Harry Potter and the Secret Keeper

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There was actually sunshine and it was bright, Harry noticed, as he walked up the front path towards the Burrow. Passing through the Garden, he knocked on the door and heard Molly's jubilant voice call, "Come in!"
As he stepped inside, he was bounded with a hug from Molly Weasley. Looking paler, thinner, and more drawn than ever, she smiled her bright smile.
"Well, come in! Come in, dear! My, you look so thin! You've arrived in perfect timing! Ron and the twins are upstairs right now, changing into their dress robes! Go on, go on!" Molly let him go mercifully easy, probably because she had so much more food to prepare. His trunk floating behind him, he walked up the zig-zagging staircase and heard loud voices coming from the twins' bedroom. Pushing the door open, Ron glared and started protest until he realized it was Harry.
"Mum– Oh, it's you, Harry." He smiled faintly. Fred and George were standing beside Ron, smirking. They looked very nice in their new dress robes, all black with lavender collars and vests over their starch-white shirts. The lavender went lovely with their hair color. Ron, however, wasn't enjoying his dress robes.
"Honestly, did he have to let her pick purple?" Harry laughed.
"It goes good with your hair," he said, almost comically. Ron glared. There was a knock on the door and everyone turned as Ginny stepped in, still dressed in her normal clothes, though her hair was drawn back into fit of curls atop her head.
"Mum says to–" She stopped abruptly. Offering the smallest of smiles, however fake, she said, "Oh, hi, Harry." Looking past him to the twins and Ron, she continued. "Mum says to hurry up, you were all supposed to have been done by now." Ron glared at her, too, as she slipped out of the room, closing the door quietly behind her. The twins turned to Harry.
"Well, that was sufficiently awkward, and we're going down now!" As they left the room, Harry opened his trunk and pulled out his dress robes, all black with green trimmings. He began to change while Ron flattened his hair and combed it out a bit.
"You reckon mum'll let them go through with this?" Harry snorted, pulling on his shirt.
"She seems a little more fond of Fleur, now she knows she's not completely shallow." Ron laughed, the first laugh Harry had heard in a long time.
"Yeah, well, that doesn't mean they're best friends." Hermione rushed into the room, just as Harry was buttoning his pants. Looking embarrassed, she nearly fell over in her haste to stop.
"Harry! I didn't know you were here!" She looked, shocked, to Ron, and smiled. "Well, you look nice!" Harry was staring at Hermione. She'd impressed them all several times with her appearance, and this was another one. She looked wonderful in a gown of lavender, side-swept sleeves and a slim bodice that flared around her knees. Her long, chestnut curls had been pulled up the same as Ginny's and there were white roses in her hair. She blushed again at Harry's surprised expression.
"Hermione's in the wedding. Forgot to mention. Her, Ginny, and Gabrielle, Fleur's sister." Harry felt a slight pinch of jealousy. That must mean that Ron and the twins were in the wedding, too. Ah, well, what did he need to be in the wedding for?
"Well, you look nice, Hermione." Hermione smiled.
"Harry," she said, reprimandingly, before her gaze moved nervously to Ron. They shared a look, and this time, Harry caught it.
"What?" he asked, suspiciously.
"Nothing," they chimed together. Ron looked relatively calm, though Hermione wasn't so sure of herself. Her heels clicked as she backed up towards the door.
"I'd better go help arrange the flowers. They have an arch of flowers, you know!" And she rushed out the door. Harry wheeled on Ron.
"What's going on?" Ron seemed prepared for this.
"What do you mean? Nothing's going on."
"I saw that look. What is it?"
"Nothing!" Ron said, sounding exasperated. "We're all just a bit nervous, that's all." Harry sighed through his nose and then tried to flatten his own hair and he and Ron went downstairs.
Ginny was standing next to Mrs. Weasley when they arrived downstairs; they were arguing.
"Mother, go! I can handle this! You need to get dressed!" Molly looked quite anxious, covered in flour, her hair on end. There was noise buzzing from the open windows and Ron edged towards the door, hoping Harry would follow him, away from Ginny, who appeared irritated once she caught sight of them. Her hair was still the only thing done.
"What about your dress?"
"If I'm going to finish cooking, since I've only got to change, yet, I'll change afterwards. Go!" Molly sighed and rushed up the stairs, exasperated.
"Best get out there, quick. Bill's a wreck." Ginny's voice was clear but stoney, having turned her back on them. Harry couldn't help but stare at her back and her slender waist, wishing he could just walk up and wrap his arms around her. Steeling himself against his desire, he walked out the door with Ron, who had ignored Ginny completely.
The sun was bright and the backyard had been transformed. There was a little white fence surrounding loads of white chairs, lavender and white ribbons strung all along the fence. A white trellace stood at the end of an isle distinguished by a velvet, white carpet on the grass. Lilacs and white roses were laced throughout, a little podium standing just behind it with a ministry of magic official behind it, all in white, and enough space for two to stand between it. To the left, there was a large, open tent with tables and chairs, all decorated neatly. There were many people Harry did not even know standing around, talking jovially. Ron looked disgusted. Harry noticed Bill wasn't even out here. He felt a twinge of irritation.
"Purple. Why purple?" Harry glanced around, once more. A lot of people all silvery blonde and beautiful stood off to one side, some sitting in the chairs within the fence, some talking quietly. These must be Fleur's relatives, thought Harry.
Suddenly, they were nearly knocked out of the way as Molly came rushing out the back door, a white gown that complimented her red hair blinding Harry. She appeared much more put together. Her hair was tamed and curled and pulled up, though it usually was, but frizzless. She appeared much younger. Harry was surprised, but not as much as Ron.
"Blimey, mum! You look like you're 30!" Molly turned a glare on him before turning to all the guests.
"Excuse me, everyone! The ceremony is about to begin! If we could all please sit down!" She was nearly running around, convincing everyone to sit when a sharp noise came from within the house. A beautiful girl stepped out the backdoor, carrying a violin, playing a little tune to rally them all up. Another girl, identical, followed. They must've been relatives of Fleur's, for they were white-blonde and innocent looking. Dressed in matching lavender colored dresses much more girlish than the others, they walked slowly down the isle as everyone took their seats and fell silent. Ron, Fred, and George all lined up just in front of the door as Bill slipped out. He looked more nervous than ever, his face much less handsome, scarred and more wolfish than before. He was very self-conscious of his new appearance, but everyone smiled at him as he lead the line of men down the isle, taking his spot while the three others lined up diagonal from him. The two blonde girls continued to play and soon, the wedding march began.
Harry, having taken a seat in the middle, turned to watch as the girls filed out the back door. Gabrielle was first, her blonde hair styled just the same as Hermione and Ginny's, curled and upswept, decorated with flowers. She wore the same gown the other two did and carried a little boquet of flowers. Ginny followed, making Harry's stomach do a flip. She was perfect in purple and he'd give anything to be able to kiss her. Hermione was just as stunning, walking just behind them. Their gait was slow, and as they were almost half-way down the isle, the door opened once more and Fleur stepped out.
An audible gasp went through the crowd and she smiled, dazzlingly. Her blue eyes sparkled as she stepped away from the door. Her gown was silk and flowing, much like her long, curled hair. A wreath of flowers sat atop her head, trailing a veil over her silver hair. She moved down the isle, slowly, and the ceremony progessed. As her and Bill kissed, the crowd whooped and clapped and whistled. Even Harry laughed. As the celebration began, Harry and Ron joined up again.
"Well, that was nerve wracking," Ron said, staring at the ground, hands in his pockets. Harry smirked.
"Bet you cant wait until your own wedding," he teased. He was in a considerably lighter mood from all the happy, smiling faces. Arther and Molly were pouring over their son as Fleur's family poured over her. They moved towards the tent where all the food was now placed atop the tables. Hermione caught up with Ron as he poured himself a glass of champagne.
"Ron! Harry!" She smiled as she approached, slowing down the nearer she got.
"Hey, Hermione. You didn't trip," Ron teased. She made a face.
"That was beautiful. And they look so happy!" Hermione turned to glance at them both, again.
"Don't get all sappy," Ron said. Harry was helping himself to some mashed potatos.
"I'm not sappy." And in that moment, Harry glanced up and saw the look Hermione and Ron were sharing. It was a smile and Harry couldn't mistake it.
"So when are you two getting married?" Ron looked stunned. Hermione blushed and looked away anxiously.
"We're not– it's not like that," Ron muttered.
"Why would you think–" Hermione began. Harry shook his head.
"Why are you keeping this from me?" Harry asked. They both looked a little hurt and shared another look of theirs.
"We didn't want you to feel... well, hurt, after Ginny and all that's happened," Hermione explained. At the mention of Ginny's name, his gaze found her, talking to Neville, laughing.
"Well, it's alright. You're both my friends. I should be happy for you, not jealous." Ron looked flustered.
"It's not like we're getting married, Harry." Harry half-smiled.
"I know." And he reached for a butterbeer and popped it open.

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That night, as Harry lay in bed, he thought about the path he knew he had to take. Since Dumbledore's death, he'd been contemplating his action. He needed to finish Dumbledore's work and find and destroy all the horcruxes. He needed to figure out a way to do this alone, without endangering Hermione and Ron, especially due to their newfound romance. He was jealous, however well he hid it. He and Ginny hadn't spoken another word. She was obviously a little more hurt than Hermione and Ron had mentioned. He didn't blame her. He'd be leaving the next day, anyway, to return to the Leaky Cauldron.
He knew that someone by the initials of R.A.B had the locket horcrux, but that left him at a loss. Hermione had been working on digging up a wizard by those initials that could've taken the real horcrux with no luck. He was unsure of what to do, on a whole. How does one just go find a very well hidden horcrux? And he was nowhere near as powerful as Dumbledore had been; surely he would fail. But he couldn't, could he? He really didn't have a choice. One cannot live while the other survives. He sighed and turned over, staring at Ron's bed.
Where should he begin? Should he go back to the cave where the fake horcrux had been? Would that give him any clues? Now that he thought about it, he had no idea how Dumbledore had come to the conclusion of where the locket was. There was obviously something that had given Dumbledore the idea of the locket, but where would another one be? He didn't know where to start and it was very frustrating. He hadn't realized how hard it would be.
As he drifted off to sleep, he dreamed of Dumbledore and many places he'd never seen before. He dreamed of lockets and goblets and birds and lakes. But not a single one of his dreams helped him determine where he should begin. Awaking to the sound of Ron knocking Hedwig's cage over, he sat up abruptly.
"Sorry about that."
"S'alright." Harry rubbed his eyes and reached for his glasses, putting them back on. He yawned and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, squinting as Ron opened the curtains. The light was bright, but not sunny. It was pouring down rain and thundering, too. He sighed, the weather putting him into a morbid mood. He reached for his trunk and pulled out a new set of robes and began to get dressed. Ron was eerily quiet. He glanced over.
Ron was staring out the window, looking solemn. Harry's gaze narrowed.
"Ron?" Ron jumped and stared at him.
"Sorry. Just a bit jumpy."
"...Why?" Harry wondered.
"S'nothing." Though Harry was very suspicious, he didn't press it. Maybe Ron was just scared. He finished getting dressed and repacked his trunk, locking it with a wave of his wand. Ron seemd to be knocked out of his trance and he looked upset.
"Leavin', already?" Harry nodded and turned towards the door.
"I gotta get back to the Leaky Cauldron."
"Listen, Harry. Hermione and I need to talk to you before you go." Harry looked puzzled. There was something about that sentence that bothered him considerably. He stood and stretched a little bit.
"Well, now?" Ron nodded and lead Harry into the room Hermione and Ginny were sharing. Coincidentally, Ginny was nowhere to be found. Hermione, however, was working on re-reading The Standard Book of Spells Grade 6. She looked up quickly when she heard them enter and sat up.
"Oh, hey, guys." Ron sat on Ginny's bed, across from Hermione and Harry followed suit.
"Ron said you guys wanted to talk to me?" Hermione shot a look at Ron and, however nervous she suddenly appeared, lead the conversation.
"Well– yes, Harry. We've been thinking a lot about... about what's been going on lately and we don't want you to do anything crazy. We want you to –to go back to school." Harry looked a little irritated, but other than that, he seemed relatively calm.
"I don't know if it's right for me." Hermione glared.
"Of course it's right for you! It's what Dumbledore would want, Harry!" Ron nodded.
"It is. Besides, what good'll it do you to just go running off looking for horcruxes when you don't know where any of them are?"
"Well, what else am I supposed to do? Obviously, that's the only way I can kill Voldemort and since I'm the Chosen One, it has to be me." Hermione festered, Ron whimpered.
"Harry, you should finish your education–" Harry stood up.
"Listen! You think an education is going to help me, but how many more people can Voldemort kill in the time that I'm finishing school?" Hermione and Ron winced at the name, agian. She shook her head.
"Harry, I'm sure they'll be teaching some very advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts this year and you'll need to learn those spells–"
"You know, hardly anyone's going back, anyway. What difference would it be if I didn't?" Hermione looked hurt.
"Harry, just promise? Please?" Ron looked just as troubled as Hermione. Harry signed.
"Whatever. I promise." Hermione appeared somewhat suspicious, but Ron, obviously quite uncomfortable, stood up and clapped his hands together.
"Great! Then we'll see you at King's Cross!" Hermione glared at him, but Harry was already slinking out of the room, around the corner. Ron shrugged.

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Professor McGonagall stood at the entrance to King's Cross, looking ever the same in an emerald suit cut for some sort of business woman. Harry was surprised to see her there, but apparently she was monitoring who entered the building. He smiled at her; she nodded curtly. Continuing through the doors, he made his way to platform nine and three-quarters. Crossing the barrier, Hermione was nearly nose to nose with him.
"Good. You're here." Harry was immediately irritated. He hadn't been feeling too happy recently.
"What do you mean by that?" Harry stepped away from her. She glared after him.
"I mean that I thought you wouldn't be here." Harry didn't turn around, but stalked towards the train, his trunk floating behind him.
"Well, I'm here. Where's Ron?"
"He's getting our trunks situated." Harry didn't say anything. Hermione followed him and directed him to the compartment that they were sharing. Neville was there, too. Everyone else made small talk the whole ride, but for once, Harry didn't say anything.