Harry Potter and the Rise of the Phoenix

Chapter Twenty-Four ~ New Hope

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
When you are with me
I'm free... I'm careless... I believe...
Above all others we'll fly.
This brings tears to my eyes.
Creed ~ My Sacrifice

I hear the voices
When I'm dreaming
I can hear them say:
Carry on, my wayward son,
For there will be peace
Once your done.
Kansas ~ Carry on, Wayward Son
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Late that night, Harry sat in the hospital wing talking with an exhausted Ginny. Severus lay in a bed nearby along with Volker, Remus, several Aurors, Flitwick, and Sinistra. Harry and Hermione had helped McGonagall and Sprout notify parents that their children were at the Ministry. There were some interesting parents belonging to those Slytherin students and Harry spoke to each of them on behalf of Snape.

For the most part, the adults had been genuinely concerned for the Head of Salazar’s House. Several had been thankful that their child had been whisked away to safety. Every so often, a few had been out right rude, and Harry had felt that feeling of darkness while speaking with them. No wonder those kids are messed up, with parents like that anyone would be!

Harry looked over at Snape. Nettle and Quirke had spent hours repairing the shattered leg. The bone had broken into shards and the shards had slashed the surrounding tissue. It was a nasty spell meant to lame the target. Hopefully Snape would be able to walk with only a slight limp because of the two ladies' hard work.

"He means a lot to you now, doesn't he?" Ginny asked, watching him with tired eyes.

Harry nodded. He had watched Bellatrix taunt Snape and then the exchange of curses that followed. He had felt his heart stop when the green light hit Snape. He had thought it was the Killing Curse, and knowing Bellatrix, it could easily have been. Thankfully, when he reached Snape, the man had been breathing and barely conscious. It had been a relief. Was still a relief. A limp was a small price to pay for one's life. Harry frowned slightly. Severus had taken a spot in his life that Harry had never expected anyone to fill again.

"I guess," Harry answered her more fully. "He's more human since he stopped being a spy. And he's been a great help. I guess he's become a mentor of sorts, especially now with Dumbledore's death. And yet... not... It's... it's hard to explain."

"I know what you mean," Ginny said softly, her head resting back against the chair she was curled up in. "He's acting more like himself, I think. And I don't think he's had that much practice at it."

"I think you're right," he responded after a moment's thought. "Lessons are sure a lot better than they used to be."

"I enjoy our Potions lessons," Ginny whispered with a faint smile. "He's really helpful and a good critic. And he knows what he's doing. I feel really lucky that he was willing to take me on for private lessons. He doesn't do it often."

"Only for really bad students," Harry said, wrinkling his nose, remembering Malfoy's sneer when Snape had said Harry was taking remedial Potions. Looking over at her, he smiled broadly. "Or the really great ones."

"I'm not great," Ginny said, the fire in her voice very faint. Harry could tell she was about to fall asleep on him.

"Was it busy today?" he asked, watching her eyes almost flutter shut. He couldn't wait until she actually accepted to really going out. When he could run his fingers along her face without feeling like he had to ask. When she could sit on his lap and fall asleep in his arms. When he could walk around Hogwarts with her hand in his for everyone to see.

"People kept coming in, you should know that, you brought half of them," Ginny answered, sitting up straighter in an effort to stay awake. "People would come in, get healed, and then leave to fight some more. Then you'd just bring them back again."

"Annoying?"

"Unbelievably," she answered with a small, soft laugh. She unconsciously slumped in her chair, and brought her legs back up onto the seat. "At least they were alive to be brought back up."

"Was the D.A. any help?" he asked, ignoring the last comment. Eleven Aurors had died that day, along with nearly a hundred Death Eaters. The centaurs, merefolk, and Grawp had all fought for their homes and were not under the same laws as the Aurors, who had been under orders not to kill unless absolutely necessary. Thia had not authorized the use of the three Unforgivable Curses, though there were other ways to kill people. Asking the "beasts" of the Forest to help was only one way around those laws.

"Yeah," Ginny answered in the middle of a yawn. "They helped move people and things." She closed her eyes, resting her head on the arm of her chair.

"Tired?" he asked, his smile coloring his question.

"Just a bit," she answered, barely moving her lips. "Just glad you're 'live an' fine," she finished, the ending a mumbled mess.

"Me too, Gin," he agreed as she finally fell completely asleep. He watched her, a smile lighting up his face. At least they were talking and being friends and maybe a bit more. It wasn't much, but it was a start. It was a lot more than a month ago, that's for sure.

As bothersome and deadly as the fighting had turned out to be, it had helped in a weird, twisted sort of way. Everyone had been forced to stay occupied and reminded them that, though Dumbledore was dead, there was still much to fight for. It showed everyone, Voldemort in particular, that they were not going to lie down and give up. Voldemort was in for one heck of a fight!

Harry stood and walked over to the window behind Ginny's chair. The half-moon was high in the sky, illuminating the whole of Hogwarts grounds. Tonight was a beautiful night, a night that made one thankful to be alive. After watching the madness of battle today, Harry was glad to be here, in Hogwarts, with Ginny, both of them alive and safe. Not everyone had been so lucky.

The door slammed open, startling Ginny awake. Harry turned around to see Blaise come running towards him.

"Harry! Ginny!" he nearly shouted, waking some of the sleeping patients. Harry had never seen Blaise so frazzled. His cool demeanor had been shattered and he almost looked wild. Blaise came to a skidding halt, grabbing Ginny's chair for support. "Have you seen Sephra?"

"I haven't seen her since the funeral yesterday," Ginny answered softly. Blaise let out a roar of frustration, waking Remus up in the bed next to them.

"No one's seen her since lunch yesterday," Blaise informed them. "Some people said they saw her leave with me, but I didn't go back up to the castle until the pyre burned out."

"Yeah, I remember you talking with Snape," Harry said with a nod.

"Sephra had skipped breakfast and was hungry, so she said she was going up without me," Blaise said with a sigh, collapsing in Harry's empty chair.

"I saw her walking into the Forest with you," Remus said softly. "That's why I seemed so surprised to see you at the pyre."

Harry exchanged a look with Ginny and sighed deeply. Why couldn't Voldemort bugger off? "Let me go get the Map, and someone should go get Thia and McGonagall."

"Minerva is at the Ministry," Remus answered. "She and Thia are taking turns going there to fill out paperwork and such things. Thia should be in her office, or maybe taking a walk around the battlefield."

"I'll find her," Ginny assured them, walking out of the infirmary with Harry. "Why can't he just let us mourn?"

"He doesn't know how to be that kind," Harry said with a sarcastic smile. They parted ways soon after, Harry heading for the Gryffindor Common Room and Ginny for the Lake.

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

Ten minutes later, a much larger group was searching the Marauder's Map, which Harry had spread out on Remus' hospital bed. Harry couldn't find anything and was trying, for Blaise's sake, not to start panicking. Sephra wouldn't be stupid enough to go past the wards, not even with Blaise... would she?

"I don't see her," Hermione finally admitted, seeming to cement everyone's fears. Blaise collapsed back into one of the chairs, the fear starting to overcome him.

"I'm sure she's just fine," Ginny reassured him, her voice betraying her own doubt of the truth.

"Yeah, and I'm sure Voldemort just wants to share a friendly cuppa," Blaise responded bitterly. "I've been telling her to be careful, that obviously the Dark Lord had it out for her family, but she didn't listen. She never does!"

Thia exchanged a look with her brother, her face softening in sympathy. Ron pulled Hermione closer, knowing that it could have very easily been Hermione missing instead of Sephra. Harry just looked at Ginny, thankful that her heart was set on healing. It seemed safer than being a fighter like Sephra or a scout like Hermione. Yet, he wasn't about to say that to Ginny; she would just become a fighter to prove him wrong. He smiled at her faintly, that was one of the things he loved most about her. Stubborn and strong willed. Yep, that was his Gin.

Harry felt something tug at his mind, using the scar link as a rope. He grabbed at his forehead, as useless as the motion was, and fought Voldemort. Carefully reinforcing his Occlumency shields, he felt the pressure increase. Slowly, the fuzzy shapes of the out of focus room disappeared and he found himself in another room, sitting on a simple, yet comfortable chair.

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

Damn it, Tom, let me go! Harry swore at Voldemort. There were other things Harry wanted to do right now and talking with Voldemort was not one of them.

Tea, Potter? Harry felt his stomach drop at that; the irony wasn't lost on him. Not to mention that Voldemort looked absolutely pleasant and happy. I'll take that as a no. The teapot hovering in front of the devil started to pour out one cup, disappearing once it was finished with that task. Voldemort took the cup--there is no other word to describe it--daintily and sipped at it slowly.

Harry sighed. Whatever Voldemort wanted, Harry was going to have to wait until the monster was willing to share. He wasn't going to beg for an explanation. They sat in their separate chairs, facing each other, Harry staring at his enemy and Voldemort sipping his tea.

Really, Potter, you are a boring guest, Voldemort commented finally. He threw the teacup at a wall and listened to it shatter.

I'm sorry, I thought you would want silence after your defeat today, Harry replied sardonically. A wicked grin spread over Voldemort's face, causing Harry's stomach to turn.

I was hoping you'd come over for a visit, Voldemort offered in a voice that was almost polite. Harry rolled his eyes, knowing that he was safe in Hogwarts. Oh, no, not in person, just in mind.

A pressure pushed against Harry, pushing him towards Voldemort's out stretched arm. He fought it, knowing that he didn't want to touch the vile creature's skin. And then, suddenly, he accepted the offer. It might be the quickest way to find out where Sephra was after all.

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

Ginny watched as Harry grabbed his forehead, teeth bared and knuckles white. He was standing; yet, she had never seen anyone so tense before. His fingernails were digging into his skin, drops of blood blossoming around them. The accursed lightning bolt was bleeding freely, making a trail past his eye, down his nose, around his mouth, and then dripped from his chin. Suddenly he sagged a bit. His nails released his forehead and his hands dropped to his side. His face took on an annoyed, but reserved look.

"Whatever trick Voldemort is playing," Thia ground out, watching Harry. "I'd like to..."

"We all would," Remus said, laying a calming hand on his sister's shoulder. "We need to send out a search party, start looking for Sephra in the Forest. Maybe the centaurs will be willing to help. Maybe we're all just jumping to conclusions. The Map has always been un-trustable when it's come to the Forest."

"Yeah," Thia agreed, her voice slightly distracted. If the situation wasn't so desperate, Ginny would have smiled. Thia loved Harry so much. Thia and Remus were like an aunt and uncle to Harry, two that actually cared for him unlike some others that she knew of.

"Should we sit him down?" Hermione asked nervously.

"No, you shouldn’t move him," Pomfrey said from Snape's bedside. Ginny glanced back at Harry; couldn't Voldemort go pick on someone else for a change?

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

Harry stared out of Voldemort's eyes and at his friend. Sephra was chained to a wall by her arms. The Death Eaters had the chains so high that Sephra was standing on her tiptoes trying to relieve some of the weight from her raw wrists. Her clothes were reduced to rags, her skin covered in lacerations. Dirt, blood, and sweat mingled on her skin, completing the "prisoner look".

She's been most resistant, Voldemort told Harry. But I think she's about ready to break. I specifically wanted you to watch. Harry felt his stomach heave. Had Voldemort only capture her to mock him? Oh, don't worry; she has something of value to me. But I'm willing to kill two birds with one stone.

Sephra looked up at Voldemort as he stood, her eyes burning with hatred and defiance. Harry hoped that he wouldn't have to watch it go out. She spat at Voldemort, missing by several feet. The demon laughed, stepping up onto a dais to stand next to her. He carefully traced her jaw line with one skeletal finger.

"Glad to see you're back," she sneered before snapping at his finger with her teeth. Voldemort withdrew the offending digit in plenty of time, chuckling to himself. Harry hoped he wouldn’t have to watch her death; watching her parents' die had been hard enough.

"I brought Harry with me," he said, tapping the side of his head. Sephra looked confused for a split second and then understanding lit her face. "Now, where is it?" She shook her head, mouth shut in a tight line. Pity to ruin such a willful girl, he told Harry. "Crucio!"

Sephra screamed and Harry screamed with her. The pain transferred through the scar link was unbearable. The hatred and pure spite coming from Voldemort would have been enough to knock Harry unconscious, if the monster would only allow it. Harry knew how that particular spell felt and he tried to end it, tried to lessen the pain for her. It was no use.

Voldemort flicked his wand up, ending the spell. Sephra sagged until the chains pulled at her wrists. She struggled to make her legs support her. Harry could see the peeling and blistered skin of her wrists under the chain’s cuffs.

"Where is it?"

"Eat shit," she replied, spitting at him again.

"Crucio!" The spell hit her, shockwaves overwhelming Harry as well. Sooner than before, Voldemort ended the curse. "I'm sorry that it has had to come to this. Your family used to be so high in my opinion. Now look at what it has come to. Imperio!" The third Unforgivable Curse hit Sephra, and Harry willed her the strength to fight it. She was one of the few in the D.A. who couldn't overthrow this spell and, after the torture she had gone through, Harry wouldn't fault her if she succumbed. Voldemort roared with pleasure when her eyes clouded over, his pleasure hitting Harry like a sledgehammer. "Where is Ravenclaw's Weapon?"

"My bracelet," she answered, her voice calm and automatic. "The charm with the crown."

"Very good," Voldemort crooned. "At least today was not a complete waste." Voldemort snatched her wrist and broke the bracelet on it, slipping off the charm. "Excellent." Harry looked around as Voldemort turned to sit on a throne.

They were in a spacious room, longer than it was wide, two separate areas jutting out of the long sides. Benches ran the length, except for where the room widened. There may be benches under that rubble, but Harry doubted it. The rubble must have been from the roof, which had collapsed in that area, the stars shining in cheerfully and defiantly. Walls had fallen down; many of the windows were broken. The windows to the right were mainly intact, the moon shining in through them and casting multi-colored lights on the ground. A huge stone lay nearby to the left, on its side. Voldemort--this monster--this demon--this Dark Lord had chosen a deserted cathedral for his headquarters.

"Should I kill her, Potter?" Voldemort asked, staring at Sephra contemplatively. She groaned, the Imperious wearing off.

No, Harry replied simply.

"Why not? Don't you want to end her suffering?"

Harry paused before answering. Carefully building some semblance of a shield between their minds, Harry thought quickly. He was in a tight jam. He had to get Sephra out of there. She was not in a good way at all. But... but how?

"Love, Harry! Love is what the dark does not understand!" Dumbledore...

"The number one rule for love is this: it is unconditional and unending. You can try to push us away as far as you can, but we will never leave you alone. Harry, there are some things worth dying for, and love is one of them." Ginny...

"Love is a dangerous thing, Harry." Dumbledore...

"Love is a very strong force." Hermione...

"I love you with all my heart, with all my strength, and all my being. Don’t ever forget that." Mum...

"We love you, son." Dad...

"We love you, Harry. I love you. We will not leave you." Ginny...

"Harry, Ginny loves you, nothing in the world will change that. True Love does not end." Remus...

"Sometimes in the middle of the night after a really bad nightmare I do think about going into the bathroom and slitting my wrists. But then I hear Ron snoring and I remember that I’m not alone, that I’m loved, and that I don’t want to die yet." Himself...

"They have, as you said, been with you since the start. You three are much stronger together than apart. They have shown their courage and moral strength over and over and they have both shown, in my opinion, that they have real reasons to be fighting this war." Dumbledore...

"Be careful, Harry. Whatever the Dark Lord has planned cannot be good." Professor Snape...

"Thank you for taking such great care of her. I couldn’t ask for a better man for my only daughter." Mr. Weasley...

Voldemort stood in agony, clutching at his head. Harry continued to think of as many memories of love that he could. Mrs. Weasley hurrying out of the Burrow to greet them time after time. Playing a pick up game of Quidditch with his friends. Watching Hermione touch Ron's hand to calm him down. Talking with his classmates under the guise of homework. Dancing with Ginny. The Chocolate Frog bet that he was still winning, though Ginny was a close second. Mr. Weasley looking at his family, including him and Hermione, before telling them that the twins might die. Telling the Weasleys that Snape was their uncle. Watching the way Blaise looked at and talked with Sephra. Talking with Snape about stupid stuff like school and Occlumency.

"Stop!" Voldemort cried out, trying to expel Harry from his mind. Harry stayed put, fixing his Occlumency shields so that they were actually keeping him in Voldemort's head instead of keeping Voldemort out. "Stop!"

Harry knew he wouldn't be able to kill Voldemort this way, not without dying himself. With his conscious mind here, Harry was in danger. Make a portkey and send her back! he commanded, thinking of a particularly happy moment with Ginny. Voldemort screamed again, and a Death Eater ran into the room, but the monster waved him off.

Fine! Where do you want me to leave her? Harry thought of last Christmas for one last little reminder of the pain, and then stopped his thoughts. Instead he sent a picture of the gates to Hogwarts.

Do not plan any tricks, Harry warned. If anything happens, I will get into your dreams and create nightmares you will never forget. Voldemort said nothing, but picked up a shard of glass.

"Portus," Voldemort cast, causing it to tremble and glow a deep blue. Finally it returned to its normal appearance, an orange piece of stained glass from one of the many broken windows. He walked up to Sephra, stuck it into her arm, and then activated it. Harry frowned and prepared to leave Voldemort's head. "Macnair?" Harry paused in his departure to see what was going to happen.

"Yes, my Lord?"

"Avada Kedavra!" The man fell, dead before he hit the floor. This stays between you and me.

Only in your dreams. Harry pulled out of Voldemort's head, leaving one last thought behind. I love and you can't. I will win.

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

"He's been like that for an awful long time," Hermione spoke softly, worry tingeing the words. She struggled to keep her face calm, though it was hard. The past week had been so long and so stressful and now... With the battle won, the news of Sephra's kidnap was a horrible blow. And now Harry seemed to be fighting Voldemort on a level none of them could help him with. His face was strained in obvious agony, pain distorting it grotesquely.

Ron pulled his grip around her shoulders tighter; it was as if he had read her mind. Ginny was silent, tears standing in her eyes. Hermione knew there were tears in her own eyes, but not one of them fell. This was not the time for tears, even if it was a hard fought battle. So much had happened with so little sleep. She hadn't even cried for Dumbledore properly yet. They did not need Voldemort's interference at the moment!

All of a sudden, Harry smiled. Smiled so honestly and happily that Hermione couldn't remember the last time she had seen this smile. She was sure it was the same smile that had lit up his face the first time he’d seen Diagon Alley. It was the smile she had seen on his face when they'd first entered the Great Hall. It was the smile that was plastered to his face after a Quidditch game. The smile reserved for the really happy times. A smile that Hermione hadn’t seen for six or seven months. Sure, it would show up, here and there, but for the most part, it had taken a vacation. He had started to glow as well, the aura around him shimmering. She could feel the power radiating off of him from where she stood five feet away.

Harry's head snapped back violently and then he fell to his knees, throwing up. Ginny was at his side in an instant, rubbing his back softly and whispering in his ear. Once Harry was finished, Ginny spelled the mess away. He sat down, leaning back against the nearest bed.

"Someone, go get Sephra from the gates, quickly, before Voldemort changes his mind," Harry croaked out as soon as he’d caught his breath. Everyone stared at him, not moving. "NOW!" Thia hurried away, sending a Patronus before her. Probably to call someone to go down with her. Tonks maybe? Shacklebolt? Who knew?

"What the--?" Blaise asked, not sure what to say.

"Give me a sec," Harry said, resting his head back against Remus' bed. "I'm not feeling too good at the moment." Harry closed his eyes, and it seemed to Hermione that he fell asleep. She wouldn't blame him, none of them had gotten a lot of sleep lately. When he started talking with his eyes still closed, it surprised her. "Voldemort had her. He's been torturing her for who knows how long and she finally gave him what he wanted. I don't know what, but he called it Ravenclaw's Weapon."

"Oh," Hermione let out softly, without meaning to. She had just read about that, well, a week ago at least, but still it was recently. "I've been researching Harry's mum's family tree, right?" she started, not really making sense but that didn't matter. She was just trying to figure out all the details. The others nodded if they knew about her research or just looked confused about what that had to do with anything. "Ask me about that later, Harry," she said, remembering what she had found out on Monday.

"But, as I was researching, I found this interesting legend concerning Ravenclaw, and seeing that I didn't really have anything else to do at the time, I read about it."

"Big surprise there," Ron mumbled teasingly. She glared at him; this was not the time for jokes, her bookworm-habits were going to pay off here!

"Before the Founding of Hogwarts, there was a war," Hermione continued, switching into her "knowledgeable" voice. "There were three parties fighting against each other. As the war progressed, one of the sides became increasingly dark. The other two sides realized this and decided to combine forces. The Founders weren't even considered full wizards at the time, even though they were in their late twenties, early thirties." She took a deep breath, collecting her thoughts.

"That would suck," Ron muttered, "almost thirty and not legal yet."

"A different schooling protocol," Hermione answered absentmindedly. "Ravenclaw was famous for her tapestry skill," Ginny muttered something under her breath, but Hermione ignored it, "and they asked her to make the new banner. A fresh start for the war, you could say. It was a purple standard, with a spinning crown in the center. Floating in the middle were two roses; one red, one white, their stems entwined. The roses were from the old banners, and the dark lord fought under a black rose."

"And they didn't know he was dark… why?" Blaise asked.

"It, I guess, was an ancient banner. These divides were old, at least that's what the text says," she answered. "I'd think kind of like the divide between Slytherin and Gryffindor. I know you guys aren't evil, even with a snake as your mascot."

"I personally think the badger is the scariest of the mascots," Blaise commented, causing Ron to chuckle.

"Now is not the time," Hermione scolded. "The legend goes that this new banner stirred hope in all who saw it and united the two against the one. It was called Ravenclaw's Weapon."

"Sephra said it was on her bracelet," Harry said after a moment, his voice confused.

"At the end of the war, the leader... oh what's his name?" she asked, frustrated. "Oh well, it doesn't matter. The leader had a necklace made for Ravenclaw to commemorate her role in the battle. She's the first of the Founders to become famous actually."

"And the charm on Sephra's bracelet is the one made for the necklace," Ginny concluded.

"That's my guess," Hermione said with a nod. "The author said another legend has it that Ravenclaw also created some kind of weapon of a more dangerous type. Something that Voldemort would be interested in. But, they wouldn't have allowed such a young witch or wizard to make anything like that. It just wasn't a part of their culture. Their schooling wasn't even complete until forty."

"Ugh, in school ‘til forty," Ron commented once again.

"School was different then," Remus assured him, echoing Hermione's own comment of a few minutes back. "Much more laid back, nothing like Hogwarts is. I remember that legend, now that you mentioned it. It's been a long time since I've read the books about the Founders."

"And I remember that charm," Ginny said, her forehead crinkled in thought. "Well, I've only seen it once, on the first train ride with Sephra. I don't remember ever seeing it after."

"Didn't Dumbledore say something about being her secret keeper?" Hermione asked, remembering that long ago conversation.

"Of course," Harry said, bringing his head to his knees. "Monday evening, she caught up with me, asked to talk. I was late for the Order meeting and I couldn't stop. I knew we were putting the finishing touches on the funeral and... Why didn't I stop to talk? She was going to ask me to renew the Fidelius Charm. I let her down!”

"I wouldn't say that," Remus said softly. The others looked at him with confusion and disagreement in their eyes. "Obviously this isn't a real weapon, so we don't have to worry about Voldemort attacking with it. If you’d renewed the charm, Sephra wouldn't have been able to tell him, which would have infuriated him. In the end, Harry, I think you would have told Voldemort to save Sephra."

"He could still kill her," Blaise said, his face pale and drawn. "He doesn't need her anymore."

"He can't, she's at Hogwarts," Harry repeated softly. They all stared at him, and Harry shrugged in response. Though he had told them all at the beginning, Hermione hadn't really believed him. She could tell the others hadn't understood or believed him either. "Check the Map if you don't believe me."

So they did, Harry struggling to get up. And there they were, Tonks and Thia walking up towards the castle with Sephra between them.

"I'll explain later," Harry said to their unasked questions. "I'm sure Thia will want to hear, probably Professors Snape and McGonagall as well. Heck, the whole Order." Hermione looked over at Harry, surprised at the tone in his voice. There was... weariness, excitement, and... hope maybe... She wasn't sure.

"Harry, sit back down," Ginny commanded softly. Harry was shaking, most likely from a lack of food to fuel his body. It had been a hard day and he had just thrown up everything he’d managed to eat. "I'll get you some chicken broth." She stood and started to walk towards the door.

"No need, Ginevra," Snape said with a raspy voice. He coughed, took a deep breath, and then continued. "Spot, chicken broth, please."

"You should be asleep, Uncle," Ginny chided affectionately, changing directions to go to his bed. "But, seeing that you're awake, take this and drink some water. I hope Spot brings something for you to eat too." She handed him a potion. Pulling a face at the smell, he drank it in a gulp. "About time you had to take one of those concoctions," Ginny teased, handing him the glass of water.

"At least you don't know what you're drinking," Snape muttered, swishing the water around his mouth before swallowing.

"'Uncle'?" Blaise asked, confusion replacing the worry for the moment. Snape sighed.

"I was married to their mother's sister," he explained, his voice annoyed. "Ginevra finds it amusing to call me Uncle."

"Well, you are," she replied, refilling the glass. Spot appeared with two trays. The small house elf took one to the table next to Snape and Ginny set the other one beside Harry on the floor.

"Does Master need anything else?" Spot asked with a bow.

"That is all, thank you," Snape said respectfully. "What was all that racket about?" Hermione exchanged looks with the others wondering where to start. A frown crossed Snape's face at their hesitancy. She sighed. Why can't Voldemort just let us have one peaceful Christmas holiday?

"Well, Voldemort captured Sephra," Blaise started, worry masking his face. He paused when his Head of House swore and sat up quickly.

"What?" he exclaimed, his voice filled with worry and concern. Hermione had never seen him like this. She took a calming breath and then blurted out what she had pieced together.

"My guess is someone used Polyjuice to turn into Blaise and then led her into the Forest." Harry and the others looked at her, surprised. She rolled her eyes; it wasn't that original of an idea. "It's obvious. Everyone knows that Sephra trusts Blaise more than anyone else in England. Am I the only one that guessed that?"

"Only you, Hermione," Harry said with a faint smile. Ron just shook his head at her, a proud light in his eyes.

"How long has she been missing?" Snape asked.

"After the funeral. A few people had seen her at lunch," Harry answered. "I think the battle was some type of distraction."

"No," Snape said thoughtfully. He took a sip of water, gathering his thoughts before speaking. "If it was a distraction, the Dark Lord would not have been there. He would have been with Sephra during the battle. The kidnapping is just another plan. She needs to be rescued." Snape threw back his blankets and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He stood before Hermione realized exactly what he was doing, but Ginny was already moving to catch him as his bad leg buckled underneath him.

"Really, Professor," Madam Pomfrey scolded from the other side of the room where she had been busy with another patient. Ginny was getting him settled back into bed, though his face was still contorted in pain. "Your left leg was completely shattered by that horrid witch yet in your wisdom you just had to stand, didn't you? You won't be walking for several weeks if I have my way. Sit! Ginny, get him something for the pain."

"Already working on it," the redhead said, walking back from a table groaning under the weight of vials and goblets. "Drink this."

Hermione watched him sniff it and then wrinkle his nose. "This isn't one of mine."

"We ran out of yours awhile ago," Ginny replied, her hands going to her hips. "It's mine, now drink it." Hermione exchanged a look with Harry and Ron. At the moment Ginny looked so much like her mother that it was almost scary. Snape nodded his head and swallowed it, the pain smoothing from his face.

"How bad is the damage actually?" he asked after Pomfrey had left.

"You'll be able to walk again, as long as you stay off it for a week or two," Ginny answered. "Harry said she hit you with her left arm, that's probably lucky. Pomfrey's positive that you have to stay in bed in here ‘til Christmas, and after that, you'll be confined to chairs. Definitely no prowling."

"I don't prowl," Snape replied defensively. Harry and Blaise started laughing, Ron joining in quite quickly. Ginny hid a smile behind her hand, and Hermione just shook her head. If it was anyone besides Snape, Hermione would have said he was pouting. Seeing that it was Snape, she'd have to say it was a dignified pouting. He harrumphed and cleared his throat. "My student is still missing and I will not wait here idly for some Gryffindor to save her."

"Actually, if you would have allowed us to finish," Harry corrected, putting his bowl aside, "you would have found out that she's back at Hogwarts and on her way up here."

"How?" Snape asked, confused.

"I'll explain how once everyone who should hear the story is here to listen," Harry said. The doors opened just as Harry finished, Thia and Tonks entering with Sephra on a stretcher between them.

"Poppy! Althea! Hurry!" Thia shouted. They put her on one of the few empty beds in the room. Madam Pomfrey, Althea, and Ginny hurried over, Pomfrey tut-tuting as soon as she saw the condition of the young woman.

"The piece of glass in her arm is the portkey that brought her here," Harry informed them. Thia looked up interested. Hermione was too, Portkeys could be traced back to their place of origin. It took a lot of work, and careful preparation, but it could be done. If they could find Voldemort's hiding place, they would be able to spy. Pomfrey carefully removed it and handed it over to Thia, who wrapped it in a handkerchief. She left, most likely heading for her Headquarters to get a specialist working on it.

Tonks took one look at the group and tsk'ed. "Remus, love, go to sleep, you too, Severus. Blaise, why don't you lie down on the empty bed next to Sephra's and sleep. Ron, Hermione, and Harry, if there's nothing wrong that needs medical attention, go to your beds and get some sleep too. I'm going to go to St. Mungo's and see if I can't get a healer or two to come and give you three a rest. Don't give me that look, Poppy; you've barely slept these past several days. And you haven't been sleeping well for weeks. I, on the other hand, slept all day under protest. So I bid you farewell, and will get you replacements. Come on you three."

Hermione smiled as Tonks swept over to kiss Remus good night, and then herded them out of the hospital wing. They walked together in silence, all worried about Sephra.

"You'll make sure Ginny gets some sleep, won't you?" Harry asked before she headed down towards the front doors.

"I will," Tonks agreed. "She'll be the easiest to force to sleep, the other two won't bend so easily."

"Good luck with that," Hermione said with a smile. "You'll need it."

"Good night," was her only reply, waving at them as she bounded down the stairs.

"'Night," they called to her retreating back and then went to their dorm rooms to sleep.

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

Harry stood at a window in the common room watching the Aurors patrol the grounds. How did they do it? Fight and risk their lives for people they didn't even know. Maybe they had someone to fight for, or maybe they'd lost someone. Others... they didn't have anyone. If they died, no one outside of the Auror Department would miss them. So was it just the adrenaline high or the non-existent glory? High ideals that hadn't been shot down yet? All of that or none of that? This week had proved to Harry one thing at least, becoming an Auror was out of the question.

Funerals were all too common in the department. Aurors had their own strange traditions for them, they were that common. Dumbledore's funeral had been difficult enough. Tonks and Thia went to enough funerals to have one a day for the next several months. And Thia had known each one of them as well as she could.

Fighting non-stop was exhausting. Sure, training had taught Harry that, but it wasn't just a physical weariness. It was something so much deeper than that. All the death and pain and suffering and... evilness battered at Harry, chipping away at his thin walls of sanity and peace. No wonder Mad-Eye Moody was a bit off his rocker; it was enough to drive anyone bonkers. "You're ability to feel so deeply: love, anger, hate, joy, passion, etc, the ability to remove your Shield between you and magic, and your strong mind made this happen." That was what Dumbledore had told him so long ago. Harry doubted the strong mind comment, but the ability to feel... it was almost too much at times.

Harry didn't want eternal glory. He didn’t like the adrenaline rush that battle brought on. If he really wanted those he'd go into Quidditch. He already had eternal glory, The Boy Who Lived being the most annoying of his titles. The Boy had grown up now and did not appreciate being famous for something he couldn't remember or for all the times since when luck had stepped in. He was no better at Defense than anyone else who had studied it as much as he did. He was only lucky. And Luck didn't keep you alive when it ran out.

And if he died... He knew that there would be people who would mourn for the Boy Who Lived, but there would also be those who knew him. And they would mourn... deeply. Whether it was with Ginny or not (and here was to hoping it was) Harry wanted a family. Could he leave whoever it was (again, hopefully Ginny) alone with a child or children? Could he let his children grow up without a father? Could he have a job that put his life on the line knowing how fickle Death could be? No... the simple answer was no.

He'd fight as long as it was necessary. He didn’t need to know the people to fight for them. Most would never even know just how much he was willing to sacrifice to end this war. An even larger group of people would never realize just how close to death and slavery they had come. That was just the way things were. As long as Voldemort was alive, Harry would fight. He'd even help round up the Death Eaters, if they'd let him. But after that... something a bit more peaceful would be very much appreciated.

"Harry?" Thia's voice broke into his concentration. "Fall asleep there?"

"No, just lost in thought," he answered honestly. He turned to see her, Moody, and Tonks at the entrance to the common room. He didn't realize that a few of the Gryffindor students who were staying for the holiday were watching him, his aura glowing and pulsating ever so faintly. He didn't notice Thia hiding a smile because he looked so bloody much like Lily, thinking so deeply. Moody was forcibly reminded of a younger Dumbledore in a different war. Harry did know though, that he had missed something. "Did you say something, before that?"

This time, Thia let her grin show. "A lot about nothing. It's time for you to report what happened. Come on."

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

Harry looked around at the group, not exactly sure where he should start. Snape had been moved to a bed next to Remus. Curtains had been erected to provide privacy for the meeting. Thia's Silencing Charm still glowed when Harry casually "felt" it. Tonks was sitting behind Remus acting as the pillow support he needed to sit. Thia was on the foot of his bed, watching Harry watch her. Ginny was sprawled out at the bottom of Snape's bed, lying right next to the foot board, her hands propping up her head. Moody and McGonagall were sitting in chairs against the curtains between the beds. Ron and Hermione shared an overlarge armchair on the other side of Remus' bed. Molly was in a chair on the other side of Snape's bed, a concerned frown on her face.

"We don't have all day, Harry," Snape said, his voice dripping with annoyance. A few people glared at him, but Harry smiled slightly. Snape was not enjoying his time stuck in bed. Harry could, and did, sympathize with him.

"I guess... I just don't know where to start, that's all," Harry said, running a hand through his hair. He was leaning up against the wall next to a window, too impatient to sit and would have been pacing had there been room. "Voldemort and I have been having... discussions... We're in a neutral room, both sitting, and unable to do anything but talk. It's happened three times: the first time was when I spent several nights at St. Mungo's, the second after Voldemort found out that Dumbledore had ended up in the hospital wing, and the third after Dumbledore's death."

"You should have told me about this," Snape commented.

"You were busy," Harry said with a shrug. "There's no pain connected to it, I'm not sure why I even passed out the first time for so long."

"Your scar bleeds," Ginny answered. "The first time it happened you lost a lot of blood very quickly."

"Ah, that makes sense," Harry replied after a thought. "It's just Voldemort gloating. It's neutral, which means we can't see each other's thoughts or plans or anything like that. Professor," Harry said, looking at Snape, "you said once you thought Voldemort was blocking me as much as I am him. I think you're right. And he uses that place as a way to revel in his accomplishments without giving away any of his plans." He fell silent.

"What happened this time?" Thia asked after giving him some time to think.

"I've noticed, even in my sleep, if he wants to talk he... pulls... on the scar link," Harry continued. "That's what happened this time. I tried to fight it, but I couldn’t. He was positively thrilled, which surprised me considering how badly they lost the battle. Eventually he tried to pull me into his mind, and at first I fought him."

"At first?" Hermione asked, catching the strange wording.

"I figured I'd be able to find out something about Sephra, whether she was alive, maybe even where they were keeping her," Harry answered. "So I let him pull me in. It wasn't pretty, though Sephra was defiant right up to the end. He finally used the Imperious Curse to get her to talk, like I told some of you last night. Looking at her, I knew there wasn't a lot of time. I built up my Occlumency shields so that he wouldn't be able to see my thoughts."

"As if anything goes on in that head of yours to eavesdrop on," Hermione teased him.

"I did this time," Harry replied, not at all offended. "There's one thing that's been bothering me about this connection," he said, tapping the lightning bolt scar. "Voldemort can cause me loads of pain, like when he was torturing Sephra, but I can't seem to do anything in return. He told me, the night Wormtail died, that my suicide and pain was nothing but an annoying buzzing. All the hate and anger and resentment I feel does nothing to harm him, though those same emotions from him cause me so much pain that I can think of nothing else. But then it hit me.

"'Love is what the dark does not understand.' Dumbledore told me that the day they released Ginny and me from St. Mungo's," Harry continued to explain. "And all I had to do was think of all the times I've heard, 'I love you, Harry,' from all of you, or anything about love. Voldemort was instantly in pain, screaming. All the memories I had, I realized just how much love filled them. Something as simple as Mrs. Weasley waiting to give us hugs at the Burrow, playing a game of Quidditch, or talking with friends, they were all times that I'd never realized just how much love lay behind them. He was begging for release by the end of it. Sent Sephra back and basically begged me not to tell anyone. As if," Harry said with a laugh. "This is the best news I've ever been able to give after a vision from him. He killed Macnair… I think that's what Voldemort called him... just because he had the unfortunate luck of coming to his screaming master's aid."

Harry watched their stunned faces. Underneath all the surprise was... hope... for a plan... for a way to win... for a future. Though no one here would ever admit it, they all had wondered about the future of the war without Dumbledore's guidance. They had all doubted Harry's ability to train without the great teacher, even Harry himself had. This development... It was a Godsend.

"We'll see if we can find anything in the old tomes in the library," McGonagall finally said. "This will be old magic."

"Some of the oldest," Remus said with a frown. "Emotional magic is some of the most archaic forms out there. You need to get Melissa, Ernan, and eventually me on the research... I think I know where to look, even. It will need to be adapted, so maybe Charlie should work on it as well."

"What about 'Mione?" Ron asked, laughing at the look of anticipation on her face.

"How could I forget Hermione?" Remus asked, laughing as she blushed.

"Charlie can't do it," McGonagall spoke after a thought. "He's busy talking with a group of Romanian wizards. We're expecting them to offer us aid any day now."

"He'll be here for Christmas, right?" Ginny asked, looking back at her mum.

"Of course, he'll arrive late tonight," McGonagall assured her. "But he'll have to leave soon after again. Because he's the Order's only Romanian speaking member, he'll have to stay there to help organize the supplies."

"Not going through their government, are you?" Moody asked sharply.

"Of course not, just private donors," she answered. "But... there's a new member that you'll need to meet Molly. He'll be around on Boxing Day. I'm sure he'll be willing to help you all out."

"The Flint boy you were talking about?" Moody asked, his voice filled with disapproval.

"Yes, and he has been disowned, Alastor," she reprimanded him. "He is as against You-Know-Who as you or I are."

"Why does mum have to meet him?" Ron asked.

"She's the Order's secret keeper," Thia answered with a smile. Molly smiled as well, a slightly proud shine to her face. Ron looked stunned. "Will he be able to help?"

"Definitely," Minerva said with a nod. "He knew Hogwarts’ Library better than the librarian when we were here as students."

"I didn't even know they had writing back then," Remus said innocently confused. "I thought they were still using cave drawings."

"Remus Lupin, you show respect to your elders," Thia chided her older brother.

"Why? You've never shown me any respect," Remus replied in turn.

"You never deserved it," she finished. "And, Harry," Thia said, her voice both caring and commanding. "I want you to be careful with this information. And I don't just mean keeping it a secret. We don't know any of the details, and you don't want to hurt yourself by accident. Also, I believe that Voldemort expected the battle two days ago to end the war or at least cripple our resistance. As such, he'll probably start the Revelries up to boost morale among the Death Eaters and to remind us about his strengths."

"Let me guess… Keep my Occlumency shields strong and don't bait Voldemort," Harry said, interrupting her.

"Exactly," she said with a nod.

"My guess is the visions will still get through," Snape commented lazily. "That scar link is a connection you can not cut off. However, your Occlumency skills are good enough for you to get out. Don't be the hero and stay to watch just to get information; risking your sanity isn't worth it."

"Thanks for looking out for my sanity," Harry laughed. The others had smiles on their faces, but they all knew the danger. "I will remember that. If I don't have to watch a Revelry, I'd rather not."

"Time's up," Pomfrey said, pulling the curtains open. Thia ended her Silencing Charm and the others started to leave. Harry said good-bye to the adults and then left with Ron, Hermione, and Ginny.

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

The four went out for a long run later that afternoon around the grounds. Afterwards the Weasley siblings started sprinting along the Lake shore, motioning at the other two to join them. Harry and Hermione shook their heads, both lying down on the ground under a tree. The snow was an inch deep and helped cool them down. Their weather-proof cloaks kept the water from soaking their clothes further. They watched Ron and Ginny racing, calling out to them, cheering on their favorite.

"Lazy!" Ginny yelled, racing toward them.

"Race you to the pitch," Harry called back, causing Ginny to laugh.

"That's no sprint," she said, falling to the ground next to him. Ron joined them sitting next to Hermione.

"You're scared," Harry teased, tugging a lock of auburn hair.

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!" she replied, shoving at him slightly.

"Prove it!"

"I will!" Ginny jumped up and started running towards the Quidditch pitch.

"You'd better hurry, mate," Ron said with a smile and a laugh. Harry slowly stood up, laughing, and started to chase after her. She had too much of a head start for him to catch up, so instead, Harry just took it easy.

"You lost," she said from where she was lying in the middle of the field when he finally caught up to her.

"I did," he agreed, taking a seat next to her, spreading his weather-proof cloak out as Ginny had. "You're the master."

"That's for sure," Ginny agreed, looking up at the Quidditch stands. "It looks so big from this angle."

"Yeah," he agreed. From the air, the stands and ground seemed so small. They lay there in silence, enjoying the weather. It was cold, but not so much that Harry felt chilled. The sun was out, a few clouds breaking up the expanse of blue. "How's Sephra?"

"Better," Ginny remarked, gazing upward. "She'll probably wake up sometime tomorrow. But she won't be very with it and most likely won't be able to stay awake for more than a few minutes at a time. She wasn't hurt as bad as we all thought. Then again, Cruciatus is a strange curse. We'll have to wait and see." Harry nodded, he wasn't expecting a miracle. "Remus is getting better. Pomfrey said that he will be able to go to the Christmas celebration we're having in the common room. And the twins talked to her in secret and have her approval to kidnap Uncle Severus."

"There's nothing he'll be able to do," Harry said with a laugh. "He can't walk and he won't be able to convince anyone to take him away. It'll be good for him."

"Yes, it will," Ginny agreed with a laugh. They fell silent, enjoying the quiet companionship between them.

"How’re you doing?" Harry asked, looking over at her for the answer.

"I'm..." she stopped and laughed. "I know why you always say 'fine'. It's just easier that way. I'm better, that's for sure. We haven't really had a chance to talk, have we?"

"No, not really. How are you doing?" Harry repeated patiently.

"I'm exhausted, worried, tired, haven't slept, haven't really cried, did I mention worried?" she said, her voice weary and tired. Harry looked at her, reaching a hand to hold hers. "I don't want to complain, but it seems like too much sometimes. Emotional overload, I guess."

"I can't count how many times I've thought 'Why can't Voldemort bugger off for a bit?'" Harry commented. Ginny nodded in agreement. "It's bad enough that we've all had to say goodbye to Dumbledore, but add in everything else... I'm bloody sick of this war."

"Yeah," Ginny sighed. "I'm glad you found a weakness."

"No kidding," Harry said with a wry laugh. "It's not that I ever thought 'Voldemort's going to win hands down,' because it was never like that. But I had a hard time seeing how I could win. How any seventeen-year-old could beat him. Now, there's this possibility. I don't know where it's going or what it means, but... he's not invincible like we all thought. Even me and I should know better."

"We all should have known better," Ginny agreed. "Your heart is too big for you, Harry."

"Yeah, tell me about it," Harry mumbled, thinking about the hours he had lain awake thinking about the void Dumbledore had left in his life. "Better too big than too small, I guess." Ginny nodded, turning over on her stomach and resting her head on an arm. Her eyes closed. Her free hand found Harry's again and they stayed like that for several minutes. "Who are you worried about?"

"Sephra, for one," Ginny answered, not opening her eyes. "She's better off than we thought, but that doesn't mean much. Then there's Blaise; he's a wreck. Snape and Remus are both getting antsy, but neither of them will be able to walk for at least another week or more in Snape's case. I'm afraid for my brothers, Percy particularly. Having Ron and Bill's disapproval is killing him. At least Bill is trying to give Percy a chance; Ron isn't even giving him that."

"Percy hurt Ron more than he'll admit," Harry interrupted.

"Oh, I know. There was him insulting you, ignoring Dad at work, sending Mum's gifts back, helping Fudge, not apologizing to Mum and Dad when he had the chance," Ginny listed off the reasons, but Harry shook his head.

"Ron, as much as he'll deny this, looked up to Percy," Harry explained further. "True, there were things about Percy's personality that will never mesh with Ron's, but Ron respected his brother's knowledge. He'll never admit to it, but I know Ron used to go to Percy for advice every once and awhile. It's just that Percy turned out to be so much like what we know of Tom Riddle and Crouch Senior. I think Ron will have a hard time forgiving Percy for giving him such a fright."

"I never knew," Ginny said softly. "Wait. Yes, I did. I've never really thought about it though. And I get the whole Riddle/Crouch scare. I only wish Ron would try for Mum's sake." Harry nodded; he hoped Ron would as well. Ginny paused, thinking. "Let's see, I'm worried for Ron and Hermione. Not their relationship, but more... What will I do without Ron and Hermione? What if they got hurt? Worried 'bout you, of course, but that's obvious."

"Is it?"

"It is," Ginny replied with a smile. "Worried for Order members and Aurors that I know. The war. You know… life in general," she finished with a shrug.

"Let's see, I know why you're exhausted and tired and haven't been sleeping. I'm guessing you haven't really cried because there hasn't been time. Correct me if I'm wrong," Harry said, looking at her intently.

"No, you're right," she admitted. "And no shoulder to cry on," she added with a raised eyebrow. Harry smiled at her, leaning over to pick her up, and maneuvering her into his lap. He held her close, just breathing the smell of her hair. She sighed, almost happily.

"I can't wait for summer," she said softly. "Warm weather. No school. Time to relax. I hope we get it for once."

"Me too," Harry agreed, kissing the top of her head. They sat there for a long time, just watching the sky cloud over. It would probably snow later that night. Hopefully it wouldn't be too bad so that Charlie would be able to make it from the gate to the castle without any danger of getting lost in a blizzard. "Gin, can I ask you a question?"

"Mmmm," she said with a nod.

"Why'd we break up?" There was silence. "And I don't mean why we fought in the Great Hall and common room; I know that answer. But, why'd we break up? Where'd we go wrong?"

Ginny was silent for a long time, at least it felt like a long time to Harry. Finally she pulled out of his arms and knelt in front of him. Her eyes caught his and they held each other's gaze for a while. She broke contact first, looking up as a lone bird flew over the pitch towards the Forbidden Forest.

"I didn't handle my dad's death very well, or your capture," she finally said, still not looking at him. "I used your old trick of acting all right, but on the inside I wasn't. Everyone believed me, too. Well, everyone except Hermione. She got Ron to talk to me once. That was good, but he never followed through. He had Hermione and I had no one. When Mum stopped cooking and cleaning, I started doing it a lot. It was something to burn myself out on; hoping I'd be able to sleep. It never really worked, but it was something to do. The tension built up.

"When you got back and woke up, I was hoping for someone to talk to me," she continued, her voice thick and her eyes watery. Harry reached across the distance and wrapped his hands around hers. "I knew you'd want to be left alone, but I was so desperate. We fought. You left. We've talked about the suicide guilt I had. Still kind of do." She faced him, putting a finger to his lips. "Shush, I'm working on it. It's hard to change a view I've had for so long."

"As long as you're working on it," he said softly. "I don't want that to eat you up. Especially since it isn't true."

"It isn't," she assured him. "When I realized that you'd talk to Ron and not me… I got so angry. It wasn't fair! Ron had Hermione, Hermione had Ron, you had Ron… and I had… no one. The person I'd been waiting for, the person I used to be able to talk about anything with… he wouldn't talk to me. He was scared, I think." She was so close to crying, that Harry's heart broke watching her. She took a deep, shuddering breath to calm herself down.

"Terrified," Harry admitted. "I was afraid talking would drive us apart. Or... I know I was meaning to tell you how much you mean to me, and that scared me even more." Ginny smiled softly, rolling her eyes, and squeezed his hands lovingly.

"After my birthday date, I made up my mind to call it off. We were only hurting each other," she continued after a while. "But I couldn't. I was in love with you. I didn't want to risk never getting back together. What would happen if you were to find someone else? So I waited, hoping against hope that we'd figure it out. I thought that with Snape's homework assignment we'd make the break through. But... we didn't. And what happened in the Great Hall was the result."

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Nothing for you to be sorry about," Ginny said stubbornly.

"Yes, there is," Harry assured her. "I let you down, even more than leaving with Voldemort. Granted, I was in no condition to really notice it, but... That was selfish of me. I expected everyone to help me and I didn't realize that someone needed my help. Forgive me?"

"I already have," Ginny told him. "It was my fault for expecting you to read my mind. For not going to you and telling you that I needed to talk about it. I guess by the time I had the courage to, I figured it was such old news that you would just role your eyes at me."

"Gin," he said softly and tenderly, pulling her up to stand and hugged her tight. He pulled away and rested his forehead against hers. "I still miss my parents and it's been sixteen years. I still cry for Sirius and what could have been. You held me that night, back in September. It's been a year and a half since then. Time does heal, but not overnight. If twenty years from now you want to talk about how much you miss your dad, I'll be here for you. I want you to tell me, to talk to me." Ginny smiled, a tear falling from her eye. Harry smiled back at her and kissed her. She didn't react at first, but then threw her arms around him, holding him as close to her as she could. When they pulled apart, Harry grinned down at her.

Their first real kiss as a couple... again.

Maybe that Christmas gift wasn't so out of place after all...