Harry Potter and the Bond of Light

HARRY POTTER

AND THE

BOND OF LIGHT

CHAPTER I

Way Away

I think I'm breaking out
I'm going to leave you now
Theres nothing for me here, it's all the same
And even though I know
That everything might go
Go downhill from here, I'm not afraid

Way away away from here I'll be
Way away away so you can see
How it feels to be alone and not believe (Feels to be alone and not believe)
Feels to be alone and not believe anything

Way Away - Ocean Avenue (2003) - Yellowcard

With a turn of a key the door was opened to the to room 745 on the fourth floor of the Madison Apartment Tower. Two people, a man and a woman walked into their home tired from a raucous night out on the town. The feeble rays of the full moon only illuminated a portion of their accommodations through an open window. After a moment of shuffling around taking off shoes, the living room was flooded with light from three lamps.

"Oh... what a night, eh," came the voice of the man who sounded somewhat intoxicated. He moved himself to the couch and dropped down onto it, letting out a sigh of relief. "Yeah, some night," is all his companion had to say. She moved to take a seat in a recliner adjacent to the couch. The two of them sat in silence for a while letting their wearisome take over them. Before she could her the snoring of her fiancee overpowering the silence, She nudged him to wake him up, "Hey you, go to bed unless you want to sleep on something as uncomfortable as this old thing." The couch was rather old, having been purchased several years earlier and been put through the gauntlet.

"Wha - oh...," he tried and failed to stifle a huge yawn, "Yeah... sure." He got up and started on his way down the hall that would lead to their bedroom. "Aren't you coming?"

"In a few minutes. Gonna make me some tea first."

"Oh, oooook," he said through another yawn. She could hear him trudging down the hall, and when the door closed she knew that it was safe to do what she had to do before drifting to sleep. She lied when she said she was going to be making a cuppa.

She rose from her leather recliner and made her way tiredly towards a desk that was up against a wall. The top of the desk was littered with various forms of paper and contracts, most of which were from her job for a resort company. After taking a minute to clear away the mess, she sat down on the desk chair and pulled open a drawer that had within it several rolls of parchment, a few bottles of ink, two eagle feather and one phoenix feather quill. Most importantly to her though was a journal she received some seven years earlier. She pulled out the journal and set it down in front of her, gently flipping through the pages of the old journal. Sometimes she wondered how so much writing could fit into a journal that was only a quarter-inch thick.

Finally she came to a blank page where she would enter her next entry, one that had great significance to her. She opened up a bottle of ink, and after deciding to use the phoenix quill to write with, she dipped it in the ink and started scratching her heart out on into the journal

July 31, 2009

Today makes seven years since I've had any contact with the world to which I belong. So that means it has been seven years since I last saw my old school friends, since I last saw my family... and more importantly, since I last saw him. Seven years since I began to isolate myself from twenty years of who I am.

Or rather, who I was.

Now that I think back to when I left, to all the success that I had in my career, the family I had that loved me, and the loving fiancee who would have given me the world if he could... I don't know why I left. Maybe I thought that if I left my old life and alienated everyone in it, I would be keeping them from harms way. I thought that if I took away, or rather hid all my knowledge of my magical self, that no one could get hurt. I even thought that if I went away, far away, that my love for him would fade away so that he would be safe.

I now realize how selfish of me that was, all of it. So now I have a new life, one with a man named Gregory Dela'Rosiria.

It's pointless to tell a tale that I've already told, so I just say what's knew in this tale. Yesterday he surprised me with dinner at my favorite Italian restaurant. What a splendid time we had, just the two of us with no one there save the waiter to attend to our food and beverage needs. After he bought a bottle of rare French wine, he did the unthinkable; at least as far as I was concerned.

He went down on one knee, and proposed.

I was a torrent of jubilant tears and crying with sweet joy. After a few minutes of tear shedding, I said yes. I thought to myself and still do that he must love me a great deal to want to put up with me in marriage. I love him too. How could I not? But therein lies my problem, my grand dilemma of the age. I love him, but I... I don't truly love him.

I can't hurt him by marrying him and becoming Mrs. Gregory Dela'Rosiria.

There has only been one person whom I have truly loved and would be willing to marry. But I left that love seven years ago and the marriage that came with him. Despite my trying to have the love I feel for him to fade away so he is protected from the evil that is waiting to come to the surface, I can't not love him. I just cannot. For a while now all I can seen to think about is being with him again, to have him hold me in his arms and hear him say to me 'I love you'. Even in my dreams, there he is! He always looks the way I last saw him, looking at me like I was the only person in the world that mattered.

Always that's how I see him

I should never have left.

Never...

But I can't go back to that life now. I'm to deeply rooted into this life to be allowed to make that choice.

I never did say goodbye to mum or dad, the twins, Bill or Charlie. Hermione only knew after the fact, when it was already too late to try and stop, because by then I was long gone from that life. I can only imagine how much I hurt them all, especially him.

So here is my apology to you all for my being a selfish ignorant prat. And to the one man whom I love, whom I'll always love. Goodbye Harry.

With tears of regret and

cries of sorrow...

with my love always

Ginny

When Ginny put away her cherished journal, she really was crying. She pulled her knees up to her chest and quietly sobbed into them, letting everything that she had been holding back for the last two months gush forth. To her these truly were tears of regret and sorrow. And to her, there was no way to make these tears stop because as far as she was concerned, there was no way to go back. Even if she wanted to, which she did, too many lives would be put at risk. That was something that she could not live with.

After she felt that she had cried herself out, she made for the bedroom. Greg as she expected, was already dead asleep and snoring blissfully unaware of the emotional breakdown that his fiancee had ended mere moments ago. She shed her party clothes for her more comfortable emerald green silk pajamas, then she climbed into bed cuddling up to Greg. She just lay there for a few minutes with her eyes open peering into the darkness.

I love him... but I don't truly love him. Am I being truthful to myself saying that?

Yes.

Then how come it doesn't feel like the truth?

Because... you still have to tell him that.

I do.

Both of them, Ginny.

Both of them.

Her eyelids felt like steel doors wanting to come crashing down. She gave into her exhaustion and stress, and was soon asleep and dreaming of what it would be like to see her one true love again. For better or for worse.

Well, it had been almost a week since the seven-year anniversary of her exodus. Ginny told herself that she was going to tell her fiancee that she could not marry him and the reasons why. However, every time she attempted to, the words would get caught in her throat, as Greg would start talking about the wedding plans and what not.

Just the other day she tried to write it all down so she would not actually have to tell him. So then once he had read it all, she would be on her way back to England. This plan would have worked too; the only problem with it was that it reminded her too much of the way she left last time. She just could not go through that all over, even if it meant that she could be with Harry again.

That was another reason why she had not said anything yet.

She wasn't sure if she would be let back into the lives of everyone she left, especially Harry's. She was afraid that if she were to return, it would mean lots of hostility aimed at her, and even more rejection. That was something that she was not sure she was ready for quite yet. If she was going to be going back to that life after a seven-year exile, she wanted to be sure that no one would hold a grudge against her. So she mapped out a sort of course of action to accomplish what had to be done.

In her journal she wrote down what she had to do.

August 5, 2009

I still haven't told Greg anything. I've tried multiple ways, but everyone time I choke up with nervousness and say something stupid about how bad the traffic was on the highway. How pathetic is that? And it sure doesn't help that he is always talking about the wedding and how 'its going to be one for the ages,' as he likes to put it.

It tried to write down what I had to say to him and figured that I would just give to him in a letter what I had written. Sadly though, there are two problems with that way. Firstly, it would be just like how I left everyone seven years ago, and I'm not particularly fond of that method. I've seen what it can do to someone. Secondly, it would take hundreds of pages to tell him about who I really am and where I come from. The hardest part would be to tell him, in writing, that I can't marry him. That would hurt is ego far too much.

So I've decided that I'll need some help with this. Or rather, an old friends help. And just to be precise for records sake, Hermione Granger's help. I've come up with a list of things that need to be done in order to return to my old life, the life to which I belong. A magical life.

Go to The Gambling Goblin and Floo to Suragon Village

Buy a post owl and send a letter to Hermione inviting her to visit alone.

Work on what makes me me! Magic.

Once Hermione arrives, embrace and cry and tell her how much I've missed her and that I'll never do such a selfish thing ever again (I hope).

Find out how everyone has been doing since I left.

With Hermione's help (I hope!), tell Greg everything.

If all goes well, I go home a single woman who has no connections to this life that I have led for seven long years.

Well, if all goes according to plan, then I will die from shock. I seriously doubt that it will though. I just know that there is going to be a glitch somewhere along the road. I would like everything to be done and over with here in at least two weeks, which is probably pushing it a bit. But it has to be done sooner rather then later. If I hold out any longer then things will only get worse and more impossible.

Ever-Hoping-Ginny

It had already been two days since she had made her course of action, and still she had not acted on it yet. It wasn't that she did not know where The Gambling Goblin was; she found it purely by accident when she first moved to Las Vegas three years ago. Ginny was just nervous of starting her plan, because once it began, there was no way of stopping it from going on. It would go its course and what ever happens just happens.

That's what she was afraid of.

What if everything went horrible wrong? What if Hermione came and told her that no one wanted to see her ever again after what she had put them through for so many years? What if she found out that Harry had married and had kids? What if they just simply forgot who she was? These scenarios where running through her head all the time, and they always got progressively worse. For right now though she had to put all that out of her mind and concentrate on her job.

She sat at her highly polished mahogany wood desk in the stuffy office building of The Mandalay Bay Resort Company. Working conditions were not at all idle since the air conditioning blew the other day, and everyone showed it in their sweaty appearances and sullen looks. She tried her best to keep cool by bringing a fan into her office next to her boss Roger Seller, Manager of Resort Events and Performers. She worked as his secretary. Ginny was more of the actual head of the department and Roger was just the figure head. This meant that she did all the work while Roger took all the credit for it. She really did not mind as she was paid well and the benefits were exceptional good.

She first applied for the positions over six months ago having worked for the company for nearly two years. Her job had her busy much of the day; negotiating concert deals and the contracts of Resort performers was mainly what she did. Today she was signing off on a tour date for the Finnish rock band HIM (His Infernal Majesty).

"If you will just sign right here, I think we will both be all be set and very happy," Ginny said to the bands Tour Manager. He was a rather pale man and small stature. He wore his hair in several braids that were died purple. His suit with blazer was a matching purple and had black stitching.

Ginny handed the man a pen to sign with. After quickly perusing the gig deal, he signed his name.

"Thank you very much Mr. Coalsatch. We look forward to seeing the bands performance," she said in an enthusiastic tone. She stood up from her seat and shook the man's hand before he left the office.

"We also look forward to playing here as well. Will you be attending to show," he asked of her in a hoarse voice.

"I'd love to, but I might already be gone to England by then," Ginny replied in a very unsure tone.

"Then maybe you can catch us in London. We'll be starting our UK tour after the Vegas show."

"I just might be there."

"If you want tickets, just give me a call," he said handing her a card that had the British phone number on it.

After the man had left closing the door behind him, she dropped down into her seat with a sigh of relief. She had been working on this deal for two hours, and only after offering some of Treasure Islands best suites did the tour manager sign off on the deal. She pressed a button on a speaker and a voice came over the intercom.

"Yes Miss Leaswey?"

"Could you hold all calls and visitors Violet? I have a letter to draft and would like to do it without disruptions."

"Yes ma'am."

"Oh, and tell Roger that HIM has been signed for me.

"Right away miss," Violet the secretary's secretary replied before buzzing off. Ginny had still not gotten use to the idea of having her own secretary being a secretary herself. Somethings never grow on some people.

Her office was not all that spacious by any means, but it suited her well. Behind her desk she had a wall window that had a lovely view of the Las Vegas Valley and its most prominent feature, The Strip. Another wall she had several filing cabinets stuffed to capacity and another wall that had a coat rock. Her desk was a simple office desk that had a calendar on it and a start of the art computer with printer and scanner. Two purposefully comfortable chairs were in front of the desk while her chair was even more comfortable.

She rose from her seat to stretch, and to think about how to start out this letter to Hermione. Ginny paced the room for a while before seating back down and opening up Microsoft Word on her computer. After setting the font and font size, she began writing what would be a brief but informative letter, so she hoped.

Dear Hermione,

It's me, Ginny. How have you been after all these years? I'd tell you how I have been fairing, but that would take several pages and a few cups of tea. So let me get to the point

There is something of a crisis going on in my life now, and I need your help. I know that this is sudden, but I would not be asking you unless it was important. I don't want to say much unless someone else reads this before or after you. All I'll say is that I might be coming back soon.

I know what you are probably thinking to yourself, "How in the world could she break such a powerful charm?" Well, I'm not entirely sure but I have a theory. It's one of the many things I would like to discuss with you when I see you. This brings me to the next topic.

As I'm sure you've already figured out, I don't live in England anymore. I don't even live in Europe anymore for that matter. When I left seven years ago I moved to America where I lived in three different cites ever since. Currently I live in Las Vegas, Nevada, which is on the West Coast next to California.

I was hoping that if it's not too much of a burden, could you come to America and meet with me? If you decide to come, there is a wizarding bar named The Gambling Goblin here in Las Vegas where I will meet you. But please Hermione, come alone. Right now you are the only person that needs to know where I've been and why, which I will tell you if you come.

Owl Post me back. You'll find that I am no longer Post Unplottable. However this will only be for three days. After that I will assume that you have no intentions of coming here and will make myself Unplottable again.

Once again I am sorry for how sudden this all is, but you will understand why when and if you come.

Missing you Always

Ginny Weasley

Ginny

She quickly read what she had wrote, and after performing spell check she decided that the letter said all that needed to be said. After printing out the letter she ringed up her secretary, Violet Purdue.

"Yes Miss. Leaswey?"

"Have you told Roger about HIM?"

"Yes ma'am. He sends his regards and says that there isn't anything else to be done today." Ginny was relieved to her that. After having that contract signed and writing this letter, she was pooped. She was ready to go home, but she still had things to do before she could do that.

"Then I'll be heading out for today. What have you got left for today?"

"Just filing and replying to a few emails."

"Then take the rest of the day off. I dare say that we all could use some relief from this furnace called our job."

"Thank you ma'am, I think I'll take up your after," Violet said before buzzing off. Ginny gathered her papers together and put them all in her briefcase with the letter to Hermione at the top of the sack.

She left her office saying goodbye to Violet who was getting her things together and headed for the parking garage which was three floors down and a good five minute walk. Her car, a 2005 Mercedes Benz was parked at the rear of the employee garage in her usual spot. She'll never forget when she bought the car; it was more or less a steal! The auto salesman could have been no more then twenty-five and definitely single. As soon as Ginny saw the man, she knew he would be a sucker for sweet talk. Sure enough, she left the auto mall with a brand new car and nearly half the retail sale price. She always told herself being a red head with deep blue eyes would pay off in the long run, and in this instance it had.

After bringing the car to life, she drove out of the garage and onto the busy Las Vegas streets at rush hour. She navigated her way onto the freeway and drove for fifteen minutes before getting off at Craig Rd. She was now in North Las Vegas that was itself a separate city from Las Vegas but still part of the Las Vegas Valley. N. Las Vegas had many of the same things that could be found all across the Valley, except for two things. One being that N. Las Vegas was where the United States Air Force Base Nellis A.F.B. was located. One could always here the many jets flying in skies and beyond the surrounding mountains where they had a testing range. It was particularly painful to have to hear the jets flying at night when they were more easily heard.

The other place that could only be found in N. Las Vegas was The Gambling Goblin, which is where she was heading right now. It was actually just a jump-skip-and a hop away from Nellis. She managed to safely drive through the construction that was going on up and down the battered Craig Rd., and found the inconspicuous wizard pub. There weren't any cars parked outside of it, which was no surprise to her. No one but magic folk could see the pub per say, just like the Leaky Cauldron. Muggles who tried to approach The Gambling Goblin were suddenly reminded of an immediate appointment, as was the woe of the Anti-Muggle Charms protecting the establishment.

She parked behind a restaurant a little ways from the pub, and changed into the wizarding robes that she brought along. When she had pulled the robes out of a trunk she had in storage, tears flooded her eyes. She remembered the robes she had pulled out. All black with silver and gold stitching with a matching blouse and pants. They were the same robes which she had worn on the day she left England all those years ago. After some tough negotiating in the back seat, she had slipped off her work clothes and into her robes.

Once she was situated, she got out and locked her car and made her way steadily yet nervously over towards the pub with her briefcase at her side. Walking to the pub was approaching destiny to her; there was no way out of it now that it had begun. She stood before the metal door that had an eye slot and a ragged old sign hanging above it that said The Gambling Goblin in old English text. With a deep breath, she knocked on the door just as the eye slot opened up and two red-beat eyes were staring down at her.

"Who be ye knocking," asked the eyes gruffly.

"A teller of the Goblin tale be I," replied Ginny using the code that would let her into the pub. The eyes looked her up and down making her feel quite uncomfortable under its stare. As soon as the slot closed, she could her several clicking noises, and the door opened up into the pub.

She stepped into the pub taking in all the smells at once. She fought to cover her nose in disgust, but lost the fight when she caught a whiff of something that smelled worse then dung bombs. The door closed behind her revealing the owner of the inquisitive eyes. He stepped up to Ginny and put a strong hand on her shoulder.

"What business be ye having her little lady," he asked again in that same gruff voice but with more suspicion this time. Ginny thought it a little rich of him to be calling her 'little' when she just the same height of the man at a good 5'11.

"None of your damn business," she said to him, brushing his hand off her. The man eyed her for a moment before taking a seat in a chair next to the door with a pint and what must be the horrible smell.

After getting over the garden of smells, she took in what the pub looked like. It was a rather big pub, which from the outside one could not tell. On one side of the pub there were tables set up with candles floating above them cutting through the thick smoke. On the other side there were several Wizards Pool tables, half a wall lined with darts boards. Then there was the bar itself which was stocked to the neck with all kinds of liquors and who knows what else. In between the tables and the games, there was a large fireplace that could easily accommodate ten people comfortably, though why anyone would do this was beyond her.

She walked up to the bar and hailed one of the bartenders.

"Good evening ma'am. New here are you," asked the man friendly.

"In a way yeah. I was wondering how much it would cost for an ounce of Floo Powder?"

The man thought for a moment before replying back saying that it would cost her one Galleon and four Sickles. Ginny reached into her pockets and withdrew two Galleons. After being given her change and the Floo Powder, she went over to the fireplace where a roaring fire was already present. She took a pinch of the powder and threw it into the fireplace. Emerald green flames shot up in place of the red/orangish flames. She stepped into the fire, and just before she called her destination she noticed that the doorwizard was looking at her suspiciously again; almost as if he had seen her before. She put it out of her mind and clearly called her destination out. "Suragon Floo Station!"

She was sucked into the Floo Network, tumbling dizzily through fireplaces, getting quick peaks rooms and offices and other pubs like the one she just left. She was not sure why, but maybe it had something to do with the fact that this was first magic that she had done in nearly seven years, but she genuinely enjoyed using the Floo Network. She started to slow down a bit indicating that she was nearing her destination. She stuck her arm out and she came out of the Suragon Floo Station fireplace as smooth as ever, with the exception of some soot on her shoulders.

Looking around the large room she could see that there were about ten fireplaces all with a fire roaring in them. It made the room very uncomfortable to be in and reminded her too much of the harsh Las Vegas summers that she would never grow accustomed to. She made haste in getting out of the room and was outside on the sunny streets of Suragon Village, the largest wizarding city in North America. No one is sure exactly where Suragon is located due to the charms that protect it. All that anyone really knows is that it is centered in the middle of forest in a large clearing.

The streets were packed with witches and wizards going about their daily business while kids played around them. Owls cluttered the airways going from here to there carrying packages and simple letters. Several buildings were taller then others like the Suragon International Owl Post Office and of course the Suragon Sasquatch Quidditch Stadium that was located slightly off from the 'village.' But the one building that caught Ginny's eyes was Balamb Garden.

It was the most beautiful thing that she had ever laid eyes upon. Floating above Balamb Garden was a massive flat ring that was etched with beautiful designs; the outside of the ring was a lovely sky-blue. The ring divided into four sections by golden swords that shot out from it. Ever illuminated was this ring. Thin golden threads that connected to the ground level is what seemed to be keeping the ring in place Below the center of the ring was the top level of Balamb Garden. It was a round floor that also had designs etched into it, and was the smallest level. The levels got progressively bigger all the way down to the ground level. Each and every level was made of highly polished platinum that gleamed in the sun which projected the painted etches for all to see. From the ground level up to the second level an equally stunning platinum wall rose which had windows every ten feet on it. The front gate was hiding behind the many buildings surrounding it. Two fin-like obelisks rose from Balamb Garden's courtyard and ended just shy of the ring.

Ginny had never seen such beautiful organic architecture in her life. The curves of the Garden itself were enough to make anyone fall in love with it.

After prying her eyes away from Balamb Garden, she made her way to her destination, Suragon International Owl Post Office. She had decided early in the morning that she would not get an owl for two reasons.

One being she would have a hell of a time trying to explain to Greg why she had bought the owl in the first place and why the owl was delivering letters to her. Secondly, she did not have enough money to spare to buy an owl that could fly across the United States then continue on flying across the Atlantic. Besides that, even if she did buy an owl, it would take nearly a week for the owl to just get to England let alone get back. She opted to use a Post Office owl that could be sent by portkey to England then back. That would save money and make for a speedy reply, if there was one.

Ginny had to try to keep the excited look off her face as she walked down the streets of Suragon. She did not want people to think that she was a Muggle who some how found the city. She would stop every five minutes to stare into a store window or watch as some tired parent would punish their mischievous child with a charm. By the time she finally reached the Post Office, the sun had already set and the day was cooling down. The streets were still bustling with activity though.

Suragon International Post Office was nothing compared to Balamb Garden in architecture, but it was still awe inspiring. In rose four stories high, with the top two dedicated to the Owlery. The second floor was for administration, and the first was for post deliveries. She walked up the twenty-some steps and through the front doors into the busy post office. If the skies outside were packed with owls, then inside the post office it was an infestation. To be sure that owl droppings did not land on someone, tent walkways had been set up.

"Register 23 open," hollered a voice near Ginny. She shook herself back to reality and walked over to Register 23. An old witch worked with this Register.

"Welcome to Suragon International Post Office," the witch said in a bored tone, "My name is Ratilra Rorey. How may I help you." She said it all rather mechanically.

"I need a letter delivered to England."

"Would you like over-night delivery or regular delivery ma'am?"

"How much does the over-night cost?"

"Over-night delivery to England will cost fifteen Galleons for the owl, and another five for the Portkey charm." Ginny bit her lip as she checked her money pouch to see how much she had. Luckily she had enough with a little left over for a drink once she gets back to The Gambling Goblin.

"I'll take the over-night please," she replied handing the attendant the twenty-Galleon fee. Ratilra set the Galleons down on the counter and waved her wand over them making them disappear. She flicked her wand and a parchment and quill appeared before Ginny.

"Please sign this consent form that states that should your post go missing during delivery, we cannot be held responsible." Ginny carelessly signed her name on the form. Ratilra waved her wand over this and this to disappeared too. Once again she flicked her wand and this time an envelope appeared before Ginny along with another quill.

"Please insert you post into this envelope and right the address of the recipient on the outside."

Snag.

"I'm afraid I don't know where my friend lives. Will that be a problem?"

"No ma'am, it will not. Just right the name of the recipient on the envelope and the owl will find the recipient with no problem. We just prefer to have the address on the envelope as a formality."

She set her briefcase on the counter and opened it up. Ratilra raised her eyebrows suspiciously at this. "Is that... a Muggle artifact."

"What... Oh! Er - yeah, my father got it for me. He loves all things Muggle." This was not entirely a lie, but it was still odd. Ratilra did not question it any further as Ginny slipped her typed letter into the envelope and wrote Hermione Granger on the envelope.

"Friend of Hermione Granger now are you," asked Ratilra nosily.

"Ever since our school days at Hogwarts, yes," replied Ginny handed the envelope back to the attendant. Ratilra waved her wand over this too, but it did not vanish. In a corner of the envelope there appeared the S.I.P.O. crest. Then she pointed her wand up and a flash of purple light came from the tip.

It was like a free for all when she did this. Thirty owls came flying over towards Register 23, stopping just shy of crashing into Ginny of Ratilra.

"Elgoian only, the rest of you buzz off," Ratilra said harshly. As the owls were flying away, one owl stayed. It was a brown Eagle Owl with large amber eyes.

"Feeling up for a trip to England old boy," she said kindly. The owl hooted its wiliness, landing down on Ratilra's shoulder. She tied the letter to the owls right leg, then produce a small coin. She brought her wand down to touch the coin, then said, "Portus." The coin glowed blue then noisily trembled on the counter for a few seconds, then became still again.

"Ready El?"

"Hoooooot!"

The owl jumped down onto the counter and put a talon on the coin. "One... two... three...." The owl was sucked into the coin, which fell into itself disappearing too.

"That should do it, Miss...?"

"Leaswey, Virginia Leaswey," she replied hurriedly. She hoped that Ratilra did not notice how nervous she sounded. "Yes Miss Leaswey, the owl should now be at the Diagon Alley International Post Office and on its way to Miss Hermione Granger."

"Thank you ever so much," Ginny replied a little too enthusiastically.

"Enjoy the rest of your day," Ratilra replied once again mechanically. Ginny left the post office feeling a sense of accomplishment, but also feeling quite nervous. More so now then before, there was nothing that she could do to stop events from unfolding. She just hoped that no one would be hurt in the process. She had a bad feeling about the next couple of days.

She walked back to the Floo Stations, gazing at Balamb Garden that was even more spectacular at night as light illuminated its walls casting an eerie glow over the Suragon Village.

"The Gambling Goblin," Ginny cried in one of the fireplaces at the Floo station. Once more she was tumbling through fireplaces catching brief glimpse of peoples living rooms and pubs before sticking her arm out and coming out of The Gambling Goblin's fireplace.

The pub was packed now with witches and wizards now, each with a pint in their hand. Some were at pool tables using their wands to shoot the balls around the table attempting to knock their opponents balls off the table while others were throwing darts at the revolving darts board.

Seeing everyone in here dashed her idea of having a drink before heading back home to Greg which might be one of the last nights that she ever spent with him. It was surely a depressing thought, but it was oddly enough a comforting thought at that. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but it had something to do with the fact that she could stop hiding from herself and everyone else soon.

She walked out the door of the pub, which was no longer being guarded by anyone this time and went towards her car. She shooed away a few teenagers who had taken an interest in the car, and was soon back on the road home.

As she was driving, she began to think of all the goods times that she had had before she left. Riding across the lake to Hogwarts with her fellow first years, and anticipating what house she would be placed in. Watching a young Harry Potter play Quidditch for Gryffindor and beating the snot out of Slytherin. Being rescued by the same young Harry Potter down in the Chamber of Secrets, then being flown out by a phoenix! Watching horribly scared as Harry flew around the dragon in her third year during the Tri-Wizard Tournament, then coming out victorious over the Hungarian Horntail. Playing for the Gryffindor House Quidditch team in her fourth year and pulling out an upset victory of Slytherin to win the Inter-House Quidditch Championship. Fighting along side her brother, Hermione, Harry, Neville, and Luna Lovegood down in the depths of the Department of Mysteries. Attending Harry and Hermione's graduation ceremony the summer after their seventh year. The celebrations that followed after Harry defeated Voldemort during her seventh year. The few peaceful years spent with Harry growing closer with the man she knew she was meant to be with, and cherishing the simple yet heart pounding way he asked for her hand in marriage.

She had to think of all the good times because if the worst were to come from meeting with Hermione, she would at least have those memories to cling to. Then she found herself wondering what Harry had done for his birthday, and what he could be doing right now at this very moment.

*****

He had been sitting in the bar for nearly thirty minutes waiting for his date to arrive, and still there was no sign of her. He was beginning to get frustrated with her, as he usually did when she took her ever-so-sweet time getting ready to go anywhere. Constantly he would check his wristwatch to see that another five minutes had gone by and there was still no date. The bartender noticed his frustration and made him a strong drink on the house, which he downed instantly.

"Take it you'll be wanting another one of those then, eh," inquired the shabby looking bartender who was drying off a cup with an ancient looking rag that seemed to only make the cup dirty.

"I don't see the harm in another five minutes. Do you?"

"Don't worry lad, I'm sure she'll be here before long. Just being a woman, that's all."

He sighed as he said, "You're probably right about that. But she promised that she wouldn't be late this time."

With a shrug of hi shoulders the shabby bartender drifted down the bar towards a couple who had just walked in looking quite wind blown. After another five minutes went by, he rapped on the counter for another drink. This time though, it was the other bartender who served him up.

She was a twenty-something woman of African descent who had dyed short blonde hair and peculiar hazel eyes that glimmered in the light. More than once he found himself staring into her eyes when he would come with a few friends. His friends never felled to point this out. She was in her fourth year at Exeter University for the Magical, and would soon be off to spend some time with her family who lived in America.

"Late as always I take it," she said in her English/American accent that he found rather attractive.

"Afraid so," he replied sounding let down.

"Rather barmy if you ask me," she said will mixing up his drink, "practically standing up a date with you."

He tried to smile feebly back at her, but it was only a half-hearted attempt. "Thanks for trying to cheer me up Alie," he said genuinely.

"What? I was being serious!"

He smiled more honestly this time and chuckled a bit. She handed him his drink, which he simply stared at for several minutes before downing it all at once. His face winced as the alcoholic beverage burned going down. "Don't mean to complain love, but I think you might have put a little to much bacardi into the drink."

"Oh, I'm sorry Harry," she said blushing slightly at being called love, which is what they would usually call each other. When they had been dating each other two years back, they got into the playful habit of calling each other 'Love' or 'Darling' just to be playful. Neither one of them really thought much of it, though other people were quick to question Harry nonstop about this. All his friends, and even a few of Alie's thought that their dating each other was something illegal and strictly forbidden on punishment of death. A few times someone had 'carelessly' pointed his or her wand at the pair of them and accidentally muttered a hex at them just to try and get the point across. But never once did their comments stop them from seeing each other. When it came down to it, school and work is what drove their relationship apart. Now a days though they were strictly friends, and nothing more.

"You should be," he said playfully, "That drink could have singed my throat!"

"Oh quit your belly aching," Alex replied, hitting him softly on the arm. He smiled a little more for her.

"Am I really all that bad," he said with a sly smile.

"Only when you want to be, which I'm guessing right now is one of those times."

"Can you blame me?"

Just then a witch came walking into the bar.

She walked slowly through the bar towards Harry swaying her body this way and that effectively getting the attention of every man in the bar, and even the attention of the woman. However, they were not looking at her for the same reason the men were, which was pure and utterly senseless lust. A few of the witches looked like they wanted to pull out their wands and aim a nice hex or two at her swaying hips that would put her out of commission for a long while, or at the very least embarrass her good.

Harry noticed that even Alie did not like this 'intruder' as she was glaring at her evilly, her right hand hanging over her wand. Harry was sure that if anyone were going to send the first hex at this vixen, it would be Alie. After a few agonizing minutes of walking through the bar, she finally saw Harry and made her way over towards him.

"Harry dear, there you are," she said in a mock-surprised voice, an innocent smile plastered on her face.

Taking one look at her and you knew what had caught the eyes of the pub. Besides her amazing looks that almost would rival a veela's, she wore a rather revealing skin tight dark-purple silk dress that exposed a great deal of her alluring tanned legs. For Harry and every other guy in the bar, this was not a problem in the slightest, though he would have preferred if she had dressed a little more conservatively. He was not expecting this grandeur on her part, though he should have. She let her shimmering black hair hang to her shoulders, ending in loose curls. Her face was a work of cosmetology with all the makeup that she was using. No doubt this is what caused her to be late... yet again. She had curves in all the right places, which no doubt was the first thing that caught every wizard's eye in the pub.

"I thought you wouldn't be here for another," she checked her watch, "ten minutes. I was hoping to have a drink before we headed out."

"And flirt generously with everyone here while you're at it," Harry heard Alie mumble under her breath.

"Actually," he said ignoring what his ex had just said, "I've been here for nearly forty minutes. I came when I said I'd come and you weren't her, and didn't seem to be coming." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Alie rather enjoyed what he had said. It seemed that a few other witches did as well.

"Oh Harry, I'm so sorry," he said not sounding very sincere about this, "I've just been having a rather trying day and everything. Please forgive me."

*****

Why should he forgive you, Alex thought. She could tell by the look on Harry's face that her mock innocent plea for forgiveness would fool him, as it probably would every other man in the bar. She eyed this new woman in Harry's life thoroughly before passing judgment on her.

This process took less then half a minute before judgment was passed.

Her conclusion: This woman, if that was the proper title, was nothing more then a slut with taste who was not fit to be with Harry, let alone be looked upon by him. Beside that, she knew what this woman was after.

She knew, because for awhile she felt the same way before she saw through that and saw just Harry Potter, the man, not Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Conquered. She was a fame and money grubbing woman who would no sooner marry Harry for his money then she would tell the whole world that she slept with him for the publicity that it would draw. She knew that that had yet to happen as it would surely be on the front page of the Daily Prophet, and she was hell-bent on keeping it that way. This woman did not deserve that pleasure from her Harry.

"Don't worry about it," Harry said with a wave of his hand.

"Oh thank you Harry," she said a little too brightly for Alex's taste. The woman was looking at Harry with a possessively sly glimmer in her eye before looking up and noticing Alex for the first time. She felt a quiver of anger surge through her when Harry's date looked up at her.

"Isn't it a bit rude to be snooping in other peoples business," she shot at Alex out of the blue.

This did not help to calm her down.

"Sorry," she replied acidly, "I didn't realize that I was 'snooping' in personal business."

"Yes well," she continued oblivious to Alex's tone with her, "If you don't mind, could you make me a drink?"

Alex eyed her again suspiciously as she sat down on the stool next to Harry, who was now facing her instead of the door. Then she caught Harry's eyes and understood what they were saying. They had a pleading look to them. A look asking for her not to overreact. Well, for this woman Alex would do no small favor, but for Harry...

"Sure, what would you like," she asked as politely as she muster.

"I'm feeling adventurous tonight," she said eyeing Harry once again with that sly smile.

"I can tell," Alex said without thinking. Harry gave her a look.

"So I think maybe I'll try a Red Gremlin, that is, if you are capable," she said, a challenge in her voice.

"I think I can manage."

She turned away from them and went over to where all the different bottles of liquor were arranged. After grabbing three bottles of liquor, a wooden spoon, some ice, and a mug, she went back to wear they couple were chatting.

"Oh that's such splendid news Harry," said Harry's date.

"Yeah. But I'm not sure that I'm the best choice for the job, so-."

"Oh stop your fretting Harry," chimed in Alex who was making the Red Gremlin, intentionally adding extra amounts of Fire Whiskey and Ogden's Best Russian Vodka. Harry grinned up at her, making her blush which did not go unnoticed by Harry's date. "I'm sorry, um... what's your name," asked the over exposed woman snidely.

"Alexandria Nicole Walker. Most just call me Alex, but Harry hear," she said smiling at him, "calls me Alie."

"Well, Alie -," she tried to say, before she was cut off by Alex.

"I said Harry calls me Alie. Everyone else," Alex said looking pointedly at the intruder, "calls me Miss Walker. And now that we are on the subject, what is your name?" Alex could see out of the corner of her eye a few of the witches who also did not approve of this trash looking rather pleased with the way Ms. Walker was handling this scarlet woman.

"Not that it should matter to you, but my name is Lorenza Montemayor of the Montemayor-Le'Blanc family," she said in a rather dignified manner.

Alex simply gave Lorenza a quizzical look. "Is that suppose to mean something to me?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Alex could see that Harry was getting uncomfortable with the situation; his forehead had beads of sweet on it and he kept checking his watch constantly which Alex knew was something of a nervous habit of his. She wanted to stop, if only for his sake, but she knew what she was doing by getting this Lorenza riled up. It's for Harry's benefit, she kept telling herself.

"I should think so. My family owns the company that is the number one supplier of brooms the world over," Lorenza stated very posh. Two witches who were sitting a few stools down were looking daggers at everything Lorenza said, and praising everything Alex said.

"Well aren't you the fortunate one," retorted Alex with heavy sarcasm.

She finally finished the Red Gremlin, slamming it down in front of Lorenza on a coaster. "On the house Miss Montemayor," Alex said with a wicked grin that did not escape Harry's notice.

"Thank you," and with that she opened up and let the liquid flow into her.

It was utter silence in the hall as Lorenza had her drink. Everyone was waiting to see what was about to happen; some people were whispering bets to one another, and others were on the edge of their seat in anticipation. It even seemed that Harry was anxious to see what would happen, but probably not for the same reasons as everyone else in the bar.

Alex could tell that Harry was suspecting something like this, but wasn't quite sure when it would happen

When it happened, it was almost without warning. Miss Montemayor spit out her drink, slightly spraying the immediate patrons, and her face was a bright shade of crimson red. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she started to cough up smoke. Nearly everyone in the bar was grinning broadly at this fantastic spectacle. Everyone except for Harry, who was looking worried.

Lorenza screamed terribly at the top of her lungs; some of the bottles of liquor shattered from the noise and everyone were covering their ears with a pain expression. It went on for almost two minutes before the best part happened as far as Alex was concerned.

Lorenza's head jerked back making her look up at the ceiling, and then her mouth opened wide and out came a steady stream of blue fire that scorched the ceiling. A roar of cheering and laughter erupted in the bar as they watch this spectacle. Alex was doubled over on the floor in a hysterical laughter, tears streaking her face.

Harry was the only one who wasn't laughing. Either that or he was trying to hold back the fit of laughter.

"HAHA!"

"HEHE!"

"HARHAR!"

"AHHH-HAHAHA!"

"HOHOHO!"

"WOOOOOOOO!"

That was all anyone could hear besides that sound of rushing fire. When she stopped shooting flames into the air, she passed out onto the counter, sweat drenching her body. Now everyone was clapping and cheering at the end of the show. Alex showed her appreciation to her fans by standing up on the counter and giving a rich bow that prompted more applause and good-natured whistling.

But when she looked down at Harry, he was not cheering.

*****

He had never been this mad at her before, at least not that he could recall at the moment. Usually he enjoyed her rare brand of humour, but this as far as he was concerned was over the line. The moment he caught his former girlfriend's eyes, he gave her the nastiest and most menacing look her could muster. Unfortunately for her, that was a pretty dangerous look.

"What the bloody hell was that about," Harry shot at her.

She got down from the counter and lowered her head as she spoke. "I'm sorry Harry, just having a bit of fun," she said not meeting his eyes, but sounding sincere enough.

"Your sorry!"

"Relax Potter, it was just a little harmless fun," said the other bartender who strolled over now to assess the damage of the ceiling. Harry wasn't in the mood to relax. "Harmless! She could have been killed if that had gone on any longer. If I hadn't intervened, she could have blown to high hell."

"But I didn't see you do anything," Alex said this time looking Harry in the eye and looking sorrier then ever. Harry could tell that she truly was sorry for her childish antics, but he wasn't in the most forgiving mood.

"I don't need a wand you prat," he snapped at her. Alex's eyes started watering up, and she ran from the bar into the back room.

"Now see here Harry," retorted the barman.

"No Ralph, I am not going to apologize. Least ways not right now," Harry said with finality. He stood and gathered Miss Montemayor up in his arms, and with a nearly silent crack!, he was gone from the pub filled with amused onlookers.

The second he apparated out of the pub with Lorenza in tow, he was standing in his bedroom where an unnecessary fire was blazing. He set his date down on his bed, pulled out his wand, aimed it at the fire and let a stream of water dose it. "She really is a prat," he mumbled hatefully.

He left the room and headed for the kitchen to retrieve several glasses of water for Lorenza. He did not find any of his roommates around which he was thankful of. He did not want to answer any of their questions at the moment as to why he was back so early. No one was expecting him back for at least a day.

When he came back, she was still unconscious and sweating profusely. "No regard for life, that girl."

He pointed his wand at Lorenza and muttered, "Ennervate."

Lorenza's eyes flicked for a moment before they slowly opened.

Her bloodshot eyes looked around the lavishly decorated bedroom before she leapt to her feet. She withdrew her mahogany with dragon hearthstring wand and aimed in between Harry's eyes. Harry did not so much as flinch as she did so; he simply gazed into her hazel eyes.

She hesitated for a moment before lowering her wand and dropping back onto his bed with a sigh.

"What you must think of me now," she said softly, yet her voice was scratchy.

"I'll just pretend you never wanted to curse me," he said soothingly, "You were just a bit frightened, that's all."

"Startled is more like it."

He sat down next to her, pulling her to him. She rested her head on his shoulder. "More so then that, but close."

"Oh your terrible Harry," she said smiling feebly. She looked terrible exhausted and still flushed red from the drink she had.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like I'm going to explode."

"Here," he said handing her a glass of water, "This should help for now." Her flushed face was receding back to its normal shade of tan, but only just.

He felt terrible for letting Alie do that to her, and even worse for not seeing it coming. The last time Alie met a date of his, she sent her crying home screaming something wicked. Alie said she had no clue what could have caused it, but the way she said it Harry knew that she was lying. Alie confessed eventually that she had used a Howls Curse on her, making her believe that she was surrounded by a horde of hungry banshees singing their evil songs which to a human sounded like unearthly shrills.

Her excuse: "She was only interested in the fame that comes with dating Harry Potter, not the man himself."

"And I suppose you had no interest in said fame then when we dated," he shot back at her as cruelly as he could. After that they did not talk for nearly two months. Those two months for both of them were agonizingly long. They made up though with the help of his only roommate who did not hold it against him for moving on with his life after Ginny left.

"Its all my fault," Harry said pleadingly, "I should have known that Alie would try a stunt like that once she met you."

"I don't blame you Harry. I blame that damn nigger."

"Excuse me," Harry asked.

"I said that I blame that bloody nigger; not you love," Lorenza replied. Harry was starting to get ticked off at Miss Montemayor.

"She's a niggar, eh?" Harry had a nasty taste in his mouth after saying that hateful term.

Lorenza ignored what Harry said as she continued ranting.

"Yeah, damn woman trying to kill me. I mean, who does she think she is adding so much Fire Whiskey into my drink. Damn nigger could have blown me up!"

"Excuse me if this sounds stupid of me, but you didn't just call her a... a nigger now did you?"

This time however she did notice his tone as it was rising in anger. She pressed on her assault, "Yeah, she's a filthy, loathsome, disgusting nigger!"

Harry was trying his best to keep his anger under wraps, but his magic was another thing. You could feel the magic in the air as his anger rose.

He rose from the bed and went to stare out his window at the Quidditch pitch that he had built. It was nothing elaborate. It was modeled after the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch with the exception of the trio of bronze goals posts the rose from both sides of the field fifty feet in the air. These goals post with made of pure silver and ringed with gold.

Usually looking out at the pitch calmed him down some, however it was not working this miracle today. It only seemed to help him brood on the unforgivable things that Lorenza had said about Alie. My Alie, he thought.

When he was dating Alie for those two years, he was constantly defending her and defending himself. No one was of the mind that Harry should be allowed to date after Ginny had left him. They always would say that he was just using Alex as a way to forget about the fiancee that left him. What they never seemed to realize that she also left all of them, not just him. What he never told anyone was that when he first started dating Alie, he was only using her to forget about his lost love. He wanted desperately to forget about all those wonderful times that they had spent together during school, and about the even better times spent after school. He, for the most part her forgot about those sad memories, and in the process he found someone that made him feel special. Someone that seemed to see Harry as someone she also loved, not just the famous Harry Potter: The-Boy-Who-Conquered.

He promised her that no one would ever talk harshly of her in front of him. He meant it too. He would not let anyone get away with insulting one of the only women whom he had ever truly loved. Only once before had anyone ever talked harshly about Alex, and that person regretted it deeply. Having to hear it again did not make him a happy person.

"Everything alright Harry? Did I say something that I shouldn't have."

Could she really be that ignorant?, thought Harry.

"Something you said? Bloody hell! Where you not listening to what you were just saying... about Alie!?"

"Not particularly."

"NOT PARTICULARLY! So you don't recall calling Alie a nigger I take it. . What are you? Deaf, blind, or both?" He was so anger that he was sure that he would perform some accidental magic.

"Well I'm sorry if talking about a common bartender upsets the Boy-Who-Conquered," she defensively shot back, "I didn't know that you defend riffraff like her.... And what should you care anyway? In case you didn't notice, she tried to kill me."

"What should I care? Wouldn't you care for someone you love? Or would you leave them to their own devices?"

"Love her do you? I couldn't possibly care less about you loving her. You are dating me now, not her. Get it straight whom you are to defend. Its me, not her, Harry."

"You! You're just another witch who wants to get in bed with Harry Potter. I'll admit that I found you attractive and humorous, but that's about it. You don't really mean much to me. I doubt I mean much to you either. Probably just in it for the fame that comes with dating me.... Alie was right about you. Should've listened to her when I had the chance," spat Harry.

"OH REALLY! And just what was Miss Walker right about pray tell?"

"I guess it can't hurt to tell you now seeing as you will be out of this house in less then a minute!" Lorenza put up a mock-hurt face that did nothing to alleviate Harry anger. "Don't give me that look! You knew damn well this was coming."

"You know what, forget it. I don't even care what ALIE said about me because ALIE doesn't know a thing about me, nor should anything I do concern ALIE!" Harry would later wonder how on earth she had managed to shout back at him like that after the ordeal that she went through at the pub. Lorenza, who was face to face with Harry during the shouting match reached for her wand and apparated away.

Good riddance.

After a few moments his anger had subsided. He was feeling in control now that she was gone and they went fighting no more. He proceeded to light his fireplace. He checked his watch and saw that it was barely nearing five in the afternoon. The sun was still up and a cool breeze was swaying the trees. Looking at the Quidditch pitch hadn't been enough to calm him down. He grabbed his broom, a new Phantom Zero model, opened the window facing the pitch. The cool breeze swept through the window and slid through his unruly black hair. He mounted his broom and flew out the window down to the pitch.

*****

The morning was a gloomy one, unlike that of the previous morning when the sky had not seen a single cloud. The breeze that blew through the city yesterday had grown strong over night and with it pulled in a sky full of dark clouds.

When she had gone out to retrieve the newspaper from the front porch, she could she the signs of rain. It would come before noon at the latest, and it would come with vengeance.

She now sat at the dining table eating breakfast with a cup of tea. She was listening to a Finnish band a coworker of hers said she would like. He called the type of music this band called HIM played love metal. It was a mix of romance with death played with guitars and drums and sung by a man who had a voice that was spoke the grief and love of each song. She had to admit that she liked HIM. Then during a song entitled 'Buried Alive By Love,' there was a tapping noise coming from a window.

She dismissed it at first as the wind rattling the windows, but when it got louder she went to check what was the cause. The tapping was coming from a living room window. She pulled open the blind and was shocked by what she saw.

It was a large brown eagle owl.

She reacted to her first instinct, which was to open the window and let the post owl in. It flew in and landed on top of the TV. She gazed at the owl which had its right leg extended that had a letter attached to it.

"That for me?"

The owl hooted in response.

She walked over to the owl and untied the letter that sure enough was addressed to her. After she told the owl that she had no treats for it and it flew through the open window, she sat down on a couch. She looked at the letter for a moment before opening it up.

All she read was the first five words before she dropped it.