication.

"Well, it started when I took the time to notice how close you and Theo actually are. It didn't really hit me until this week, but you two are best friends, aren't you?"

"We have been friends for a very long time, and we understand each other. We are confidantes and housemates. Our families are closely tied. We have found that we can depend on each other and expect the other's loyalty despite being in a House that boasts neither quality. I don't know how you define 'best friends,' but I think I can venture to say that yes, we are. I trust Theo more than anyone else. I'd like to think he trusts me as much." Ginny bit back a smile. Devon's countenance brightened slightly when she spoke of Theo. After a thoughtful moment, Ginny leaned forward over their meal and spoke quietly.

"Devon . . . why didn't you tell me you're in love with Theo?" Devon froze for a second and then visibly swallowed, somehow managing to keep a blush from rising onto her cheeks. Artfully maintaining her composure, she took a deep breath and looked Ginny in the eye.

"Falling for your best friend is a sad cliché," she said finally.

"So?" Cliché or not, Ginny thought it was rather brilliant in this case.

"I don't approve of clichés."

"Devon!"

"Keep your voice down. I'm a year younger than he is, Ginny. But he's always treated me like an equal, and I don't want everything to change. If he finds out about this, and isn't receptive to the idea, it could ruin everything. Instead of his trusted partner and confidante, I'll be the stupid little girl who has been pining away for him all this time. I don't want that. I don't want to lose his friendship, but even more than that, I don't want to lose his respect." Ginny's heart wrenched for her friend.

"Devon, you could never be a stupid little girl," Ginny insisted earnestly. "If he can't respect you on account of this, then I don't think I can respect him." Devon smiled sadly at the encouraging words.

"I appreciate that, Ginny, but you forget that I'll still be losing my best friend. It's not like you and Harry. If something comes between the two of you, he still has Ron and Hermione, and you'll still have Andrew, Kerney, Nadine, and us. But if it didn't work out for Theo and me, we'd both lose our primary source of comfort and support. I couldn't do that to him, or to myself." Silence descended over the two girls as they both considered what Devon had said.

"So you're not going to tell him," Ginny guessed.

"No. And I hope I don't need to ask you to keep my confidence as well," Devon replied.

"Of course," Ginny confirmed. "If you don't want him to know, I won't say a word or imply otherwise."

"Thank you," Devon said, with perhaps more earnestness than Ginny had ever seen in her countenance.

"How should we keep in touch over the summer?" Ginny wondered aloud. She had already informed Devon of her summer plans with Professor Wrightman.

"It will not be anything particularly strange for my owl to be seen traveling from my house to hers. While perhaps it may not be possible often, given your situation, we will be perfectly able to communicate that way to a certain degree," Devon assured her.

"Good," Ginny replied. "I don't suppose you could manage to get an invitation to tea, could you?" Devon humored Ginny with a small smile.

"I believe it is likely that Professor Wrightman has already made plans for your amusement and access to friendly contact for the summer. It would not surprise me if Theo or I were part of those plans," she said in return. There was a pause as the two friends took each other in one last time before separating for the summer. "I don't think I need to tell you to be careful, but if I thought it would have the slightest effect on your decision-making, I would. Enjoy the ball, Ginny."

"Thanks, I will. I hope to hear from you soon. I'm glad I will have at least one trusted correspondent while I am there, even if it is not as often as I would like."

"Take care that you learn as much as you can from her, Ginny. I know you think she is very different from you, but she knows how the world works, and she could be of enormous assistance to you. I'll write to you as soon as possible." At this salutation, Ginny hugged her friend, who was only slightly uncomfortable with such a forward expression of affection.

"I'll be looking forward to it," Ginny replied. "Have a good summer." And with a smile, she left the room.

* * *

Later that day, Ginny was sitting in the common room talking with a mixed group of students, which included Harry, Ron, and Hermione as well as Andy, Kerney, and Nadine. As it was raining outside, they had few options for amusement or occupation while they passed the last couple days of the term. Ginny was laughing at something Kerney had just observed about Professor Trelawney, when Nadine's sister Naomi, who was one of the seventh-year Gryffindor Prefects approached the group.

"Ginny?" she called as she came up to them, causing all their joking and conversing to cease.

"Hey, Naomi, how are you?" Ginny asked kindly in salutation.

"Er, fine, thanks," the older girl responded, making it clear that she hadn't come over to socialize. "Um, Professor Wrightman would like to see you in her office." Ginny nodded in acceptance of this information, figuring that her Defense Professor--and summer mentor--was probably summoning her to discuss details of their summer arrangement. As Ginny rose from her seat, she was accosted by Hermione.

"Term is over," Hermione stated rather obviously. "Why would Professor Wrightman want to see you in her office?" Unlike she had with Devon, Ginny had not yet informed any of her other friends and acquaintances of her plans for the summer. She had been intending to tell Harry at the ball, because she doubted she would get a chance to speak with him alone before then.

"I don't know," she lied easily, though she saw healthy skepticism in Harry's expression. But he knew her better than to ask her about it now in front of everyone. "She probably wants to tell me something about the ball."

"But Harry's going to the ball," Ron insisted. "Why doesn't she want to see him, too?"

"Because I've already been to see her," Harry smoothly interjected. Ginny smiled with approval. She doubted very much that he had been summoned to Professor Wrightman's office, and she appreciated that he was helping to cover for her even though he didn't know why. Ron seemed to accept this response, though Hermione watched the two of them suspiciously.

"I'll be back in a bit," Ginny said, and made her way out of the Portrait. Taking several secret passages and cutting through the Kitchens allowed Ginny to arrive in the Defense corridor much more quickly than usual. She knocked on the door to Professor Wrightman's office, and went inside when she heard an answer.

"Miss Weasley," Gertrude greeted her, indicating for her to take a seat in the visitor's chair. There were piles of graded and as yet ungraded exams neatly stacked all over the office.

"You wanted to see me, Professor?"

"I did. I wanted to explain the arrangements for the next few days. Certain aspects of the Seventh-Year Ball have made the details of getting you safely into my household much simpler than they otherwise would have been, although not without causing significantly more trouble elsewhere."

"Okay."

"Due to the security concerns that come with holding an event like the ball in the current circumstances, it has been decided that the event will be held at one of my summer homes at an undisclosed location." Ginny's eyebrows raised at this. How deliciously intriguing.

"Why is it at your house?" Ginny asked with evident curiosity.

"Because I volunteered it."

"That was nice of you," Ginny replied wryly.

"That was necessary," came the response.

"Since when?"

"Since Miss Chang decided to put all of the seventh-year students in danger by inviting Harry Potter to the Ball like a short-sighted twit." Ginny grinned unabashedly at her teacher's uncensored annoyance. This earned her an appraising glance from the older woman.

"Why you couldn't have simply asked him on a date that night--a date to somewhere already warded, a date where a massive group of students don't feel it necessary to leave the school grounds--is beyond me." Ginny's smile turned into a gape. It seemed that Gertrude Wrightman was feeling quite free to speak openly about her students this afternoon.

"But, no. Instead you have some infantile insecurity that prevents you from taking the lead like he so desperately needs you to." More gaping. Gertrude shook her head and sighed. "Please forgive me, that was most un-called for. I apologize for my outburst. I certainly do not blame you for any of this, but the frustration of planning all the minute details of this ball have begun to take their toll. We did not have this ridiculous event when I was in school, and I feel there is little need to keep it up given the circumstances. Quidditch I can understand, but this is pure foolishness." Ginny was rather taken aback at her professor's blunt venting of impatience.

"So, it's at one of your houses?" Ginny offered, in an attempt to steer the conversation away from embarrassing subjects. Her professor looked at her with sympathy and smiled.

"Perhaps I was a little harsh. I simply meant that, given his upbringing and life experience thus far, Harry very likely believes that his disposition toward expressing affection is worse than yours. Every person he was in a position to love has been taken from him. His mother, his father, and then Sirius. He is very unsure about what love really means, and he undoubtedly wants to keep you from joining the fate of those other three. I know you have your own reasons for needing to be sure, but you would save yourself and him a great deal of trouble if you would simply take the initiative." Then it was back to business.

"Having the ball on one of my family properties means that you can Floo to the main estate, or take a special Portkey." Ginny's eyebrows raised in interest at this. Portkeys were hard to get in England. Gertrude must have sensed her interest and explained. "The Portkey laws in France are much less strict than they are in England. Many of the oldest families have long had tailored Portkeys connecting their properties, including mine. This will make your mode of travel much safer. You will need to bring me your trunk and all of your belongings tomorrow morning so I can see them home before I join the rest of the faculty and staff in setting up for the ball. We will travel directly to my house from the ball."

"Okay," Ginny replied, still not sure what to think about a conversation that was odd, even by the usually strange standard of her encounters with this woman. "Is there anything else?"

"Not at this time. Just be sure to have your trunk here by ten o'clock in the morning." Ginny nodded her agreement.

"Thank you, Professor," Ginny replied, and left to return to the Tower.

* * *