In Nomine Amoris

Chapter Eleven: Ready or Not

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny exchanged anxious glances. How much can I tell Mrs. Weasley? How can I tell her? Surely she understands if she's figured out I'm the Chosen One. He studied Mrs. Weasley, whose eyes were glassy with unshed tears.

When Harry said nothing in response to her accusation, Mrs. Weasley found her suspicions confirmed. "You are, aren't you, Harry?" she asked despairingly.

He nodded slowly, gulping audibly.

Mrs. Weasley breathed deeply and lowered herself onto one of the kitchen table's chairs.

"I want to know what's going on--all of it," she said. "And don't you think, for one second, I haven't the right to know." She glared at her children--foster and real--as if daring them to challenge her.

Harry sighed. Again? I might as well wear a sign on my back that says, 'Hey, I'm the Chosen One, and I have to kill Voldemort and the rest of his soul.' If only life were that simple.

"I'm waiting," quipped Mrs. Weasley.

"All right," Harry said. "I guess it all began with--"

"Oh, hold on," said Mrs. Weasley suddenly, rising. "I want Arthur here...and maybe Remus as well."

"Fine." Harry was annoyed, but agreed to not having to retell his narrative three separate times. Almost immediately after they were summoned, Mr. Weasley and Lupin joined the party in the kitchen, and everyone took seats in the living room.

Within minutes, Harry had told them his story--the complicated mission so destined for him, and the doom so looming above his head. Mr. Weasley's eyes nearly bugged out at the explanation of the Horcruxes, and Lupin nodded sadly in comprehension of Harry's situation.

"Somehow," Lupin said thoughtfully, "I always knew it. You were born to be special, Harry, just as your parents before you."

Mr. Weasley felt differently. "Never in my wildest dreams did I believe things would actually happen this way...barely any signs of the time were forthcoming."

"Arthur," Mrs. Weasley cried to her husband worriedly, "they say they're not going back to school."

"That doesn't surprise me," he said ruefully in reply.

Lupin rubbed his forehead tiredly. "But Molly, we can't stop them--they're of age now."

"I know," Mrs. Weasley said softly, "I know."

"Where will you reside?" Lupin asked Harry, turning to him.

"Godric's Hollow," Harry answered.

"But Harry--"

"Why would I want to live in a place that brings back such horrible memories? I don't know why--all I know is that I want to, and it's a great place to stay."

"Voldemort probably wouldn't think to look for you there, but it's an enormous risk to take, staying there."

"It's really not," Harry protested. "Remus," he added. Truthfully, Harry did not know what he should call his former professor, but believed this address to be most fitting.

If Lupin was fazed, he did not show it. "How do you discern that?" he asked concernedly.

"Honestly," Harry said, "I can't tell you." And he couldn't. The Personal Charm would not allow him to reveal himself as Secret Keeper of Godric's Hollow and Grimmauld Place.

"We will need a way to get in touch with you, Harry," Mr. Weasley reminded him.

"I have the perfect thing!" Ginny spoke up in exclamation. "I'll be right back." She ran up the stairs quickly and came back in a moment's time. There was a small mirror in each of her hands. Harry's heart sank a little as he realized what they were.

"Fred and George made them," she explained, showing the mirrors to everyone. "You can use them to communicate with Harry while he's gone. All you have to do is tap yours with your wand and the other will alert someone that you're on the other end!"

"Quite the spellwork," Lupin commented, handing the one he was fingering back to Ginny. "In fact, I believe I've seen it done before."

"Where?" Ginny asked. "I had thought Fred and George invented them."

"My dad and Sirius used them," Harry responded sullenly.

"Yes, that's what I remember them from," said Lupin. "Very good suggestion, Ginny. If it's fine with you, Harry, I think we should use them."

"Sure," Harry agreed, taking his mirror from Ginny.

"When is it you wanted to leave?" Lupin inquired of the trio.

"Tomorrow," Hermione stated, much to the surprise of everyone in the room--even Harry and Ron.

"Hermione," Mrs. Weasley wanted to know, "what did your parents say about all this?"

Hermione looked determinedly into space. "They respect my decision to help Harry in his quest...and they told me they couldn't hold me back--that they saw me as the wizarding world sees me--as an adult."

Ron nodded in silent agreement.

"Of course," Hermione continued, "they wanted me to stay with them, and not let their little girl get hurt by the forces of evil; but they knew in their hearts I was doing the right thing. And they said"--Hermione swallowed--"they said that they're proud of me for standing up for what I believe in."

"We are, too," Mrs. Weasley comforted her. "We're very proud of you three."

"I'm sorry we won't be here for your birthday," Harry said to Ginny later that night while packing his spellbooks into his trunk.

"You can't afford to waste any time, I know," Ginny agreed quietly.

"I do have your present, though, in case you're interested," Harry said, grinning.

"All right."

"Close your eyes." Ginny shut them tightly as Harry rummaged through the bottom dresser drawer for something. "Okay, open them."

Ginny did as Harry told her and found in her hands a scarlet diary with golden trim.

"The very best from Flourish and Blotts. I figured you could use it to channel your anger at me," he added, chuckling. "Do you like it?" he asked when she only studied it uneasily.

"It's lovely, Harry," she assured him. "It's just..."

Harry understood what Ginny meant after she trailed off. "Oh," he said, starting to take it back. "Look, I'll go exchange it for one of those Enchanted Encounters novels by Fifi LaFolle--"

"No," said Ginny firmly. "I like this; you picked it out just for me! I'll get over it."

"If you're sure..."

"Positive," she said shortly. "I'm going to put this up, and then I'm helping Mum with dinner." With that, she left Harry to finish packing.

Instead of going straight back to packing, Harry hit his head against the dresser in an uncanny imitation of Dobby. How in the world could I have forgotten about second year? Of course Ginny wouldn't want a diary--it reminds her of Riddle! Damn, I need to work on my gift-giving skills...

Harry tried to put the small fiasco behind him, promising himself he would never do something that stupid again.

"Ready?" was the question Harry posed to his two best friends as they stepped onto the dew-ridden lawn of the Burrow the next morning, after having exchanged very wet good-byes with Ginny, the rest of the Weasleys, Lupin, Tonks, and Moody.

"I think we're as ready as we'll ever be," Ron replied. "Oh, God," he added after thinking it over, running his fingers through his fiery red locks. "What are we doing, Harry?"

"We're making a choice," Harry said after some consideration, "to do what is right, rather than what is easy."

Hermione looked from Harry to Ron pensively. "To Godric's Hollow!" she finally exclaimed, wand raised, with such a passion as to shock both of them cold.

"To Godric's Hollow," they repeated, and with a swish of their wands, the trio was gone.