Harry Potter and the Curse of the Damned

Chapter Eight

A Much Needed Break

Her mother shaking her shoulder none-too-gently awoke Ginny the next morning. She forced her eyes open and found her mother already dressed and lighting the candles in the room. It was still dark outside; it had to be very early, and her mum seemed to be in a wretchedly chipper mood.

"Oi, Mum, what time is it?" she asked, pulling the pillow over her head.

Her mum shook Hermione awake. "Come on, ladies, get up. We have a timed portkey, so if you want some breakfast, you're going to have to move. Get up, get dressed and get your stuff downstairs; we're leaving in an hour."

After her mother left the room, Ginny could hear her across the hall, trying to rouse Ron and Harry. Hermione dragged herself out of bed; her hair looked even bushier than it normally did, after a night of tossing and turning. "Do you want the shower first, or should I?" Hermione asked.

"You go ahead; I'll push our trunks into the hall," Ginny answered.

She and Hermione had stayed up way too late talking into the early morning hours. Hermione was worried about both Ron and Harry; she and Ron had already had a blazing row that woke all the portraits in Grimmauld Place. Neither of the boys would admit they were having a problem if their lives depended on it. Hermione was livid over Fudge's threats to detain Harry and take him into Ministry custody. After the row with Ron, she'd spent several hours in the library, researching both wizarding guardianship issues and the Statute on the Continued Prosperity of the Wizarding World. Unfortunately, as of last night, she'd found nothing to dispute Fudge's claims.

Ginny had spent a long time with Harry, discussing his thoughts on the whole mess. She feared he was close to his breaking point and ready to give up. She had confirmed to him that the rest of the Order did, indeed, know about the prophecy. She'd watched him closely as the color drained from his face. She had to point out that they had known about it for a month now, and that no one had brought it up with him. They were all being respectful of his feelings and wouldn't bring it up unless he wanted to talk about it. That seemed to make him feel a little better.

In a very small, unsteady voice, he'd told her how he'd almost gone to visit the veil in the Department of Mysteries. She'd said a silent prayer of thanks that he'd been found before he had; she didn't think he was in any condition to stand before that veil right now. Thankfully, the one good piece of news had arrived from Hagrid - Hedwig was with him. She'd flown to Hogwarts, injured, after the attack on Privet Drive. Hagrid promised he'd look after her until Harry returned to school. The relief in Harry's eyes had been visible.

When they were ready to go, she and Hermione headed downstairs to join the others. They all gathered in the entrance hall, where everyone's trunks had been arranged in a circle. Ginny had to laugh at the set up; there were so many trunks it looked like a mini-replica of Stonehenge. The twins were there already, sitting back to back and holding each other up as they tried to go back to sleep. Ron, Harry, and Charlie all wore dazed, somewhat half-awake expressions on their faces. Ron, in particular, looked like he hadn't even been to bed yet. Remus and Tonks looked tired, but more awake than the rest of them, and were talking with Bill and her parents. The only other person in the entrance hall was Jacqueline McClaggen. She sat slightly back from the rest of the group, her pale blue eyes studying them all curiously. Ginny hadn't been aware she was accompanying them, but had to smile at the expression on her face; the Weasleys all together could be overwhelming. She wondered if Bill had something to do with the fact that Jacqueline was joining them; she'd have to give her oldest brother a hard time about that, as only a little sister could. She liked Jacqueline well enough and had chatted with her several times since the start of summer break, but she'd learned a long time ago not to get too attached to any of Bill's girlfriends. They usually weren't around for very long.

"There are anti-Apparation wards in place at the location we're going, so we're traveling by portkey," Bill said. "Everyone sit on your trunks and grab hold of this." He smiled as he pulled out a white, circular flotation device.

Ginny couldn't hold back her smirk. "Are we landing in the water, Bill?"

"Hey, I've seen how graceful Harry is with a portkey - anything is possible," Bill joked, smiling at Harry.

Harry returned the smile, but it was forced and never reached his eyes. "I'll try to stay on dry land."

"We'd better, or I'll have something to say to you, brother mine," Charlie said, grinning at Bill. "Merlin knows you were never very skilled at arranging a portkey."

Bill scowled and shoved his brother down hard onto his trunk, while the twins sniggered. The rest of them all settled in the circle and reached a hand to the ring. "Three, two, one--"

Ginny felt the rush of air as she was bumped and jostled into Harry and Hermione, who were on either side of her. When they finally stopped, and she took a good look around, her breath caught in her throat at the beauty of the place.

They had landed outdoors in what appeared to be a small fishing village. The buildings were made of white stone with bright red roofs. She could see palm trees with coconuts and smell the sea in the air. They'd been portkeyed to a spot hidden behind one of the buildings, and, as Ginny peered around the side, she could see the sea. Only, it wasn't like any sea she'd ever seen. The water was a color that almost looked too unnatural to be real. It was a deep turquoise kind of color, and Ginny thought it was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. She knew she was going to like it here.

Her father checked to make certain there was no one watching them while her mother cast a shrinking charm on all the trunks so they could be placed inside their pockets as they trudged down the street.

"Okay," Bill said, "we're in a completely Muggle setting, so absolutely no more magic until we reach Aberforth's place."

"Bit bossy when you're put in charge, aren't you?" Charlie needled, earning a glare from Bill and a reproachful tsk tsk from their mother. Fred looked like he was going to say something but was stopped by a look from George. They continued to exchange glances with each other in that eerie, twin-speak sort of way they had. Ginny suspected Fred had been going to make a comment about Percy, but George warned him off. Charlie made faces at Bill the entire time, and Ginny noticed Harry observing the brotherly interaction.

"How do we get there?" her father asked, obviously delighted to be amongst all the Muggle things.

"We're going to walk down to that dock," Bill said, pointing to a spot up the road. "From there, we're going to take a boat."

"A boat?" Harry asked with a trace of a smile. It was the first true smile Ginny had seen from him in days. She watched his face quickly fall back into that mask of indifference that he'd been wearing so often these past few days, but she knew he was intrigued.

"We're going by boat?" her mum questioned, casting an uneasy glance towards the sea. Ginny had to cover her grin; her mother had never been very fond of the water.

"It'll be fine; you'll see," her father said, giving her mum's shoulder a squeeze. "Let's get a move on before we raise the suspicion of the Muggles."

Ginny looked at the outfit her father was wearing; he had on khaki-colored shorts that hung below his knees, a garish blue shirt with bright flowers all over it, and a fishing hat that he kept pushing to the back of his head. He was holding hands with her mother and swinging her arm, whistling as he went along. She was certain even the Muggles would think he looked ridiculous, and she rolled her eyes in embarrassment. Hermione caught the look and tried to cover her own smile.

Bill walked ahead with Jacqueline, and Charlie kept inserting his head between them. Ginny could see Bill's growing annoyance and had to chuckle at Charlie. He always did like to get under Bill's skin.

The docks were busier at this early hour than the street had been. Fishermen launched their boats, and Ginny watched the activity with fascination. Despite the oppressive tropical heat, there was a slight breeze, and the smell of the sea filled the air. Ginny longed to run her toes through the white sand, but she reckoned her mother wouldn't take kindly to her running off already.

Harry walked between Remus and Tonks, and she could see both of them trying to draw him into the conversation. He kept his head down, not appearing to notice the sights surrounding him. Tonks kept poking him in the ribs and pointing out various people, but Harry didn't crack a smile.

They were met on the dock by a deeply tanned, older man with twinkling blue eyes and white hair tied back in a ponytail. There was something oddly familiar about him, something more than his obvious resemblance to Professor Dumbledore.

"Aberforth, I presume," her father said, reaching out to shake his hand.

"That would be me. Welcome to paradise. Albus said to expect you," Aberforth said, his eyes appraising each and every one of them. "You must be Harry; I can tell because you're about the only one without red hair."

Ginny saw Harry stiffen at being singled out, but he shook the older man's hand, anyway.

"You can all call me Abe; I've never been very good with names, so I'll call you whatever comes to mind. My place is on the other side of the island. It's much more private than the village here and far enough away from all the Muggles. Cordelia is expecting you for lunch, so climb aboard."

He waved his hand towards a slick, gray motorboat with a yellow racing stripe along the side. Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione took seats in the open bow, while the others climbed into the back. Her mother looked very nervous and hadn't even shouted at the twins since their arrival; her father seemed delighted by the chance to ride in a Muggle boat. It was rather crowded with all of them onboard, but they made room. and Aberforth started the engine. The ride was slow and leisurely until they left the harbor. Once out of the 'no wake zone', Aberforth pulled the little stick he called a throttle back, and the boat took off across the water like a finely aimed spell.

Ginny saw a jubilant smile spread across Harry's face despite his best efforts to conceal it. He'd turned his body to peer out over the bow and literally whooped with joy as they bounced over the waves and the spray hit his face. The speed was exhilarating to him and brought him to life just like flying always did. Ginny had to admit that she was enjoying it herself, although she found being in the water more intimidating than cruising on a broom. She gripped the side of the boat tightly, but felt her own grin widening.

Both her mother and Hermione looked decidedly green, but the twins were nearly as thrilled as Harry. Ginny was surprised to notice that Ron, too, appeared to be bothered by the motion of the boat. Ron had never had a problem with flying, and he knew how to swim, but he was definitely looking rather apprehensive about the boat. Remus sat still, watching the water warily, while both Tonks and Charlie grinned at each other and stood to watch the splashing waves.

Ginny's eyes were drawn back to Harry and the way the wind whipped his already mussed-up hair. His eyes kept darting from the waves hitting the side of the boat to Aberforth, who was driving with a predatory grin on his face. Ginny was certain that Harry was studying every move he made and trying to figure out how he drove this thing. If letting this boat fly across the waves was all it took to make Harry smile like that, then Ginny was going to see to it that he got out on the boat every day.

The ride took nearly an hour before Aberforth cut back on the speed and docked the boat on a rickety-looking wooden dock that appeared to be in the middle of nowhere. They alighted from the boat, her mother leaning heavily upon her father and Charlie. Tonks tripped stepping off and, if it weren't for Remus's quick reflexes, she would have ended up in the water. Tonks shrugged and smiled before continuing off the dock.

Aberforth led them all down a sandy path into a cleared opening. His holiday house was more like a compound that spread out over a vast quantity of land. Ginny was stunned by the beauty of the place and was thrilled at the tropical birds that flew in and out of the windows at will. A wand-painted sign hanging over the front door read 'the Bungalow'. They entered, and Aberforth yelled, "Honey, I'm home."

Both Tonks and Hermione giggled, but Ginny wasn't certain why. From another room emerged a beautiful, middle-aged woman with dark hair that she wore pulled back in a plait. She moved with a distinct elegance that was both graceful and sexy at the same time. Ginny assumed she must have loads of sex appeal, judging by the male reaction. She watched as all of her brothers, Harry, and Remus stood up straighter, their eyes following Cordelia's every move. Even her father seemed mesmerized by the woman, a fact not unnoticed by her mother.

"Allow me to introduce Cordelia Monroe, my longtime companion and conscience. Cordelia, meet the Weasley clan. Don't even ask me to remember all their names," Aberforth said with a chuckle.

"Honestly, Abe," she said with a melodic-sounding voice. She extended her hand graciously. "Albus told us about all of you. Molly, he said you were the only one who can keep this lot in line, so I should put my faith in you."

Ginny watched as her mother relaxed and seemed to perk up at the words of praise. She smiled at Cordelia's cleverness - win over Mum, win over all of them. Her mother was certainly going to be Cordelia's best ally.

"Hello, Cordelia. It's so nice of you to let us all invade your beautiful holiday home. It's lovely."

"Yes, we've been quite happy here," she replied, smiling fondly at Aberforth. "There are two house-elves who will take care of any of your needs. Why don't we get you all settled in your rooms before lunch? Then, you can hit the beach. I'm certain the children would like to look around."

Ginny pursed her lips at being called a child, but held her tongue. There was too much to do and see without quibbling already. She saw Hermione stiffen at the mention of house-elves, but Cordelia had already moved them along before Hermione could say anything. They all got settled into their rooms. Ginny again shared with Hermione, while Tonks and Jacqueline took the room next door to them. All four would share a bath. All the boys had taken rooms down the opposite hallway, while her parents took a room downstairs.

Ginny's room was light and airy with big windows that looked out over the exquisitely colored sea. A ceiling fan kept a light breeze moving throughout the room. The furniture was a tan-colored wicker, and the beds were covered with fluffy bed linens in greens and yellows. She threw on an old pair of shorts and a T-shirt over her bathing suit and went to find the others for lunch.

Harry turned off the water in the shower and jumped at the sound of the bathroom door opening. "I'm almost finished," he called.

"That's all right; I'll wait," Ginny answered.

"Ginny! What are you doing in here? I'm naked!" he yelped, hoping the frosted glass on the shower door covered everything sufficiently.

"Yes, Harry, that's generally how one takes a shower," Ginny replied, and he could hear the laughter in her voice. He also heard two loud snorts that he recognized as belonging to the twins.

Uh, oh.

"Exactly how many of you are in here, and what do you want?" he demanded, growing irritated. He felt very vulnerable without his clothes and didn't trust the twins further than he could throw them.

"Relax, Harry. We won't let Ginnikins peek at your goods," Fred said.

"Although a quick picture would probably earn us a hefty sum on the black market," George said, thinking out loud.

"George, d'you think we could come up with a product? Some kind of Harry-peep show?" Fred asked.

"Sod off," Harry yelled, finally losing his patience. "What do you lot want?"

"Actually, Harry," answered Ginny. "Tonks told us she bought you a swimsuit, but we found it in your trunk. We knew you didn't mean to wear these jeans down to the beach, so we'll just take them back for you and leave the swimsuit here."

"We wanted to take all your clothes, mate," Fred said, "but Ginny says you'll be just as embarrassed coming out in the swim trunks."

"Ta ta," George said, laughing.

Harry heard the door latch and started to step out of the shower, shaking his head, but quickly returned to the stall when the bathroom door cracked open again. Ginny stuck her head inside.

"Oh, Harry - I still think your bum's in great shape," she said, giggling and closing the door once again.

Harry flushed and stepped out, examining the shower stall to see if she really could make out any details. Merlin, I love that girl. She really is something else.

He quickly dressed and joined the others for lunch in the kitchen. He had no choice but to put on the new red swim trunks that Tonks had insisted he buy, but he felt very self-conscious wearing them. His legs were pale and thin, and he felt that the suit drew unwanted attention to his knobby knees. All the Weasley brothers were wearing swim trunks - Mrs. Weasley even had to insist that Ron put on a shirt while they ate lunch.

Harry had loved the boat ride over and hoped they'd get to go for another ride soon, but he was a little leery of the sea. He still didn't really know how to swim and hadn't been in the water since the second task. He'd had the gillyweed to help him breathe then, so it wasn't like real swimming.

When the others were finally done eating - and that took some time, as they were all Weasleys - the younger set made their way out to the beach to explore. Mrs. Weasley stayed behind in the kitchen with Cordelia, the two of them were chatting and laughing as if they were long lost friends. Aberforth took Remus and Mr. Weasley into his study on the pretense of showing them some of the magical enhancements he'd made to the house. Somehow, Harry suspected they were discussing him and security issues, however.

The beach was amazing. Pristine white sand that stretched out for miles and miles, the roar of the waves pounding the surf as they sprayed droplets of their amazing color everywhere, and palm trees that shrouded the whole area in secrecy. It was paradise. There were a few other people on the beach - Harry assumed they were from other homes in the area - but it was mostly deserted. He could see a group of small children building castles in the sand while others splashed in the waves.

Ron and his brothers simply dropped their gear and bounded for the water. Ginny and Hermione took their time spreading their towels in the sand. Each removed their shorts and T-shirts, revealing their swimsuits underneath. Harry was frozen on the spot, his mouth going suddenly dry. Ginny wore a modest, one-piece blue suit that was obviously old, as it was worn in spots and stretched tightly in all the right places. He couldn't take his eyes off her and suddenly wished they'd come to the beach alone.

"Oi, Potter, put your eyes back in their sockets and get in here," Fred yelled from the surf. This comment was met with howls of laughter and sounds of splashing in the waves.

Harry felt his cheeks redden when Ginny and Hermione turned to look at him with raised eyebrows. He kicked the sand with his foot, refusing to meet their eyes.

"See anything you like, Harry?" Ginny asked, laughter filling her voice.

He looked up and caught her eyes. Forcing himself to hold her gaze, he whispered, "Always."

Ginny beamed with pleasure and kissed his cheek. "Come on, take off that T-shirt, and let's go swimming."

Harry felt uncomfortable stripping off his shirt and walking down to the beach with the girls, but they didn't seem to notice. He was still painfully thin, and, to his great frustration, his chest remained smooth and bare. The hideously jagged scar that ran along the length of his side and was only now just beginning to fade didn't help his comfort level any. Although, why he should be bothered by yet another scar was beyond him. Ron distracted him by getting out of the water and running up to them with an angry expression.

"Hermione, what are you wearing?" he demanded.

Harry looked over to see Hermione wearing a black bathing suit that wasn't all that different from the one Ginny wore. Her skin was already bronzed from so much time in the sun, and Harry was stunned to realize how curvy she was. Those bulky Hogwarts robes hid a lot.

"It's called a bathing suit, Ron," Hermione said. "We're all wearing them."

"Not as little as that one," Ron replied.

"Ron. Honestly, it's the same as Ginny's," Hermione argued.

"Yeah, but Fred and George aren't over there gawking at Ginny."

Ginny took Harry's hand and moved him away from the escalating row. He found he still couldn't take his eyes off her and liked the way the sun made gold streaks appear in her hair. "You look pretty," he murmured, afraid one of her brothers would overhear.

"Do you think so? This suit is old; I wish I'd had time to get a new one. I'd love to have a bikini, but Mum would flip."

Harry gulped at the thought of Ginny in a bikini. "I think I'd like you in a bikini, too," he said before he could stop himself.

Ginny flashed him an evil grin. "I'll keep that in mind."

Harry began to reply but was hit with a huge splash of water in the face. Spluttering, he looked up to see Ginny winding up to send another blast his way. He spread his arm out to retaliate, and the two began a huge water fight that the twins quickly joined. They spent the afternoon splashing in the surf and generally having a wonderful time. Harry was fascinated, watching the kids on the beach build their sand castles, and thought he would have fancied doing that as a kid.

They took a long walk along the beach and ate all the snacks Cordelia had sent along with them. In the late afternoon, it got rather windy, which kicked up the surf. Fred and George let out some whoops and called to everyone to go body surfing. Harry watched them riding the waves with keen interest. It looked like a lot of fun.

"Just wait for a big one, then dive into it and let it wash you onshore, mate," Ron instructed, noticing Harry's hesitation. Harry put his glasses on his towel and decided to give it a try. When the wave caught him, he dove and at first was thrilled with the exhilaration of the ride. Suddenly, he felt like there was something pulling him down, and he couldn't get his feet under him before another wave crashed over his head. He became disoriented as his body was knocked beneath the surf. Even when he could get his eyes open, everything was blurry. He couldn't get up. The waves were pounding on top of him incessantly, and it felt as if the sea were trying to drag him under.

Harry began to panic. After all the safety precautions from Voldemort and the Death Eaters, he was going to drown while splashing in the sea. Another wave hit him forcefully in the chest, causing him to open his mouth and let out his remaining air. He choked on the salty seawater that rushed into his nose and mouth. As everything began to fade and go black, he felt strong hands grab him beneath his arms and pull him to the surface.

Harry gagged and coughed repeatedly while Ron tried to drag him to shore. His legs wouldn't support him, and he stumbled until Ron finally scooped him up and carried him out of the water.

"Harry, are you all right?" He heard Ginny's panicked voice next to his ear as Ron dropped him in the sand and began pounding his back. He was still coughing and desperately trying to fill his lungs.

"Holy shit, Harry," Ron yelled. "What were you thinking? Why'd you stay under so bloody long?"

"Honestly, Ron," Hermione said, exasperated. "I really don't think staying under was intentional."

The seawater roiling within him finally came up, and Harry rolled over to empty his stomach in the sand. Ginny pushed Ron away to stop the pounding and began rubbing his back soothingly. After the water came up, he felt better, and air was finally returning to his lungs.

"I didn't do it on purpose, you idiot," he gasped, when he could finally speak again.

"Geez, Harry, you don't even have to look for trouble for it to find you," Fred said.

Harry looked up to see that they were all looking rather pale. "I don't know what happened; it felt like it was trying to pull me under."

"Well, yeah, that's the undertow," Ron said shortly.

"The what?"

"The undertow. You know, from the wave coming in behind you," Ron said, waving his arm in the air towards the water.

Harry felt stupid and was growing irritated. "Well, how was I supposed to know that? I've never been in the sea."

"You're supposed to swim out of it; you didn't even look like you were trying," Ron said. The stress was passing, but he still paced back and forth like a caged lion.

"That would be fine if I knew how to swim," Harry snapped. He was the one who had just nearly drowned; he didn't see why Ron was shouting at him for it.

"What do you mean, you don't know how to swim?" George asked. "We all watched you rescue Ron in the second task."

"I had the gillyweed, so I could breathe, and there was no undertow in the lake," Harry said, feeling very nettled.

"You went into the lake without knowing how to swim?" Fred asked incredulously.

"I had to; they had Ron. I wasn't thinking clearly enough to figure out that Dumbledore wouldn't really let anything happen to him." Harry was angry and self-conscious and definitely done with the sea for today. "I'm going back up to the house to get changed."

"It's all right, Harry. One of our goals for the summer will be to teach you how to swim," Ginny said, handing him his glasses and helping him to his feet.

He swayed slightly and tried not to let it show. His legs felt like jelly, and the walk to the house seemed like miles. He wouldn't mind learning to swim, and he also thought the exercise would do him good. He had to get back in shape to continue his training.

"I can't believe you went in that lake for Ron," Fred said. "I would have just left him, and I know how to swim."

Ron punched Fred on the arm, and Fred retaliated by pulling Ron into a headlock. "Gerroff," Ron said, pulling away from his brother.

"All right, you, two, that's enough. Let's head back to the house," Hermione said, pulling the two brothers apart. "You're looking rather pink there, anyway, Harry."

Harry looked down and noticed the distinct pink tinge to his skin. He'd always been fair, and, although he hadn't thought about it, the sun here - wherever here was - was obviously much stronger than it was in England.

"Who did your Sunblock Charm, Harry? He obviously didn't do a good job," Hermione said, glaring at Ron.

"Don't look at me; I didn't do it," Ron huffed.

"What's a Sunblock Charm?" asked Harry.

"Oh, Harry," Ginny said, letting out an exasperated sigh. "Do you mean to tell me you haven't had on any sun protection while we've been out all day?"

"It's just a sunburn; I'll live," said a very irritated Harry. How was he supposed to know all this stuff, anyway? "It'll peel and fade, like they always do."

"Harry," Hermione said in her bossiest tone, "even Muggles have lotion for sun protection."

Harry frowned, remembering Aunt Petunia slathering Dudley up with gooey white stuff and leaving it heavy on his nose. She'd never used any on Harry, and he'd been just as glad.

"Never mind," Ginny said. "Mum can fix you right up. With a house full of redheads, yours won't be the first sunburn she's healed."

After they reached the house, they all went up to shower and dress for dinner. Harry locked the bathroom door securely this time. He liked the beach, but didn't like the uncomfortable feeling after he left. He had sand in places where sand just didn't belong. His skin was bright red and painful to the touch, particularly his shoulders and back. He walked slowly, each step causing discomfort. The backs of his knees seemed to radiate heat, and he winced with every step.

He remembered sunburns as a kid and how Dudley would chase him and try to slap the painful spots. At least none of the Weasleys would do that - he hoped not, anyway. You could never tell with Fred and George. He shook his head quickly; he didn't want to think about Dudley right now. He decided to forget his pride and ask Mrs. Weasley for a sunburn remedy. If she could alleviate this pain with a simple spell, he could tolerate her fussing.

As he hobbled down the stairs, he nearly collided with Aberforth, who was on his way up. Harry winced in pain as the older wizard grabbed onto his shoulders to steady both of them.

"There you are, Mr. Potter, just the man for whom I was looking. Although, I dare say, you were much fairer upon your arrival. The sun is intense here, lad; you need to remember to use a Sunblock Charm."

"Right, I'd worked that one out on my own, thanks," Harry said sarcastically. Everyone was really good about mentioning there was a Sunblock Charm after the fact.

"Yes, well...that looks rather painful. We'll get you fixed up, but first, I wonder if I might have a word to discuss your training. Al asked me to tutor you while you're here," Aberforth said, eyeing Harry up and down.

"Al? Who is Al?" Harry asked, confused.

Aberforth laughed. "Albus. He always was the stuffy one." He led Harry to a room he called his study. It was lined to the ceiling with bookshelves that held no books but cd cases instead. Harry wondered what Hermione would have to say about that. There was also had a wide variety of odd little knickknacks, both Muggle and magic alike. One wall contained nothing but a large portrait of a goat with a Muggle stereo system on the floor beneath it. The center of the room was left wide open with a red circular rug covering the floor.

"This serves as my dueling room, as well. Al felt that you deserved a bit of a holiday before we set in with your training. I thought we'd give you a few days to recover your health - the sea air is marvelous for that. People around here are so healthy, they never die, you just have to finally take them out and curse them." Aberforth's eyes were a darker blue than Professor Dumbledore's, but they twinkled in much the same way.

"What exactly are we going to be doing, sir?" Harry asked.

"I told you to call me Abe. My brother likes the 'sir' business; I don't. We can't strain your magic, but we can study some curses until your reserves have been replenished. Then, we'll get your running program restarted. You'll find running on the beach is very different from running on the pavement. I haven't had anyone to fence with in some time, so we'll get back to that, as well. We're also going to put you through some physical endurance training. A duel can be physically draining, particularly if it lasts a long time. The more powerful the wizards involved, the longer the dual. Your final battle with ol' Red Eyes is going to be quite the show."

Harry gulped; some holiday this would be. He was determined, however. This is what he wanted - to do something to get this over with, finally to bring an end. "What about the research on Old Magic?"

"Well, as you know, Bill and Jacqueline are here, and they are still pouring through the texts. You'll have to ask them about their progress. Once they narrow down the spell, I'll work with you on how to use it."

"I wish we could hurry that up."

"Don't be in a hurry to fight, boy. Let him come to you; he'll be weaker from spending all his energy looking for you. It'll stun him when you come out hexing."

Harry's heart clenched slightly. Voldemort would be coming for him, and Harry had better be ready when he did. Aberforth must have seen the flicker in Harry's eyes, for he continued more gently.

"Cordelia is going to work with you on some Healing Charms. She's quite good with them, and it's always a bonus to be able to do minor healing in the field."

Harry glanced up at all the swords and shields adorning the wall. "I haven't fenced in a while." Not since Jonathan...don't think about that.

"Would you like to give it a go, lad? Cordelia's not a fencer, and I miss having a sparring partner."

Harry took the sword and tested it out in his hands. The swinging motion felt good, and he quickly got into his old groove. Aberforth pointed his wand at the stereo, and loud Muggle rock music began to blare from the speakers.

"My greatest weakness is rock music. Albus likes the chamber pieces, but I was always fond of some kickarse drums. The Weird Sisters have nothing on some of the Muggle bands. Let's go."

Harry and Abe sparred for a good twenty minutes to the blaring music, before Harry felt his arms and legs begin to shake with exhaustion. Abe was very good, and obviously experienced, but Harry was pleased to realize that if he had been at full strength, he could have beaten him. Even as weak as he was, he was holding his own. Abe grinned the entire time, whether he was attacking or defending, and Harry found it rather disconcerting. He tucked that bit of information away for later use.

As their swords clanked, Harry swayed slightly, and Abe called a halt. "We'll call this one a draw, shall we, lad? Yes, yes, this is going to be entertaining. Come, sit and have a drink with an old man." He waved his wand and a wardrobe opened in one corner of the room, revealing a very elaborate bar. As soon as Abe walked behind the bar to lift two glasses, recognition flared in Harry's eyes.

"You work at the Hog's Head," he blurted.

"Right in one. I keep an eye on things for Al during the school year. You'd be surprised how much people reveal if you slip 'em a pint or two," he said, grinning. "What can I get you, lad?"

Harry glanced at the fully stocked bar. "Firewhiskey?"

Abe grinned. "Try again."

"I'm almost seventeen, just a few more weeks," he reasoned.

"Then ask me again in a few more weeks. I'm not about to go getting myself on Mrs. Weasley's bad side the first day."

Harry's shoulders slumped. "It was worth a shot. How about a butterbeer?"

"That I can do," he said, pulling the top off and handing Harry the bottle. "So, tell me, lad, is there anything specific you'd like me to teach you?"

Harry gave a short, mirthless laugh. "Yeah, how to defeat a Dark Lord who's immortal."

"He's not immortal...close, but he's not there yet. Supposedly, Grindelwald couldn't be defeated, either, but Al did it. Granted, he was older than you, and I am truly sorry such a burden has been placed on one so young, but it can be done. We're closer to the answer than we've ever been before. As I see it, the real danger is keeping that information from him."

"How do you mean?"

"If Voldemort learns of these texts, he'll stop at nothing to get his hands on them. The secret to defeating him is in there, but so is the secret to defeating you."

Harry swallowed, briefly taking note that Aberforth had no trouble using Voldemort's name. The secret to defeating him? He'd never thought of that. It didn't seem like it would be all that hard to do; he'd been close enough to death plenty of times. Plenty of times...but he'd never died. Harry shuddered.

A large, colorful bird swooped in and sat on a perch behind Aberforth. Something about the bird seemed vaguely familiar to Harry, but he couldn't quite grasp what. He was mesmerized by the bird, unable to drag his eyes away.

"Your godfather used Tiki to send you some letters when he stayed with me," Abe answered Harry's unasked question.

Harry spun to look at him. "Sirius stayed here?" he asked, keeping his voice very low. He'd been thinking a lot about Sirius since his visit to the Ministry.

"He did; we had quite the time together. That man could drink. He also loved the speedboat. I noticed you enjoyed the ride, as well. Would you like to learn how to drive it?" Abe asked.

Harry nodded eagerly. He was pleased to think of Sirius here. It was nice to think of him lying in the sun, carefree and enjoying himself. It was a much better image than the one Harry had of his godfather locked away and miserable at Grimmauld Place.

The door opened, and they were interrupted by Ginny sticking her head in the room. "There you are; we've been looking everywhere for you. Merlin, Harry, look at your sunburn." She walked over and ran her hands along his bare, very red arm. "Come on, you two. Mum sent me to fetch you for dinner. She'll fix you right up, Harry. She's already done Ron, who was really blotchy. He never pays enough attention when applying that charm; you should have seen the streaks."

They followed Ginny from the room, Harry's mind filled with unanswered questions, but also new possibilities.