The Greatest Kind of Magic

15. Harry Weasley

Mr Weasley helped Harry, Ron and Ginny load their trunks onto the Knight Bus. When they were ready to go, Harry lingered behind the others. He wanted to say something to Mr and Mrs Weasley, though he wasn't sure what. A mere "Thank you" seemed inadequate.

"Mr Weasley... Mrs Weasley... I don't know how to..."

"Thank us?" Mrs Weasley finished the sentence for him. "There's no need to, dear."

Mr Weasley put both hands on Harry's shoulders and looked him in the eyes. "Harry, we're honoured to take you in - to make you a part of our family. We would've done it years ago, if it had been possible. I'm just sorry you have to go back to Hogwarts so soon, before you have a chance to settle in." He sighed. "But we need to get the additional security in place."

Harry bit his lip uncomfortably. "Look - I don't want you to be in danger because of me."

"And we don't want you to be in danger because of anyone," said Mrs Weasley firmly. "The wards will be up when you come back here for the summer. This is your home now, Harry, and your family. Don't you forget it. I don't want to hear any of this 'I'm a danger to you' business again. Understood?"

Harry couldn't help smiling. "Understood," he said.

"We'll see you in June," said Mr Weasley gently. "Go on, the bus is waiting." He patted Harry's back.

"Bye," said Harry, turning away reluctantly.

He wished he didn't have to leave so soon. He felt cheated.

Mrs Weasley grabbed him into a hug. "You take care of yourself, dear. And make sure you write!"

"Sure," said Harry, surprised and pleased by the request. He'd never had a family to write home to, although Mrs Weasley had sent him Christmas presents every year since he'd started Hogwarts. He had always wanted to write, but had never been sure if it'd be okay.

"Bye, Mum! Bye, Dad!" called Ron and Ginny. "Bye Fred, bye George!"

"Stay out of trouble!" warned Mrs Weasley.

"Make as much trouble as you can!" chorused Fred and George.

Harry waved one last goodbye as the bus began to move off. There was a loud "Bang!", and The Burrow disappeared, replaced by a winding country road.

"What a day, huh?" said Ron, stifling a yawn. "I can't believe we only left Hogwarts yesterday..."

"And we're going back already, thanks to me," said Harry, feeling some of his gloom return. No matter what Ron or any of the Weasleys said, there was no escaping the fact that he was a danger to them.

Ron, however, quickly waved him off. "'S not your fault, mate. Anyway, it'll be great, we'll have Gryffindor Tower all to ourselves. And maybe with everyone gone, they'll relax the rule so we can go visit Hagrid. We've hardly seen him at all this year."

Ginny, who had come over to sit with them, added, "We'll have a 'welcome to the family' party for you, Harry. It's too bad we can't do one with everyone, but since we're back at Hogwarts, it'll just have to be me and Ron."

"You don't have to..."

"Oh yes we do," Ginny interrupted. "You didn't think we'd let you into the family without the proper initiation ceremony, did you?"

Both Harry and Ron gaped at Ginny in surprise. "What..." Ron began.

"The initiation rites, Ron," said Ginny calmly, with a completely straight face. "You know - first he has to drink one of Fred and George's concoctions... then he has to read through one of Percy's reports without falling asleep... then he has to listen to a Howler from Mum - we'd better write and remind her to send one."

Ron grinned, catching on. "Of course. Don't forget listening to Dad rave on about Muggles. I guess he'll have to send that as Howler as well, since he can't talk to us."

"Right," said Ginny. "And of course, if you pass all the tests, you'll then have to change your name to Harry Weasley."

Harry's jaw dropped. There was a moment of silence, and then both Ginny and Ron burst out laughing.

"Oh... Harry..." Ginny gasped. "I'm joking, I'm joking. You didn't actually think I was serious?"

Ron clapped Harry on the shoulder. "Aw, mate... the look on your face..." He started laughing again. "Priceless."

Harry grinned. They're my family, he told himself, trying to make the thought sink in. Ron and Ginny are my family. Even if I don't change my name to Harry Weasley. He laughed, feeling his spirits rising again. "Good one, Ginny."

Bang!

The Knight Bus lurched as it moved to another part of the country. Harry looked out the window, and gasped as he saw a familiar street. "Hey - that's Stonewall High! We're in Little Whinging!"

Harry felt a stab of fear. Why were they coming here, of all places? But he quickly reasoned with himself that Voldemort couldn't possibly have hijacked the Knight Bus. Even if he had, there'd be no reason to bring Harry back to Little Whinging.

The mystery was solved when the bus came to an abrupt halt in front of a run-down terrace. Ginny, looking out the window with as much curiosity as Harry, jumped to her feet. "It's Liam!"

Indeed, standing on the kerb with his wand out to hail the Knight Bus was none other than Liam Grady. Harry sighed in relief. So it wasn't about him. So it wasn't Voldemort...

God, why am I always so paranoid? thought Harry.

He knew the answer, of course. That damned prophesy.

Harry did his best to push the thought away. With everything that had happened that night, it was the last thing he wanted to think about.

He turned his attention to Liam, who appeared to be having an argument with his parents. Harry couldn't hear what he was saying, but Liam looked furious. Apparently giving up, he turned away without a word and heaved his trunk onto the bus. His mother - a small woman with curly brown hair, who was wearing a cloak over her nightgown - called something after him, but Liam ignored her.

Harry couldn't help wondering what could make Liam so angry he wouldn't even say goodbye to his parents.

He then wondered if it'd ever be possible for Mr and Mrs Weasley to do something to make him angry.

I'd still say goodbye, he thought.

Outside on the kerb, Liam's parents hugged his little sister goodbye, and helped her with her trunk. Liam quickly moved away from the door, walking straight past Harry, Ginny and Ron and taking a bed near the back of the bus.

"Mum says bye," his sister told him as the doors closed. "And Dad says be careful."

Liam ignored her.

Harry looked at Ginny and Ron. Ginny was watching Liam with mixture of surprise, curiosity and something Harry couldn't quite place. Was it excitement? She was still standing when the bus began to move. A violent lurch forced her to sit back down on the bed.

"Liam!" she called out softly.

Liam whirled around as if she'd crept up and shouted in his ear.

"Ginny!" he gasped. For a moment, he just stared at her, apparently oblivious to Harry and Ron. The anger disappeared from his face as if by magic. "What are you doing here?"

Ginny smiled and waved him over. "Same thing as you, apparently. Going back to Hogwarts," she said. "Harry and Ron, too."

Liam started, seeming to notice the boys for the first time. Harry realised that Liam had not taken his eyes off Ginny since he'd seen her.

Liam got up, grabbing onto the bedpost as the bus took a corner on two wheels. The bed slid several feet to the side, dragging him to the floor. He stumbled over to Ron's bed and quickly sat down. "Honestly," he muttered, "if the wizarding community ever hears of lawsuits, this thing will be gone in a day."

Ginny and Ron exchanged puzzled glances, but Harry grinned. "What happened to you?" he asked Liam, noticing his exhausted, dishevelled appearance. "You look pretty mad."

"God, where do I begin?" said Liam. Then, suddenly, his eyes widened. He grabbed onto the bedpost as the bus lurched once again. "Oh, hell..." he whispered. "Harry..."

Does he know already? thought Harry with surprise. Surely the Prophet can't be that quick?

But it seemed Liam did know. "I... I was near your house today," he said hesitantly. "It was..."

"I know," said Harry quickly, hoping to prevent whatever words of sympathy would follow. "That's why we're going back." He searched his mind for something else to say. "Why were you there?" he asked finally.

Liam sighed. "The Dark Mark appeared in the sky. You could see it for miles. And I wasn't far from there when it happened - I'd just had a fight with your cousin, actually."

My cousin? Realisation struck Harry. "Dudley! What happened to Dudley?" He couldn't believe it: he'd completely forgotten about his cousin! Nobody had told him whether Dudley was alive or not, and Harry hadn't even thought about it!

For a moment, the look on Liam's face made Harry fear the worst.

"They modified his memory," said Liam with a shudder. Ginny reached out and touched his arm. Liam relaxed slightly, and continued. "They took them all aside and Obliviated them - Dudley and his mates. Then they stunned them, and the Muggle ambulance took them away."

Everyone absorbed this in silence. So Dudley's an orphan now, too, Harry thought. "I guess Aunt Marge will take him in," he mused out loud.

Ron shook his head. "Can you imagine waking up and not knowing your parents are dead?"

"Yes." Liam shuddered again. Ginny moved over to sit next to him. "They'll tell him some lie," Liam said grimly. "And he'll have to go away believing it, and he'll never know the truth."

If the Dursleys'd had their way, I'd never've known the truth, thought Harry. But he felt genuinely sorry for Dudley. Professor Lupin had told Harry the house in Privet Drive had been completely destroyed. Dudley's whole life would be different. Everything he had is gone...

"So what happened to you?" Ron asked Liam. "How come you're going back?"

"Death Eaters in Little Whinging," said Liam flatly. "At least, that's my mum's reasoning. Like, they didn't Disapparate as soon as they cast the Dark Mark!" The anger returned to his eyes. "Mum had a fit when she found out I'd been near the place. Dragged me off before I could explain anything to my friend..." he trailed off, shaking his head in frustration. "She's a Muggle, see. My friend, I mean. Well - all my old friends are Muggles, obviously. But Davey and Sarah, they knew about me being a Wizard, and Jessie didn't. Now she's seen the Dark Mark, but she doesn't know what it means, and my mum wouldn't let me explain!" He kicked the bed with his heel. "If only I could call her, send a letter... Anything!"

"Why can't you send a letter?" asked Ginny. "I mean if she's seen the Dark Mark, she can handle Owl Post, can't she?"

Liam sighed. "Yes, but I'm not supposed to send Owl Post to Muggle homes. They warned me about that before I started Hogwarts. Like, it's a breach of their bloody secrecy... Like seeing the Dark Mark isn't!"

Harry felt his guilt returning, full-force. Here's another person who's unhappy because of me. Hell, this is affecting people I've never even met...

His discomfort must have shown on his face, because Liam's anger again seemed to fade, and he said quietly, "It's not your fault, mate."

"But..."

"You didn't ask for this shit," said Liam firmly.

Ron punched Harry in the arm, and nodded to Liam. "Exactly! Honestly, Harry, you can't blame yourself. It's this bloody war. It's all You-Know..." he paused, taking a deep breath. "It's all Voldemort's fault!"

There was a shocked silence. Finally, a quiet voice stated, matter-of-factly, "You said his name."

They all turned to stare at the speaker. It was Liam's sister, who'd been sitting on a nearby bed, listening quietly to their conversation.

After another moment's silence, Liam grinned and said, "Amen."

***

The Knight Bus dropped them off in Hogsmeade, where they were greeted by Dumbledore, McGonagall and Hagrid.

"Harry!" boomed Hargrid's voice as the bus disappeared. A moment later, Harry found himself struggling to breathe as Hagrid grabbed him into a bone-crunching hug. "I don't believe it... The Dursleys - dead!"

Hagrid released Harry, bending over to look him in the face. "Though I daresay, yer more sorry ter see 'em go than yeh oughta be."

Harry opened his mouth to speak, but Hagrid wasn't finished. "They don' deserve it, Harry. They don' deserve ter die, but they don't deserve yeh feelin' bad about it, either. Dumbledore tol' me the Weasleys are taking yeh in." He nodded at Ginny and Ron. "Best thing for yeh, Harry."

"I... I know, Hagrid," said Harry, for some reason feeling embarrassed.

They began walking towards the school. Dumbledore and McGonagall levitated the trunks ahead of them.

Hagrid ruffled Harry's hair. "If yeh want ter see me," he said quietly, "Just send me an owl and I'll come an' meet yeh in the castle. Dumbledore says the curfew rules can be relaxed fer the holidays, but he still doesn't want any of yeh lot outside on yer own. He's settin' up more wards 'round the castle."

Harry felt uneasy about the need for extra security - surely Hogwarts was safe? But he was grateful for being able to see Hagrid.

Hagrid's also like my family, he thought. And I've hardly seen him this year.

"Can I come, too, Hagrid?" asked Ron. "I mean, Harry's family now, and all..."

Hagrid slapped Ron's back, making him stumble. "Yeh don' need ter ask, Ron. You an' Harry an' Hermione - and you, Ginny - yer always welcome."

Harry looked at Ron and Ginny. Ron was smiling, but Ginny seemed lost in thought - it appeared she hadn't heard Hagrid at all. She turned around to look at Liam, who was trailing behind with his sister.

"Hey Liam - I have an idea," she said, slowing down to walk beside him. "You said you're not allowed to send letters to Muggles. The Ministry warned you against it. But nobody ever warned me..."

***

"You really think this'll work?" asked Liam for the seventh time. "I don't want you to get into trouble."

"Look, the worst they can do is send me a warning," Ginny explained patiently. "So okay, I won't be able to send Jessie another letter - but at least she'll get this one."

It was after three. Harry and Ron had gone up to bed as soon as they'd arrived at the castle. Ginny, however, had stayed with Liam in the common room to work out the details of her plan.

"So... I guess I'll have to figure out what to write, and you can copy it?" Liam asked, still uncertain as to how this could work.

Ginny shook her head. "No, that way it'll be obvious you're behind it. If the Ministry intercepts it, it has to look like I did this of my own accord."

Liam, battling sleep, tried to think clearly. "But... it's gotta be from me. I mean - how are you supposed to explain everything to her? She doesn't even know you!"

"Well..." Ginny chewed her lip thoughtfully. "Come on, let's sit down," she said, motioning towards some armchairs near the fire. "What do you think Jessie would do if she got some weird letter from someone she's never met asking her what to get you for Christmas?"

Liam flopped down in the armchair. It took him a moment to realise what Ginny had said. "What?" he asked, feeling more puzzled by the minute. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, what would she do?" Ginny, far from looking exhausted, appeared alert and excited. "Come on, tell me."

"She'd..." Liam began, trying to think, and still wondering where this was going. "Well, she's angry. She'll probably stay angry for at least a couple of days. And if she gets something like that, well... I think she'd tear it up."

Ginny brushed her hair out of her face and leaned forward. "You sure she'd tear it? She wouldn't just scrunch it up and throw it out?"

Liam was getting frustrated. How the hell should I know? But Ginny was waiting for his reply, her eager brown eyes fixed on his face. Liam wiggled in his chair, suddenly feeling nervous under her scrutiny. Jessie, he thought, trying to ignore Ginny's eyes. What would Jessie do? She's angry...

When Jessie got angry, really angry, she kicked things. She punched walls, she hurt herself. Please Jess, don't do anything stupid...

When Jessie was angry, she was destructive.

"I think she'd tear it up," said Liam.

A smile spread over Ginny's freckled face. "Perfect. You got a quill?"

***

Harry would've been embarrassed to admit it, but he was glad Liam hadn't come up to bed. Harry was still trying to come to terms with the fact that he now had a new family - a real family. Everything had happened too fast - he was devastated that he'd had to leave the Burrow so suddenly. At least now, with just him and Ron in the dormitory, this was sort of how it was supposed to be.

"I think that was the longest day I've ever had," said Ron as he changed into his pyjamas. He opened the curtains around his bed and grinned at Harry. "'Harry Weasley'. Honestly, I never knew Ginny was such a joker. She must've been taking lessons from Fred and George."

Harry thought about this. Of course, even last year Ginny had been far from the shy, awkward girl she'd been in her first two years at Hogwarts...

But the change had been even more significant over the past few months. Harry hadn't thought about it before, but Ginny had become... different. Harry wasn't sure how. It seemed even Ron didn't know, and he was her brother. But she seemed older, somehow. Harry remembered telling her she was too young to come with them to the Department of Mysteries. She had protested, and he'd given in, but he'd still considered her too young.

Now Harry wouldn't even think of telling her that. He still wouldn't want her to go - but he wouldn't want Ron or Hermione to go, either.

With a jolt, he thought of Sirius. Desperately, he pushed the memory away. Don't think about that now.

"I'm glad Ginny's changed," he said, trying to cover up the pain. "I mean... if I'm gonna live with you," - saying this made him feel better - "it'd really be weird to have her blushing and running away every time she saw me."

Ron laughed. "Oh, she used to talk about you so much. It was a pain in the arse, actually." He sighed. "She doesn't talk about you anymore."

"Good," said Harry. "That was really embarrassing."

They got into their beds. Harry blew out the candle.

In the darkness, Ron said, "Hey, Harry. I'm glad you're gonna live with us. Everyone is."

Harry didn't know what to say. Every time he thought about living with the Weasleys, he felt an odd mixture of happiness and fear. I finally have a family...

But I'm putting them in danger.

In the darkness, Harry saw Sirius, his last smile frozen on his face as he tumbled through the veil.

It took Harry a long time to fall asleep.