Growing Up Weasley

Chapter Five

(After Remus's conversation with Dumbledore and the staff meeting that followed)

Hermione sat on her bed at Grimmauld Place staring at the photo of Ron and herself taken just a few months earlier. She was alone as Ginny had returned to the Burrow with her family the day before. She sat on her bed feeling utterly alone, like someone walking the streets of a silent, empty city. Ron had only been gone a few days, but already she felt the deep ache in her heart. She had a problem and for the first time she couldn't solve it by searching through books. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her door.

"Come in," she called, wiping away her tears.

The door opened slowly and Hermione could see Harry standing in the doorway. "Hi, Hermione," he said as he walked into the room. He sat down on the bed next to her. "How are you holding up?"

She gave him a wan smile. "I'll be alright."

"I know that. But how are you doing now?"

Before she could answer she felt her throat constrict and tears come to her eyes once more. "Why didn't he come to me, Harry?" she asked. She turned to face him. "I know I have to move on. I can't spend all of my time mooning over him while he gets his act together." More tears trailed down her cheeks. "Except that I don't know where to start."

Harry pulled her into his arms and let her cry her tears. It wasn't often that Hermione cried, but it gave Harry an idea of just how much Hermione loved Ron. "You start by living each day. You never forget to live. I understand why he needed to leave, Hermione, but I think he went about it the wrong way. Ultimately, you are a part of who he is. Really, you should have had the option of going with him."

She pulled away and smiled weakly. "I need to decide if I want to wait for him to get his act together."

Harry snorted. "Hermione, it's no secret that my best mate can be a real git at times. Hermione, you don't know when he'll be back. You need to get on with your life, and if that means not waiting for him to come back, then that's what you need to do. But in the end, it's up to you to decide if he's worth waiting forever for." She nodded and together they sat for several minutes, enjoying each other's company. Their peace was interrupted by Remus's call for Harry. "I suppose I ought to go downstairs and see what Remus wants," Harry commented. Hermione nodded, but said nothing. Harry got up and left the room, leaving Hermione once again to her thoughts.

A few minutes later Harry walked in the kitchen where Remus was waiting for him. "Hi, Remus," he said.

Remus sighed. "Have a seat, Harry."

"What happened?" Harry asked, sitting down and remembering that sitting down like this never led to anything good.

"Nothing's happened, at least not like you're thinking anyway. I had my weekly tea with Albus today and I was going to tell him about Ron, but he already knew. But then Albus told me something else. Harry, there's another prophecy that we believe involves you." Harry began to interrupt, but Remus kept going. "Let me explain before you ask questions. When Albus finished Hogwarts, he was given a book of prophecies. When he was given the book, some of them had already come to pass. However, many of them had not. As a result, Albus makes a point of going through the book every few years or so. Harry, Albus went through the book again after your third year. When he did, this prophecy made more sense." Remus handed Harry the book of prophecies that he had taken out of the Headmaster's Library after the staff meeting. He turned to the correct page before allowing Harry to read.

"I hate prophecies," he muttered. "Remus, I thought prophecies were stored in the Department of Mysteries. Why would some of them be in a book?" Harry asked.

"This books was published before prophecies were kept at the Ministry. Prophecies have only been kept at the Ministry for a hundred years or so. Albus and I both believe that Ron and Hermione shouldn't be told the prophecy just yet. Ron in particular because we don't want him to come home until he's ready. It won't take Hermione long to figure out the most logical route for the prophecy. It's for that reason that we don't think she should be told until after it has happened. The question before you now is whether Ginny should be told," Remus said.

"Bloody hell, Remus! That's not my decision to make! At the very least, that's a decision for Arthur and Molly. But yet, I believe she should be told and so should Hermione. I agree with not telling Ron, however. He needs to come back in his own timeframe, regardless of any prophecy. But I don't see any problem with telling Hermione. It's not like she's going to tell Ron about it. She's so hurt right now that were he to come back today, she'd still rip him a new one. She deserves to know too, Remus," Harry argued. "If you won't tell her, then I will."

Remus sighed in frustration. "Give me a chance to speak with Albus first, Harry. I'll speak with Molly and Arthur later. If they agree, would you like to be here when Ginny's told?"

Harry nodded. "I think she'll like the first part of it in particular, but it can mean several different things. Remus, who do you think the other person is that the prophecy speaks of?"

"I have a few ideas, none of which I like and at least one that seriously worries me. And in case you're wondering, it's the obvious answer that worries me the most."

*

"It seems that another prophecy has come to light," Remus began. He had spoken with Arthur and Molly right after his discussion with Harry. As a result, Ginny was seated next to Harry at the kitchen table. Remus was sitting on the other side of Harry and Molly and Arthur were seated next to him. "This prophecy was found in a book of prophecies that Albus received before prophecies were stored in the Department of Mysteries." He opened the book in front of him to the correct page. "I'll read it out loud for you.

"Fire and knowledge shall mate

But fears of fire will drive them apart

One shall become two

Two will be three

Three shall be four

Four shall be five

Before son of stag

And sister of fire become One

Together, son of stag and sister of fire

Will bring fire and knowledge together

But knowledge shall be taken

Before the dragon will fall

Only when knowledge understands the truth

Will the dragon fall"

"Do you have any idea what it might mean, Remus?" Arthur asked.

"We have several ideas. This particular prophecy didn't make a lot of sense to Albus until he found out that James had been a stag animagus. Obviously, Harry is the son of stag. We believe that fire refers to Ron and knowledge refers to Hermione. We also believe that sister of fire refers to you, Ginny," Remus explained.

"Who do you believe the dragon refers to?" Molly asked.

"At this moment, we're not sure. Draco Malfoy is the obvious choice, but he died in the war," answered Remus.

"Remus, do we know he really died?" Ginny asked. "I mean, what evidence do we have that he really died?"

"We have his body. His dead body. The body isn't under Polyjuice, because that reverts the body to its original form when death occurs. We are quite certain that Draco Malfoy died in the final battle. It is because he died that the identity of the dragon is still unknown."

"Do Hermione and Ron know about the prophecy?" Ginny asked.

"Albus, Harry, and I are in agreement that Ron needs to remain in the dark for now. Regarding Hermione, however, Harry believe she should be told," Remus responded quietly.

Ginny nodded in understanding. "I know why we wouldn't tell Ron. The numbers and phrases after them can be construed to mean when he's coming back home. I don't see the harm in telling Hermione, though. She's angry enough at my brother right now, not to mention she can keep a secret."

Remus ran a hand through his hair. "I need to talk with Albus and decide where to go from here. Until I speak with Albus, don't tell Hermione." Remus was quiet for several minutes as he chose his words carefully. "I know that there's not much we can do about the contents of this now, but I felt you needed to know. The last time a prophecy was withheld, someone died. I'd like to avoid that this time around."

*

"I miss him, Harry," Ginny remarked. The two of them were cuddled together on the sofa in the drawing room. They had escaped to the drawing room for some alone time after the discussion with Remus and her parents had ended nearly an hour before.

He wrapped his arms around her tighter. "I know you do. I do too. But we have to believe that being away is good for him. He's my best mate. If he feels that he needs this time away, then I won't begrudge him that."

"It's just that the two of us got to be very close when we were younger. I really miss him Harry. I love him dearly, even if he is a git," Ginny remarked affectionately. She placed her arms over Harry's, drawing comfort from his embrace. "I don't know what I would have done if you had left too, Harry."

"I don't think that I would have been gone very long. I'd like to think that I would have realized that I didn't need to get away to find myself. I love you Ginny Weasley, more than I ever thought possible."

She turned her head to look at her loving boyfriend. "I love you too, Harry."

*

(Two days later)

"I've spoken with Albus. You can go ahead and tell Hermione. Make sure she knows that we're keeping this from Ron," Remus cautioned. Harry nodded, took the book from the table and went to find Hermione. He knocked on her door and heard her tell him to come in. "Hi, Hermione," he said softly.

"Hey, Harry," she said, looking up from her book.

He walked over to her bed and sat down next to her. "There's something I need to tell you." He held up the book he was carrying. "This is a book that was given to Professor Dumbledore when he finished at Hogwarts. There's one in here that you should know about." He opened the book to the correct page and handed to her.

She read the page he indicated and drew in a sharp breath as she realized the possible implications. "Let me see if I can guess. I'm knowledge, Ron's fire, you're son of stag, and Ginny is sister of fire."

Harry nodded. "We aren't sure about the dragon part of it though. We're all sure that Malfoy died in the final battle. Hermione, no matter what, you can't tell Ron. Maybe when he returns. The numbers in the prophecy can mean many things, but I can't imagine what would happen if Ron got it into his head that they meant when he would come home. As much as we may not like it, Ron wanted this time to find himself, and as his friends we owe him that. Coming home before he's ready to come home could be disastrous."

"Damnit, Harry! I want him back here," she said fiercely.

"I miss him too, Hermione, but he needs this time."

Hermione sighed, resigned to the present situation. "Are you ever going to tell Ron about the prophecy?" she asked after a moment.

"Regardless of what Dumbledore says, I will eventually tell him. When I tell him, however, is up for debate. I know it can't be until at least the time when he comes home. Or, I suppose when it comes to pass, whichever comes first."

"I only hope it doesn't blow up in your face," Hermione stated quietly.

*

"Mind if I come in, Ron?" Remus asked, rapping lightly on Ron's open door.

"Professor!" Ron exclaimed. "Please, do come in."

"Call me Remus, Ron. I'm not your professor anymore."

"Sorry Professor, but that will take some getting used to. Have a seat, Prof, I mean Remus." Remus sat in one of Ron's plush armchairs. "Would you like something to drink?" Ron asked politely.

Remus shook his head. "That's really alright, Ron."

"How did my family take it?" Ron asked quietly after a moment of silence.

"About as well as can be expected. Your parents couldn't believe that you wouldn't just talk to them. Bill and Charlie raged at me. Surprisingly though, I think Ginny really understood why you felt you had to leave. Harry, I think, was ashamed that he couldn't stop you from leaving."

"He had it figured out already. He knew I was leaving, just not when I was leaving." The two men were quiet for a moment. "And Hermione?" Ron inquired softly.

"She's completely devastated. She's lost, Ron. I've talked to her a few times over the last few days. Her plans for the future revolved around what the two of you wanted to do and now she doesn't know where to go or what to do."

"I don't want her waiting for me. She deserves someone better than me, someone who has his act together. Someone who can match her intellect. Tell her not to wait for me," Ron asked.

"You don't mean that, Ron. You are good for her, and we both know that. Let her make up her own mind." Ron nodded in acquiescence after a moment. "How are you settling in?" Remus asked, genuinely concerned.

"It's been an adjustment. I've never realized just how much I count on Hermione. My first instinct when I don't know a spell is to ask Hermione. I've always gone looking to her for answers, and I can't do that now. I have to find the answers myself." Remus nodded, understanding that Ron wasn't simply talking about spells anymore. "I have to know that I can find the answers myself--that I am a separate person from my family and friends. Somewhere along the road of growing up, I forgot that. Now I need to find it again."

"You'll find it again, Ron. Being on your own will help you, I think. How do you like it here?" Remus queried.

"I think I'll like it. Obviously, I haven't had to teach just yet, so I don't know what that will be like. But for now, I'm studying on my own and with Nicolas Flamel in getting up to speed on dark creatures. If I were to get a student like Hermione, I would be toast."

Remus chortled. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't intimidated by all of her knowledge. But I think you'll find that a student like her will push you to keep learning about the material. The first time you teach on your own will be an experience you never forget. Speaking of teaching, how do you like studying under Nicholas Flamel?"

"I've already decided that I'm going to learn as much from him as I can. I'm determined to stick it out here and the best way for me to do that is to learn as much as possible. I don't want to get scared off of teaching and to ensure that I don't, I need to know as much about Defense Against the Dark Arts as I possibly can. He knows more than I could ever hope to know. He has a wealth of knowledge that I have the opportunity to tap into."

"I've met him briefly a few times over the years. Besides simply being a genius, he's a very nice man. Did he say why he was retiring from teaching?"

"He said he wanted to spend his last years solely with his wife. You know, for the first time I actually want to study. It's so weird to feel like that. All through Hogwarts, Hermione had to almost yell at me to get me to study. But I want to succeed so badly here that I'm studying on my own."

"You finally found something that motivates you. Makes sense to me. I'm going to have to leave you now, Ron. I need to get back to Hogwarts. I have a meeting with the governors later."

*

After Remus left, Ron sat in his rooms, digesting what Remus had said, and even the things that were left unsaid. Looking at the time, he realized he needed to walk down to the library and do some more looking through books on dark creatures. Though he had been to the library twice already, he had yet to meet the librarian. He hoped to do so today. He gathered the necessary writing materials before leaving his quarters and walking in the direction of the library. He didn't completely know his way around yet, but the library was one of the easier places to get to. When he got to the library, he was pleased to see that he was not alone. There was a man shelving books in one section of the library. Ron walked up to him and introduced himself.

"Hi, I'm Ron Weasley."

The man turned to shake Ron's hand. "I'm Iago Fairchild." At Ron's blank look, he explained, "My parents were obsessed with the Muggle writer Shakespeare." Ron nodded now, understanding the odd name. "I'm the librarian here. Is there something I can help you find?"

"I'm looking for books on dark creatures. I need to brush up on them if I'm going to start teaching this time next year," Ron explained.

"Ah yes, you're the new teacher they hired."

Ron turned a little red. "I'm not actually a teacher yet. I'm basically learning how it goes for this next year, and then I'll be teaching after that."

"Well, let me see. I think I can help you out. There's a system we have here that works very well. Let's go up front. There's a book I want to show you." On Iago's desk was a thick tome. "You said you were looking for dark creatures. So you open up this book to the section on dark creatures. You'll see the name of a dark creature, followed by a short description. If you want books on that dark creature, tap its name with your wand, and four books on that topic will appear on the table in front of you. If you want more books on the same subject, tap your wand on the name twice more. Later on, if you want to know what books you've looked at, turn to the very back page and tap your wand. It will list all of the books you've looked at. If there's a book you'd like to look at again, tap the title with your wand. Make sense?"

Ron thought it through for a minute. "I get it. Thanks for the help."

"No problem," Iago said before returning to shelving books.

Ron turned back to the book and turned to the section on dark creatures. He tapped his wand on hinkypunks and received four books on the subject. He took them to an empty table and settled down for an afternoon of reading.