Harry Potter and the Headmaster's Pensieve

Chapter 3 - The Wedding

Harry appeared at the doorway to the Leaky Cauldron an instant later, his luggage at his side. He levitated the bulky packages and held them behind him as he entered the bar. Tom, the barman, was missing, and in his place behind the counter was a much younger man, drumming his fingers against the scrubbed bar in a thoroughly uninterested fashion. He gave Harry a look of mild interest as he straightened up.

"Can I help you wit anything?" He asked, stifling a yawn.

Harry took in this new man's appearance before speaking. His features resembled Tom's, in that he could have been a son or grandson. "Where's Tom?" he asked bluntly.

"He's asleep, o'course. Don't get many visitors this time a'night, especially nowadays. Can I help you wit anything?" he repeated.

"I'd like to rent a room for a couple weeks," Harry replied, uncomfortable with the look this new man was giving him.

"Whatchoo doing out this time a'night? Doncha know it's not safe bein' out this late? Specially as young as you are?" he asked, still studying Harry curiously. His eyes flicked up to Harry's forehead, and widened ever so slightly. Harry shook his hair into his face, hoping to block out his scar.

"I - I just need a place to stay," Harry started, uncomfortable. He didn't want to have to explain his situation to a person he'd never met before. The man shrugged and walked towards the stairway, fiddling with a heavy key ring. Harry followed him.

Harry had never seen so many rooms empty. Typically the first two floors were jam-packed with people, but the new barman walked right towards the first room they came to and pushed the door open. Harry could see that everything was covered with a thin layer of dust, as if it hadn't been used in a while. The lock on the door had been fortified, and the windows had been fitted with thick bars. Harry turned to the barman.

"Will my owl be able to get in?" he asked.

"All owls have to go through a screening process, so they'll have to get in through the window down by the bar. We absolutely forbid any type of dark magic or dark artifacts into this establishment," he replied sternly. Harry nodded. "Be sure to lock up before you go to bed," the man said, and turned his back on Harry. Harry lowered his things to the floor and turned to close the door, and saw that the man was already gone. He turned the five locks on the door, then flopped down, fully dressed, onto the bed. He was asleep moments later.

A strange scratching noise at the door woke him in the morning. Sunlight was streaming into the room through the barred window, highlighting every speck of dust hovering in the air. Sleepily, Harry straightened his glasses and made his way to the door. Peering out the peephole, he could barely make out Hedwig at the base of the door. He undid the locks, and she flew in gratefully. In her beak she held two letters - one from Ron, and another from Lupin. Harry fished out an owl treat for Hedwig as she rested in her cage, then turned to the letters. He picked up the one from Ron first.

"Harry, things are crazy around here! Mum is driving everyone nuts triple checking guest lists and running through how the ceremony will go. She's been badgering everyone to make sure our dress robes fit right and that we know how we'll be doing our hair for the big day, so we make a good impression on Fleur's family. Not to mention, she's been nagging me and Hermione about when you'll be getting here, so she can properly attack your hair. We haven't told her anything, and she's in a right state. She seems a bit fussed that you weren't here at midnight tonight - I guess she hoped that you'd be here for your birthday. We've all got presents for you, of course, but mum forbade us to send them to you. She's trying to bribe you into coming here early, I think. I wouldn't mind having you around either - it's been dead boring when we're not fussing about the wedding, as Ginny has had Hermione closed up in her room at all times. I reckon they're talking about you, mate. Ginny's been a bit moody since the end of term, though of course she wouldn't admit it to me. I'd be surprised if she hasn't been grilling Hermione for every bit of information she can. Anyway, when can we expect you? I hope it'll be soon, because they're all driving me nuts here! Ron.

p.s. - Hermione just came down. She says to tell you hello, and Happy Birthday. She wants you to get here as soon as you can, too."

Harry smiled at the note. Truthfully he hadn't planned on going to the Burrow any sooner than necessary, but reading his friend's untidy scrawl had made him miss his friends even more. Placing it on the bed, he picked up Lupin's letter.

"Harry, Happy Birthday. I hope this letter finds you well, and out of your Aunt and Uncle's house. I can only imagine how happy you must be to finally be free of the place. I just hope your leaving didn't cause many problems or arguments with your Aunt and Uncle. I daresay it wouldn't.

As I'm sure you've heard from Ron or Hermione, we're strictly forbidden to send you presents, on Molly's orders. Her attitude has improved greatly since Ron and Hermione returned, but she's still desperately worried about you. It would do us all a bit of good if you would come visit for the rest of the summer holidays, if only to relieve us of her constant nagging about you.

I wanted to tell you, as a member of the Order of the Phoenix, that any information you have on Voldemort should be given to us right away. Any such information can only help in defeating Voldemort, and saving lives in the process. But, as your friend and a friend of your parents, I wanted to commend you on your actions. Your parents always valued what Dumbledore trusted them with, and I am proud to see you following in their footsteps. I know they would be proud of you, too. But please come to us if you need any help at all, or have any information that you can share with us. I hope to see you soon, Remus."

It meant a great deal to Harry that at least one member of the Order approved of his actions. He couldn't explain why he felt the need to keep things from then, other than that Dumbledore had asked him to. He was sure that the Order could help him if he asked, but this was something he needed to do alone. He tossed the two letters into his trunk, then quickly dressed for the day. He wanted to stop by Gringotts and see if there was anything useful in the vault, and buy his new dress robes. He was curious to see what shops were still open, too.

The bright sunlight nearly blinded him as he entered the thoroughfare. Few people were out on the tidy cobbled street, bunched into small groups and keeping to themselves. Harry saw that more shops had been boarded up, but Weasley's Wizard Wheezes was still flashing bright lights ludicrously into the street. He made a note to stop by there if he had a chance. Madam Malkin's was still open, but the window display was far more subdued than it had been before, and the shop appeared to be lacking any business. Eeylops Owlery had a large "GOING OUT OF BUSINESS" sign stretched across its front door. It, too, was devoid of customers. Dismayed that the once bustling and thriving Diagon Alley was now reduced a handful of struggling shops, Harry hurriedly made his way to Gringotts.

The bank was somewhat busier than the adjoining street had been, but everyone seemed quiet and frightened. They got their money and went on their way, with very little conversation in between. Harry approached the first free goblin, who was immersed in his books. He cleared his throat.

"Well, what can I be helping you with, then?" the goblin said irritably. He still had not looked up.

"I, er, wanted to get some things out of my vault," Harry said tentatively.

"Have you got your key?" the goblin asked tersely. Harry fumbled with his money pouch until the tiny golden key surfaced. Harry held it out, but the goblin did not respond. Annoyed, Harry tossed it onto the open page the goblin was scrutinizing. He snatched it up, snapped his book shut, and motioned for Harry to follow him.

"It's, er, vault 687," Harry supplied helpfully, but the goblin only grunted in response. They did not, as Harry expected, make their way to the carts that would whisk them away to his vault, but instead to a line of at least 20 people filling out what appeared to be a small book of forms.

"Fill these out and turn them in, and then you can access your vault," the goblin said. "And hold onto your key. You won't be getting anywhere without it." He stalked away, returning to his podium.

The forms were long and tedious, taking nearly an hour to fill out as the line crept slowly to the desk where they would be approved. Harry spent another hour simply waiting, willing the other members of the line to disappear so he could examine the contents of his vault. Finally, finally, he was at the head of the line.

Another goblin stood behind the desk at the head of the line. It was smaller than some of the other goblins, with softer features. Harry assumed this goblin was female. However, her face was just as puckered as the rest, her expression just as tense.

"Your key and your form," she said snippily, holding out her hand. Harry passed them to her wordlessly. She spent a few moments examining both the form and the key, filed the form with the large stack on the desk, and handed the key back to him. "Follow Stralik, he will bring you to your vault," she said, indicating the burly-looking goblin to her right. Harry approached him, and they made their way to the carts underneath Gringotts.

The ride was uneventful, other than making Harry a bit dizzy and nauseated. They reached vault 687 and stopped with an ear-splitting screech. Harry pulled himself to his feet, then handed his key to Stralik. He placed it into the intricate keyhole, and the door creaked open.

"I may be a bit," Harry started as Stralik looked at him expectantly. Frowning, the goblin remounted the cart and turned to Harry.

"I'll be back in half an hour - be sure to wrap up all of your business by then or I'll lock you in there for the next year or so," he said irritably, starting up the cart and whizzing away. Harry was left in the damp darkness of the vaults, the sound of the cart creaking on its rails echoing through the immense cavern.

"Lumos," he muttered, pulling his wand out. He saw the mountains of galleons, sickles and knuts that had always been there, but he was not interested in them at the moment. He moved past the mounds of money to the back of the vault, where piles of books, newspapers and other miscellaneous artifacts covered the floor. He picked up an old, faded piece of parchment, and carefully unfolded it. To his surprise, he found he was looking at a map of Wales. In addition to all the towns and cities he had grown accustomed to seeing in grade school, it was also covered with cities he had never heard of before. He could only imagine that these additional dots were locations of some Wizarding communities. He studied every part of it, and finally found a small dot, just southwest of Pembroke. It was labeled "Godric's Hollow." He stared at it for a long time, then was broken out of his reverie by the sound of squeaking cart wheels. He thrust the map into his pocket, quickly filled his money pouch to the gills, then grabbed as many of the books as he could. He imagined that they could be useful, and he was interested in seeing what his parents thought was valuable enough to store in their vault. He heard the cart screech to a stop, and he made his way to the entrance.

"Let's get going - we're quite busy today," Stralik said, annoyed. Harry fumbled to get his key from the lock, a difficult feat with his arms full, and slipped it into his pocket. They sped back to the entrance, and Harry was soon in the dazzling sunlight of Diagon Alley.

Harry's stomach was rumbling with hunger, so he made his way back to the Leaky Cauldron. Dumping the pile of books into his room, he returned to the bar for a fulfilling lunch of a hearty beef stew and a bottle of butterbeer. Feeling far more refreshed, he made his way back to the deserted Diagon Alley. He headed purposefully towards Madam Malkins, as both Weasley Wizard Wheezes and Eeylop's were tempting him. He entered the shop, and saw that the shelves and racks were fare barer than they had been a year ago. Madam Malkin was sitting in the back of the shop, her robe a bit threadbare and dusty. The elderly woman looked up, her expression positively ecstatic at having a customer.

"Well hello my dear! Here to purchase new school robes?" she asked pleasantly, bustling over to him with tape measure in hand.

"No, I'm just looking for some new dress robes - the ones I have are a bit short for me," he replied.

"Certianly, certainly," she said, a bit distracted as she measured his arms and legs.

"Any idea what kind you'd like? Is this for a special occasion?"

"Well, I'll be attending a wedding," he started. "I was thinking just something simple, maybe black..." he started, but she cut him off.

"Oh no, oh no dear. Black is simply not proper for a wedding - this is a time of celebration! Now, come with me, and we'll pick out a set that will look simply dashing on you." She took his hand, and led him to a shelf covered in bolts of rich velvet. There were only a few colors to select from - a brilliant blue, a royal purple, a deep crimson and a dark mustard. "Now dear, I'm sorry I don't have any green, which would bring out your eyes wonderfully, but I'm sure we can find something that would look good on you." She then subjected Harry to almost an hour of wrapping him in the different fabrics, deciding which looked best. The mustard clashed with his skin, and the blue seemed to give him a fairly washed out complexion. Harry firmly rejected the purple, despite Madam Malkin's insistence that it made him look like a dashing young prince. So it was to be the crimson. Madam Malkin made the robes up elegantly, finishing them off with a touch of gold embroidery. Harry looked at his reflection, and was shocked to see a man that looked amazingly like his father on his wedding day staring back at him. He liked the colors, showing off his Gryffindor spirit, even though he was no longer a student. Madam Malkin folded them neatly into a box while Harry counted out the 15 galleons he owed her. He left the shop, and made his way to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.

The joke shop was the only establishment on Diagon Alley that was thriving. Yet it too seemed devoid of customers, and the door was even locked when Harry tried to open it. Confused, he turned away, but a few moment later he heard a voice calling him back.

"Oi! Harry, is that you? We're open, sorry 'bout that. Security measures and all," George's voice sounded behind him. Harry wheeled around.

"I was wondering," Harry said, smirking. He started to head in, but George held a hand out in front of him, bringing him to a halt.

"Hold out your left arm," George said in a businesslike manner. Tentatively Harry did, and George pushed up the sleeve to his elbow. He then covered Harry's forearm in a gooey, magenta substance that smelled faintly of paste and petrol. It stung a bit, as if it were taking off the first few layers of his skin. George muttered "scourgify" under his breath, and the magenta substance was magically gone. Harry's sink was raw and pink, but otherwise uninjured.

"What on earth was that?" Harry asked as George stepped aside to let him in.

"That's our insto-revealo potion. It shows any scar, freckle or tattoo that's on someone's skin, no matter what disguises they're using. Even works through polyjuice potion and on metamorphmagi. But it's not for sale - we don't want the Death Eaters getting it and using it against us," he told Harry as they entered the shop. Harry noticed that all of the twins' defensive products had been removed from the shelves.

"I take it Ron told you about Malfoy using the Instant Dark Powder, then," Harry said.

"Yeah," Fred said, coming in from the back storeroom. "Think Mum would've had our heads if she hadn't been so distraught about Bill and Dumbledore."

Harry looked around at their wares - there didn't appear to be anything new. "Business going well, then?" he asked.

"Not bad. We get most of our business through our mail order, though. People are afraid of going out nowadays. Can't say I blame them, really. Dumbledore gone...never would have thought it possible," George said, all traces of the familiar happiness gone from his voice. Harry said nothing as he perused the aisles.

"We're surprised to see you here, Harry. From what I've heard from home, Mum's been pitching a fit that you're not there. We thought you'd be there after you were free of those muggles, getting ready for the wedding and school," Fred said. Harry looked up at him, wide-eyed.

"Could you not tell her that I'm here? I think if she knew where I was, she'd come and drag me there herself. I'd just like to enjoy my freedom for a bit," he asked. The twins smiled.

"If we had any sense, we would. The reports from there have been awful, with mum storming over everyone. We've got birthday presents for you, but Mum told us - "

"Told you not to send them to me. So I've heard," Harry said, grinning.

"Oh yeah! Happy Birthday, Harry," Fred said, smiling at him. George laughed and slapped him on the back.

"You don't seem to have anything new - haven't you been inventing anything lately?" Harry asked them. The twins exchanged looks.

"Oh, we've been inventing. It's just nothing that we want those mangy death eaters getting their paws on. It's all stuff for the Order. Should you ever decide to grace the Burrow with your presence, you'll see it all then," Fred told him.

"Have you been having trouble with death eaters coming here?" Harry asked, eager to get away from the subject of his arrival at the Burrow.

"Not really, but we don't want then to get any idea of what the Order's got up its sleeves. We're officially members now - Mum wasn't too pleased. Didn't like the idea of all of her sons being in the order...at least, all of her sons that were talking to her," George answered.

"But Ron's not - " Harry started, but was cut off.

"We joined up this summer, right after Dumbledore...well, you know. Ron was disappearing at daybreak and not coming home till long after dinner, raiding the kitchen then collapsing into bed. Me and Fred know he didn't mean it as an insult, but Mum was scared out of her wits after what happened, and she couldn't keep an eye on him properly. She's nearly as mad at him as she is at Percy; you should've heard her screaming when he and Hermione finally decided to come home. Probably could have, from the muggles' house. It was wretched. At least Ron had the decency to sit there and take it," George said with a shudder. Harry felt awful.

"I...I didn't mean to - " Harry stammered.

"We know you didn't, mate. It's not all your fault anyway...seems that Ron could've stopped himself apparating away every day if he wanted, no? Though I think Ron may have taken some of the shouting you deserved - you certainly owe him one," Fred said, smiling encouragingly. "Now, was there anything you'd like to buy, since you're our only customer at the moment?"

Harry decided on a Splendiferous Sack of Weasley's Wild-Fire Whiz-Bangs, which contained three times as many fireworks as the Basic Blaze Box and had some of their Unruly Upstarts, which were small balls of flame that would chase people around and call them names. The twins admitted that Peeves had been their inspiration for that particular piece of handiwork. He picked up one of their Patented Daydream charms for Hermione, a punching telescope for Ron, and some toys for Ginny's pygmy puff. Finally bidding them farewell, Harry returned to Diagon Alley. The sun was now dipping low in the sky, and having been traveling at midnight, he was already beginning to feel a bit sleepy. He enjoyed a dinner of the same hearty stew and some butterbeer. He let Hedwig out so she could hunt and stretch her wings, then settled in for a very restful sleep.

He woke the next day with the desire to organize everything he, Ron and Hermione had put together, so it wouldn't appear as if he had neglected his quest when they'd left. True, he hadn't done any more research, but it had been constantly on his mind, and he calmed his conscious by telling himself that the things he retrieved from his vault were probably going to be useful. He dumped out the contents of his trunk onto the bed after carefully setting Dumbledore's Pensieve on the writing desk in the corner, and started sorting out the important articles from the trash. The thought of tossing out all of his textbooks had flitted through his mind, but he pushed it away almost instantly. There was a strong chance that Hermione would never speak to him again if he threw away a perfectly good book. The piles of trash grew bigger as the day wore on, but he finally was able to distinguish the important notes from the crumpled up strips of parchment. He then set himself to the task of repairing the books he had retrieved from his vault, which appeared very old. Most of the bindings had come loose, and the covers were falling off. He pulled the pile close to him as he settled on the floor, and was intrigued to see what kind of books his parents had kept.

There were seven books in all. Two were unlabelled, and appeared to be his mother's photo albums from when she was young. He saw pictures of a smiling redhead with a sour-faced blonde girl on a swingset, and pictures of the same redhead climbing a tree. There were some that were obviously magical, showing a girl of thirteen or so laughing and smiling with a large group of friends. Harry reluctantly put the albums aside and turned to the rest of the books.

"'Prophecies of the 1500s', 'Deciphering Death', 'The Magic of Time', 'Medieval Magic' and 'Realms of Magic'" Harry muttered under his breath as he read each cover. They were all thick and heavy, at least 500 pages each, and the pages seemed a bit musty from spending so much time in the damp vault. He reattached each cover in the places they had been falling off, and dried the pages as carefully as he could without reducing them to dust. By noon he was sweaty and exhausted, so he decided to take a well-deserved break. Gathering up the large pile of trash, a sealed letter caught his eye. It was the Hogwarts letter Professor McGonagall had delivered along with Dumbledore's pensieve. Curious as to what it could possibly say, he put down the trash and snatched up the letter. Opening it, a bright red and gold badge slid out, emblazoned with the letters HB. He had been made head boy.

Harry didn't think on it long, as his stomach was grumbling vociferously. The letter hadn't even mentioned Dumbledore's death, to Harry's displeasure. They must have figured that everyone knew what had happened, and they didn't want to draw attention to the fact that a member of the faculty had been murdered on school grounds. He had added it to the pile of trash, but didn't have the heart to toss out the badge. He clipped it to a pair of his school robes, then made his way down to the bar for lunch.

The sunlight was inviting, so after his meal, he decided to go over to Eeylop's for some owl supplies. The noise was far more subdued than normal, with over half of the owl cages empty. He picked out a few bags of owl treats and some industrial strength cage cleaner, then returned to the street. He started heading towards Flourish and Blotts, when he was accosted by a slim person with bright pink hair.

"Harry, what on earth are you doing here?" Tonks exclaimed at him, looking shocked. "Don't you know how dangerous it is for you to be out in public? And without a guard, no less! The whole Order's been pitching a fit trying to find you!" She grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him into the first secluded shop.

"I just needed to get some new dress robes for the wedding," Harry started lamely, but Tonks's furious stare silenced his voice.

"And you couldn't come to the Burrow first, so we'd stop fretting about you? We could have sent you with a guard, too," she said angrily.

"Look, I'm of age now, and I can go where I please," Harry said, a bit miffed at Tonks's attitude. "I'm just enjoying my freedom for a few days."

"Now is NOT the time for you to be gallivanting off on your own, with Death Eaters everywhere looking for you. It's bad enough you wouldn't tell McGonagall what you're up to, but intentionally putting yourself somewhere where you could become an easy target is just idiotic. Were you ever planning on going to the Burrow before the wedding?" she said in a furious whisper, glaring at him. He looked away.

"Well, I was going to do a few things I needed to get done, and then get there a day or so before the wedding," Harry said, feeling very small.

"Well there's gratitude for you, isn't it? Do you have any idea how worried Molly and Arthur and Remus and everyone else has been? For all we know, you could be joining up with the Death Eaters any day now."

"I'd NEVER - " Harry started.

"How would we know? You've been so secretive with whatever it is you're doing that we haven't the foggiest idea what's going on in your head now."

"Look, Dumbledore made me swear that I wouldn't tell anyone about what I'm doing," Harry said, frustrated.

"That doesn't mean you need to sever all contact with the Order! I'm sure he didn't want you to do that! It's our job to keep you safe from Voldemort!" Tonks exclaimed.

"I...I..." Harry started, but knew he had no good retort. Dumbledore would not have wanted him to alienate the Order, just not tell them about his mission. He looked up at her helplessly. She shot him a frustrated yet triumphant look.

"I expect to see you at the Burrow by tomorrow evening. Finish up 'enjoying your freedom' and be there, or I will bring the entire Order here to forcibly remove you," Tonks said, then apparated away.

Harry glared at the space she had stood in not a moment before. Now there was no way out of it - he would have to face the order now, and at least partially explain what he was doing. "Well," he thought to himself bitterly, "At least I won't have to pay for a good meal now."

He knew that Mrs. Weasley would be a wreck once Tonks told her that Harry should be arriving the next day, and he felt it only fair that he get to the Burrow as soon as possible. Returning to his room, he carefully packed all of the books and notes, tucked the Pensieve snugly in with his robes. Hedwig had not returned, but Harry knew that she'd find him at the Burrow. Fastening her cage and his broomstick to his trunk, he dragged everything outside and pictured the Burrow in his mind. For some reason, he couldn't get the sound of Mrs. Weasley's voice when she had sent Ron a howler out of his head. Shuddering, he apparated right outside the Burrow's kitchen window.

He had hoped that the glare of the afternoon sun would have hidden his presence so he would have had a moment to compose himself, but the instant he appeared he heard Hermione's shriek.

"Look! Harry's here!"

Out bustled Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Remus, Tonks, and finally Mr. And Mrs. Weasley. The first four seemed genuinely happy to see him, while Mr. And Mrs. Weasley wore expressions of anger mixed with relief. Tonks had a smug little smirk dancing on her face. In seconds, Ron and Hermione had dragged Harry's trunk into the house and Remus was shaking his hand. Ginny was standing beside him, not looking at him but grinning nervously. Mrs. Weasley had her hands on her waist, trying to keep her expression as angry as possible, yet Harry could see the tears glistening in her eyes.

"Now really, Harry, you had us all quite worried. Not telling us what you were up to, then disappearing on your birthday -"she started, but Harry cut her off.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Weasley. I should have let you know what was going on. I never meant to hurt or worry anyone, especially you. I hope you can forgive me," Harry said in a rush. For a moment, no one said anything. Then Mrs. Weasley burst into tears.

"You silly boy, of course I forgive you," she said, hugging him and sobbing into his shoulder. "I'm just so glad you're here now."

Mr. Weasley, finally smiling at Harry, gently pried his wife away from Harry and led her into the house. Harry followed, stealing glances at Ginny every now and then. She looked oddly stiff, as if she were holding something back.

"How are you doing, Gin?" he asked, his voice a bit tight.

"I'm...fine," she said, not looking at him.

"I've missed you," he said, gently reaching for her arm. She pulled it away from him and glared at him, her bright brown eyes furious.

"Missed me, have you? You haven't written, haven't cared one lick how I've been coping with the fact that you broke up with me. I've been a mess, Harry. A mess. You were all I wanted, but I couldn't even have that. I'm just not good enough, I guess," she said, stomping towards the lake. Harry's legs were a lot longer than hers, though, and he caught up with her in a few strides.

"Ginny, you're more than good enough. You're perfect. I've thought of you every hour of every day, but I can't let you get hurt. I'm not strong enough to lose you. The death eaters will resort to anything they can to get to me, and knowing that you're my girlfriend would make you a target. As it is, just my feelings for you could put you in danger until I learn how to close my mind. Gin, please. Don't hate me for this," Harry pleaded. Ginny's expression softened.

"I...I just miss you. Damn you, Harry Potter. You'd better kill Voldemort soon, because I can't stand this," she said fiercely, wrapping him into a quick, tight hug. She ran off into the house, and Harry followed.

When he got to the house, he saw many eyes looking eagerly at him. Mrs. Weasley had been able to contain her tears and was now beaming at him, whipping up what appeared to be a small feast. Ron and Hermione seemed positively thrilled, and Lupin looked at Harry with mild interest. Ginny was nowhere in sight. Harry smiled slightly and dropped into a chair next to Ron. Mrs. Weasley finished cooking moments later, and the table was soon straining under the food. There was much happy chatter about nothing important, and Harry almost couldn't understand why he hadn't come here as soon as he could. Then, Ron turned to him, bending close to his ear.

"Were you able to get any more research done?" he asked in a low tone. Harry shook his head.

"I was able to find some books that might help us, though. I'll have Hermione look at them later," he whispered back. Ron smiled, and turned to where Hermione had been sitting moments ago. Surprisingly, her chair was empty.

"Where'd Hermione go?" He asked. Everyone seemed perplexed.

"She's probably gone to bring Ginny some food," Mrs. Weasley said, not meeting Harry's eyes. With a pang, Harry realized that he probably wasn't going to see much of Ginny while he was here. It hurt to be so close to her, and to not be able to touch her.

That evening, Mrs. Weasley outdid herself making a fabulous birthday dinner for Harry. She had cooked all of his favorite dishes and made her famous, mouthwatering treacle fudge along with a fabulous birthday cake. The twins came by from Diagon Alley with armfuls of gifts for him, and the party quickly moved to the living room so Harry could finally receive his presents. Ron had gotten him a foe-glass, which Harry knew would be immensely useful. Hermione had gotten him a set of Wizarding Encyclopedias, and he could tell from her expression that she had read them all in the weeks they had been apart. Mrs. Weasley had bought him an assortment of candies as well as baking him a dozen treacle tarts. Mr. Weasley gave him a number of the muggle magic tricks that Fred and George sold in there shop, and Harry knew that Mr. Weasley enjoyed them far more than he would. Ginny had given him a small, framed picture of the two of them together, and had run off moments after he opened it. Finally, the twins had really gone all out. In the large basket they gave him he found a bottle of the insto-revealo potion, a sack of small stones labeled "maddening marbles - just toss one at your enemy and he'll receive an instant curse - instructions inside," a jar of a thick yellow liquid labeled "Curse Reflector - just smother it on and it'll block most minor jinxes and hexes," a shield hat and a box of their Instant Dark Powder. Harry was overjoyed that he had finally had a chance to celebrate his birthday with the people he cared for most, even though Ginny had been suspiciously absent.

The week went by quickly. Hermione was overjoyed by the books Harry had brought, and immediately immersed herself in "The Magic of Time." Bill and Fleur had made an appearance in the middle of the week, and Harry was glad to see that, while the scars from Greyback's attack hadn't completely faded, they were healed and just a light shade of red. Fleur was ecstatic to see him, and had giggled profusely when Harry blushed at her numerous kisses. Ginny had looked absolutely livid for the entirety of the day she had arrived.

Two days before the wedding, Mrs. Weasley had pounced on Harry, determined to find a way to make his hair lie flat. After three hours she had managed to get the unruliest bits to lie flat with a combination of charms and a large amount of Sleakeazy's hair potion. Satisfied, she told him to make sure he was ready a few hours before the wedding, so she could do it again. When Ron saw the final result, he laughed so hard at Harry's slick, shiny hair that Harry had to threaten him with a silencing charm to get him to stop.

The big day finally arrived, and the tension at the Burrow was palpable. No one had slept well, and while the wedding wasn't until three in the afternoon, everyone was up by eight, sitting around the kitchen in tense silence. Mrs. Weasley seemed to be busying herself by cooking, but she hadn't eaten anything. Fleur arrived at around noon, and there was a flurry of activity to hide her from Bill as he paced in the living room. Her arrival cued everyone to start getting ready, and a minor traffic jam formed on the stairs as people rushed back and forth, trying to get everything they needed. Up in Ron's room, Harry and Ron were buttoning up their dress robes awkwardly.

"You ever been to a wedding before?" Harry asked Ron. "I don't really know how wizards do it."

"Yeah, when one of my cousins got married. He married a muggle-born witch. Her family said that it was pretty much the same, but with some magical effects...you know. It was a bit boring, though," Ron answered. Harry nodded, smoothing the folds of his robes. He checked his reflection, and the old mirror cackled wheezily at him when he attempted to flatten his hair. Sighing, Harry turned to Ron.

"I'd better go have your mum sort out my hair," Harry said ruefully, and Ron smirked at him. Harry rolled his eyes and headed towards the master bedroom.

The door was shut, but Harry could hear quite a bit of commotion in the room. He knocked, and there was an upsurge of talking from the other side of the door. It opened a tiny sliver, and a bright brown eye framed with coppery curls peeked out at him.

"Oh, it's only Harry," Ginny said. She pulled the door open just enough for him to slip in, then shut it as soon as he was in. Total pandemonium greeted him. Hermione was standing in front of a mirror casting charm after charm on her hair, trying to decide how she wanted it. Ginny's hair was still half in curlers, and Gabrielle was fretting over her makeup. Fleur was a vision in a pure white satin dress, her hair in intricate curls and braids. A strikingly beautiful older woman was fussing with Fleur's dress, and Harry assumed that she was Fleur's mother. Mrs. Weasley was still in her dressing gown, but her hair and makeup were already completed.

"Oh good, Harry's here. I can fix up your hair and still have enough time to get ready," Mrs. Weasley said, pulling Harry over to the mirror Hermione was using. Hermione scowled, but moved out the way and stood behind Gabrielle, using her mirror. Apparently Mrs. Weasley had figured out the quickest way to get Harry's hair to lie flat, because within the half-hour he was being ushered out of the room again. Feeling as though he'd just been through a hurricane, he smoothed out his robes once more and made his way to the living room, where the men were getting ready. Here he found far less chaos, with Mr. Weasley, Bill, Charlie and a French boy a few years younger than Bill all dressed in extremely formal dress robes. Bill was pacing nervously, while Charlie and the other boy, whom Harry assumed was Fleur's brother or cousin, were both sitting tensely on the couch. Mr. Weasley seemed to be trying to calm Bill's nerves, but wasn't getting very far. Harry looked at them all, and when he finally saw that he was welcome, dropped into an armchair in the corner. Ron came down a few moments later and paced along with Bill. Shortly after him, a tall, slender man with Fleur's eyes joined the group, and Harry could only assume that this man was Fleur's father. After perhaps an hour, or it could have been days, Mrs. Weasley came down, looking very pretty in a set of sunny yellow dress robes.

"Come along now, we're about ready to start," she said nervously. Harry, Ron and Mr. Weasley went out to the expansive back lawn, where the wedding was to take place. There were already many guests there, and Harry felt odd walking to one of the seats at the very front of the group. Hermione appeared, apparently from nowhere, to sit in the seat beside Ron. A stately minister in a pristine set of robes stood at the head of the aisle, and he was shortly joined by Bill. A quartet of what appeared to be Hogwarts house-elves was playing some light, cheery music to entertain the guests. After a few moments, the minister motioned for everyone to settle down, and the quartet broke into a classical piece as the groomsmen and bridesmaids started down the aisle.

Harry was awed at how beautiful Ginny looked. The pale gold dress robes she wore brought out the golden flecks of her copper hair, and she was beaming at the entire crowd. Somehow, though, her eyes never met Harry's. The quartet began to play the Wedding March, and everyone stood to look at Fleur.

She really was beautiful. Her pale hair shimmered in the sunlight as she smiled nervously at everyone she passed, her eyes already sparkling with small tears. As she reached the head of the aisle she hugged and kissed her father, who then sat next to Mr. Weasley. Bill took her hand, and the ceremony began.

The ceremony wasn't long, but Harry couldn't remember much of it. He had been entranced by Ginny, though she was obviously focusing all of her attention on what was happening. He felt physical pain at not being able to touch her, hold her or kiss her until Voldemort was safely out of the way. She seemed to be ignoring him completely, but he hoped that it was because she still cared for him, and didn't want to feel the same ache he was living with. He cheered when Bill kissed Fleur, and laughed when he dipped her over dramatically to do so. He then followed the crowd of guests to the large tent set up on the shores of the lake.

"It really was a beautiful wedding, wasn't it?" Hermione said, brushing a few tears from her cheeks. Harry smiled at her, but said nothing. He searched the crowded tent for any sign of Ginny, but couldn't find her. It was surprising how many people had come - Harry didn't think that there were so many that would risk coming this far with death eaters all around. He had spotted Luna and her father sitting with Neville and his grandmother a few tables away from him, and they had waved happily to him. After the delicious meal following the ceremony (Harry had the sneaking suspicion the House-elves that had provided the music had whipped the meal up during the ceremony), the dancing began and gave them the first opportunity to socialize.

Neville and Luna approached him, sipping glasses of champagne. Harry was grateful to see that he wasn't required to dance if he didn't want to. He greeted them happily.

"Good summer, Harry?" Neville asked.

"Not bad. Spent most of it with Ron and Hermione," Harry replied.

"Mine's been boring. Gran's been keeping tabs on me, worried that the death eaters might try to come after our family again," Neville said, a bit angrily.

"Mine's been good. Dad and I have been getting some wonderfully interesting stories about how the Ministry is providing the death eaters with experimental weapons, and then covering it up," Luna said enthusiastically, smiling at Harry. Harry smirked.

"I'm just excited about school. At least it'll give me a reason to get out of the house, anyway," Neville said. "Wonder who'll be the head of Gryffindor now...or teach Transfiguration now that McGonagall's the headmistress."

"And the head boy and girl," Luna added, eyeing Hermione expectantly. True to her form, Hermione blushed a pretty shade of pink.

"Well, I did receive the badge," she said, trying to conceal her smile. "But I...I...I don't know..." her voice trailed off as she glanced at Harry. Harry could see that being Head Girl meant a lot to her, but she had promised Harry that she'd help him. "I mean, there are bigger things than badges to fight for right now," she said, trying to make her voice sounds steady and firm. Harry smiled at her.

"I wonder who's head boy, then," Neville said. Harry cleared his throat reluctantly, looking away from the group.

"Well, for some reason they gave it to me, but I'm not going to accept. Dumbledore gave me a mission last year, and I need to follow through with that," he said to the ground.

There was a stunned silence for a few moments, then Neville spoke up.

"It's about defeating Voldemort, isn't it?" he asked. Harry nodded. "I want to help you, Harry," he said, his voice full of determination. "I...I lost my parents to his followers...I want to help you beat him."

"Me too, Harry," Luna said, stepping closer to Neville. "I mean, it's what you trained us for, right? To fight him."

Harry looked between Neville and Luna with a smile. He appreciated their offers, but he didn't want them to get hurt in a battle that only he could fight.

"I'm serious, Harry. I want to help you. I need to," said Neville, almost earnestly. Harry looked at Ron and Hermione for help.

"You two can help," said Hermione. "We're doing research on what Voldemort could be using against us, and you can help. He's especially interested in, um, enchanting historical artifacts, and you could help us find what he's been using." Harry glared at her, but realized that she hadn't really revealed what was going on.

"Oh, Daddy and I can certainly help with that," Luna said. "I mean, we are pureblood, and my mum was actually a descendant of Rowena Ravenclaw's, so I bet we'll be able to come up with lots of things You-Know-Who could be using. And I'll get you some of the information Daddy and I have found about the ministry," she said eagerly. Harry smiled weakly.

"Now, don't spread this around, but I'm not coming back to school. There's a lot I need to do before I can defeat Voldemort, and I can't do it while I'm at school. But we can communicate with those coins Hermione made, and I'll let you know what I'll need help with," he said, in what he hoped was an encouraging tone. Both Luna and Neville gazed at him, a bit awestruck. Just then, Charlie tapped his fork against his glass of champagne, indicating that he wanted to make a toast to Fleur and Bill. Luna and Neville returned to their table.

"Don't say no to their help," Hermione whispered as Charlie spoke. "You don't know what they'll be able to come up with. And didn't Dumbledore want you to ask for help? I'm sure you can trust them, Harry. You know they'd do anything to help you." Harry sighed. He didn't want to involve more people than necessary. Charlie finished his speech, and the music started up again. He saw a pink-eared Ron shyly ask Hermione to dance, and Neville and Luna were already making their way to the dance floor, hand-in-hand. With a pang, he finally found Ginny, sitting at the head table by herself. Knowing that he would regret it later, he made his way to her.

"Dance with me, Ginny?" he asked hesitantly, holding out a hand. She looked at him uncertainly, but took it. "Just this once," he whispered as she awkwardly settled her head on his shoulder. It felt so good to be holding her close again, even though he cursed himself for letting his feelings take control. They swayed gently to the music, and when it was over, he gently took her hand and led her outside. She followed him with surprisingly little resistance. The sun had already sunk behind the distant mountains, and the moon was hanging directly overhead, casting blue-white ripples over the surface of the lake. Outside the tent it was surprisingly quiet, and Harry imagined that there must have been some sort of charm placed on the tent. He reached for Ginny's hand, and she offered it easily.

"Gin, I won't ask you to wait for me. I wouldn't do that to you...especially knowing that I might...that I might not make it. I just want you to be happy, and if you find someone that makes you happy, don't hold out for me. I just..." his voice, full of emotion, trailed off. The look she gave him was almost humorous, a mixture of anger and affection.

"You stupid boy, I waited three years for you. I think I'll be able to wait another year while you get your saving-people thing out of the way," she said to him. Harry smiled.

"I'll miss you, Gin," he said in almost a whisper. She pulled him into a hug, and before he could stop himself, Harry found his lips pressed against hers. It was brief, as both knew that it shouldn't be happening. They pulled away from each other, and walked back to the tent in silence.

The celebrations lingered on into the night, far after Bill and Fleur left for their honeymoon in Italy. By midnight, though, everyone had left, and the sleepy residents of the Burrow traipsed back to the house in a happy, exhausted stupor. Harry collapsed, onto one of the beds in the twins' old room, and was asleep in minutes.

The next morning found most of the Order crammed into the Weasley's kitchen. Harry had stumbled downstairs in a pair of pajama bottoms and a t-shirt, and was greeted not only by the whole Weasley family (minus Bill, of course), but by Tonks, Lupin, Moody, Hagrid and McGonagall. They were all sitting around the table, but they moved out of the way so Harry would have a seat. Mrs. Weasley handed Harry a plate heaped with eggs and sausages, but it wasn't until he started eating that she spoke.

"I was thinking we could all go to Diagon Alley to get your school things. And, from what Professor McGonagall tells me, you and Hermione have something special to celebrate," she said, beaming at him. Harry swallowed, trying to figure out the best way to tell everyone what he was going to do. Finally he looked up.

"I, er, I'm not going back to school. Dumbledore gave me something to do, and I need to do it before we can even get close to killing Voldemort. I've spent a lot of time thinking about it, and this is just something I need to do. Professor McGonagall, thank you for making me Head Boy, but I have to decline," he said, not looking at anyone. A full minute of silence followed his statement.

"Are you out of your mind, boy?" Moody said, his gruff voice finally breaking the silence.

"On the contrary, I think it makes perfect sense," said Lupin. "But Harry, are you sure that this is something you can't do at school? Contrary to popular belief, Hogwarts still will be one of the safest places."

"No, this is definitely something I need to do outside of school," Harry said, sending a grateful look towards Lupin. The older man smiled slightly at him.

"Potter, is there any way we can talk you out of this?" asked Professor McGonagall, exasperatedly. Harry didn't need to look at her to know that her lips were in a tight, white line.

"No," he said, standing up. The rest of the Order just looked at him, with varying expressions of despair and approval. Just then, Ron and Hermione walked in together, and were both taken aback by the sight of the Order.

"And what about you two? Will you be returning to school?" Professor McGonagall asked, rounding on them. They both stopped in their tracks.

"Yes, they will. We don't want to draw attention to the fact that I'm not there, and besides, there are some things I'd like to do on my own...I'd like to visit my parents' graves, and whatnot," he said, ignoring Ron and Hermione's stares of amazement.

"Then you will give Mr. Weasley your Head Boy badge, and you will turn over your rights as Quidditch Captain to him," replied Professor McGonagall.

"But I don't want those things!" Ron exclaimed. "I want to help Harry!"

"You will, Ron. I'll explain later," Harry said. Hermione appeared at a loss for words, but was glaring at Harry in a very frightening way. He gave them his conciliatory look, but he wasn't sure if it got through.

"Well they still need to get their school things, so I think it best that at least they get dressed so we can take them," Professor McGonagall said stiffly. Both Ron and Hermione turned wordlessly and left the room. Harry jumped up and went after them.

"Look, I'm sorry, alright? I know you want to help me, and you still can. But I meant what I said about not wanting to appear suspicious. Besides, you can do some research in the library - and I'm thinking you'll come help me in a month or so, if you still want to," Harry said in a rush. Hermione sighed.

"I just wish you had made these plans with us, instead of leaving us out of it. But it does make sense," Hermione said.

"But...Head Boy and Quidditch Captain? That's going to be an awful lot of pressure..." Ron said worriedly.

"You'll be great at it, Ron, you're a wiz at strategy. And like I said, I fully expect you to come join me after a couple of months, if you still want to. I just don't want to draw attention to the fact that I'm not there," Harry said earnestly.

"Of course we'll help you," said Hermione, a touch of agitation in her voice. "We promised you we would. I'd just like to help sooner rather than later."

"Oh, come off it, Hermione. You know you'll love the two months you get to be Head Girl," Ron told her, smiling. Hermione had to work to suppress her grin.

"I'm going to leave soon. I want you to spend time with your family, and get them comfortable with the idea of me being on my own...things'll go a lot smoother if they're not threatening to drag me back here at every turn. I'll contact you...either with the coins or with Hedwig, when I know what's going on. I promise it won't be too long," Harry told them. They both nodded.

"You'd better let them know you're leaving, or they'll pitch a fit again," Ron told him. Nodding grimly, Harry returned to the kitchen while Ron and Hermione went up the stairs to dress.

The entire Order looked at him expectantly as he entered. He took a deep breath before talking.

"I'm going to be leaving today. Thank you so much for the hospitality, Mrs. Weasley - I always have a wonderful here. I hope you know that I'm not doing this to hurt anyone...it's just that I promised Dumbledore, and I won't break that promise," he said. To his surprise, Mrs. Weasley came over and hugged him.

"We always knew it would come to this, dear," she said, a bit tearfully. "You take care of yourself, ok? Write us every now and then, to let us know you're alright."

The rest of the Order wished him well, and Harry had the distinct feeling Lupin had convinced them all to back off of him. Hagrid gave him a giant, bone-crushing hug and said something that was quite muffled by his poorly concealed tears. Finally they let him go, and he went up the stairs to pack.

Ron was sitting on the spare bed, a strange expression on his face. He was fiddling with a loose thread on the bedclothes when Harry walked in.

"So, they letting you go?" he asked in what was obviously supposed to be a conversational tone.

"Yeah, surprisingly. It was a lot easier that I thought it'd be," Harry replied.

"I, er, well, McGonagall told you to, er...the badge," Ron spit out.

"Oh, yeah." Harry began fishing through his trunk. A few moments later he pulled out the robes it was pinned to and unfastened it. He tossed it to Ron, who caught it.

"I won't forget that it's really yours," Ron said. "You deserved it."

"I'm sure you'll be a great Head Boy, Ron." Ron nodded, and stood up.

"Listen, Harry? Take care of yourself, ok? Let us know when we can come to you," Ron said, a bit thickly. Harry smiled.

"You take care of yourself, too. And Hermione. I think she'll probably need it," Harry said. The two friends embraced quickly, and then Ron was gone.

Harry spent an hour carefully packing, making sure he wasn't leaving anything behind. By the time he was ready to go, the entire house was quiet, and Harry knew that everyone had left. Grasping his trunk in one hand and Hedwig's cage in the other (she was snoozing lightly in it this time, so he was careful to hold it tightly), he focused all of his energy on the little town just southwest of Pembroke. Godric's Hollow.