Author's Note: All the characters belong to JKR, the real genius. Please, Read and Review, and THANKS for all your comments! :)
Seven years had passed since Voldemort’s defeat…
The Order of the Phoenix no longer existed in its original form. However, its contribution had been so decisive to the Final Victory, that the new Minister of Magic, Amelia Bones, had issued a exceptional decree to turn it into a honorary title. ‘The Order of the Phoenix’ had therefore become the most prestigious award to any witch or wizard for their outstanding fight against the Dark Arts. One by one, the former members of the Order had been honored with this ultimate recognition: Albus Dumbledore, Alastor Moody, Frank and Alice Longbottom (their only son, Neville, had accepted the award on their behalf), Nymphadora Tonks and Severus Snape.
Today, it was Harry Potter’s turn to receive the ‘Order of the Phoenix’. Considering his extraordinary history, the Ministry had to organize a press conference to present this year’s recipient. Thus a dozen of reporters had been carefully chosen and gathered to the conference room of the Ministry of Magic for the special occasion.
So those lucky reporters were waiting, thrilled and hungry, dreaming about the craze their piece would create among their readers. Harry Potter, the most fascinating wizard in a long while, had indeed led a very secret life since the Dark Lord’s defeat, and did a wonderful job in shunning all publicity. Has ‘the Boy-Who-Lived’ changed a lot? The reporters asked themselves many times, while planning their questions for him.
Well, Harry Potter had undoubtedly changed in many ways: he was now twenty-five years old, had become a respected Auror under Alastor Moody’s command, and had lived adventures that could easily fill several novels. But some things never changed: he still hated reporters and loathed the spotlight beyond all imagination. Actually, while the reporters were eagerly waiting for him, he was watching them from behind a closed door, passing nervously his hand in his untidy black hair.
“You’ll be fine, Potter!” Alastor Moody reassured him. “You’ve been through much worst than this!”
“Sir, I would rather face a dozen of Death Eaters alone than spend one minute with those so-called journalists!”
“I know, they just distort everything you say, don’t they? But I will be out there with you, Potter! Let’s show them all what metal you are made of!” Moody said and then turned to the other young man standing at his left “We’re ready, Creevey!”
Colin Creevey nodded and padded Harry on the shoulder. “Good luck, Harry!” he mouthed before opening the door and the three of them entered the conference room.
An explosion of loud, tumultuous voices welcomed their appearance. Harry cursed silently, keeping his bright green eyes down, hoping not to be blinded by the burst of camera flashes. Was that only his impression or the temperature just rose near the boiling point? He barely noticed that Colin, the newly appointed spokesman of the Ministry of Magic, had reached the stand and lifted his hand to silence the crowd.
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Aurors Department press conference!” Collin declared with authority. “Just before we start, please note that our time is short, so only one question is allowed per reporter. Therefore, I rely on your professionalism to make this conference agreeable and beneficial for everyone, and thank you very much in advance for your discipline! Now, it is my honor to present our Minister of Public Security and the Aurors Departement Chief, Mr. Alastor Moody!”
Moody took the stand and nodded to the admiring applauses. His mad eye was searing through the crowd, and some of the reporters shifted uneasily on their seats. The old, legendary Auror still produced that same effect on any person he laid his eye on.
“Thank you for accepting the Ministry’s invitation, ladies and gentlemen!” he said to the crowd. “Please, allow me to say a few words about Harry Potter! We all know the exceptional circumstances that made him ‘the Boy-Who-Lived’. What made him even more remarkable, though, is the way he lived up to that reputation. He had fought and won the final battle against Voldemort…” A few shivers ran through the crowd at the mention of the Dark Lord’s name, but Moody resolutely carried on. “We know him now as ‘the Boy-Who-Won’! And he is continuing his fight against Death Eaters as a valuable member of the Aurors Department. For all that he has done for our community, he deserves respect and gratitude. And that is why the Ministry of Magic is proud to present this year’s recipient of the ‘Order of the Phoenix’, HARRY POTTER!”
Harry stepped forward and a spontaneous standing ovation exploded at the mention of his name. ‘Breath, I can do this! I survived all three Unforgivable Curses!’ He kept encouraging himself, inhaling deeply before taking his place at the stand. In the corner of his eyes, he caught a glimpse of Ron, Hermione and Ginny sitting in the crowd, beaming at him. Thank Merlin! Friendly faces among a pack of wolves! He thought, waving warily at them.
“First question, yes, YOU, sir!” Collin pointed one of the raising arms in front of them.
“Tucker Morgan, from the Auror’s Chronicles!” A bald reporter stood up and introduced himself. His personal Quick-Note Quill immediately sprung above his head with a piece of parchment, ready for action. “Congratulations, Mr. Potter! Your professional record during this past year had been quite impressive: five successful raids as Team Leader, forty-two arrests, and zero casualty among your teammates! Was that simply luck or you were truly born to fight the Dark Arts?”
“I’ve got the chance to work with a brilliant team of Aurors, each of them is highly trained, and deeply devoted to their duty!” Harry answered. “Was I born to fight the Dark Arts? That is one question I would ask my parents if I had the opportunity, so I’ll get back to you for that matter, Mr. Morgan!”
A few laughs were heard, and a new reporter asked his question.
“Lloyd Banes, from the Quibber! About your parents: neither Lily & James Potter, nor their closest friends Sirius Black and Remus Lupin had been awarded the ‘Order of the Phoenix’. Merlin knows all of them had given their lives for the good cause. What is your impression about that unacceptable omission from the Ministry of Magic?”
“Mr. Banes, you may remember that the ‘Order of the Phoenix’ title had been the Ministry's decision. So we all have to trust the Ministry's judgment and decisions concerning its nominations!” Harry tried and succeeded in keeping a straight face. In no way, he could show those reporters how the mention of those beloved persons still made his heart ache. “To me, award or not, my parents and their two best friends were and will always be true heroes. I do hope that my accomplishments, as an Auror, are a tribute to their courage and strong conviction against the Dark Arts!”
“Norma Vega, from the Magic Within, Mr. Potter!” A white-haired woman spoke with a quiet, almost hypnotizing voice. “Your parents were treacherously handled to the Dark Lord. Sirius Black, your Godfather, had spent twelve years in Azkaban, for a crime he did not commit. Remus Lupin, your werewolf former teacher, was killed by the silver hand of his perfidious friend. The author of all three crimes is Peter Pettigrew! Have you found the strength, deep within your heart, to forgive him?”
“Forgive Peter Pettigrew?” Harry frowned at the question and struggled to remain stoic as the torture continued. “Does a traitor need my forgiveness? I do not think so, Mrs. Vega! I leave it to his own conscience, if he ever had one, to take care of that part for him!”
“Carvey Hillier, from the Daily Prophet!” Another question followed instantly. “Mr. Potter, can you, please, tell us again, in your own words, what was the key of your triumph against You-Know-Who?”
That was the question Harry dreaded most. He glanced at his friends, before closing his eyes briefly, preparing himself to tell the ‘politically correct’ version of the event. In spite of what Ron, Hermione, Ginny and himself had really endured during that last battle, he had agreed with Dumbledore to keep some details a secret to protect their lives from the public’s curiosity.
“It was not MY triumph, sir!” Harry insisted on each word. “I remind you all, that Voldemort and his followers had not faced Harry Potter alone that night, but also his friends, his teachers and all righteous students of Hogwarts who had bravely fought against evil. It was friendship that weakened Voldemort! It took strong determination from a lot of people to defeat him! Although you don't know their names, I say that each one of them deserves to stand at my place today. And it was an honor for me to fight at their side during that battle!”
A heavy silence had fallen on the room. All reporters gaped at the ‘Boy-Who-Won’. Of course, they had all hoped to learn some new details about the story that had been repeated ad nauseam over the years. But it would not be today! They all knew it by the way Harry was staring unblinkingly at them, and something in his voice had blocked any further question they might risk on the subject. Colin glanced at Harry, and knew it was time to change the course of the interview. The next journalist was quickly pointed.
“Deborah Shefford, from Magical People!” A young woman responded to Colin’s signal. “You are one of the thirty-five most eligible bachelors on our special edition this year! Please tell us Yes or No we should we keep your name on that list, Mr. Potter?”
“If you want to know if I am officially engaged to marry someone, the answer is 'no'!” Harry replied, choosing his words very carefully.
“Rita Skeeter, I am an independent, Mr. Potter!” A familiar figure now faced Harry, almost defying him through her thick spectacles. “Actually, what we want to know is how you define your relationship with Ginny Weasley, daughter of Arthur Weasley, Minister of Muggle Affairs, sister of your best friend Ronald Weasley, Head of Games and Sports, sister of…”
“Ginny Weasley, like any other Weasley, is part of the only family I have, Mrs. Skeeter!” Harry interrupted curtly, with his fingers crossed in the pocket of his robes. “And I owe the Weasleys everything for treating me like one of their own throughout the years!”
Take that, old bug! Harry nagged silently. That is all that you'll get from me! But he could not gloat long over Rita Skeeter’s disgusted and disappointed expression. He had to answer a few more questions about his typical day as an Auror, what his diet was to remain fit and his opinion about the Blast-Ended Skrewts becoming a protected specie (!)...
“Alexander-George Assante-Smith from W.Q. Magazine, Mr. Potter!” An elegant young reporter stood up. He was dressed in the latest fashion, and glanced openly around to measure the effect on his colleagues.
“I’m sorry, what magazine?” asked Harry, slightly impressed.
“Wizard’s Quarterly Magazine, of course!” The young man immediately lost the confident smirk on his lips, looking shocked by such a lack of pop culture. “You have everything one could desire: friendship, a solid health, a successful career, fortune and fame! Is there anything missing in your life to make it even more complete?”
The question made Harry wince twice before regaining his composure. What to tell Alexander-George ‘Thing’ when he had been asking himself the same question lately and did not come up with a satisfying answer? Indeed, what could make his life more complete? All of a sudden, a crystal sound of laughter, and the image of entwining hands ran cross his mind. But it was all so furtive that he could not analyze their meaning!
The reporter, and his stylish Quick-Note quill were still waiting and Harry’s mind was racing restlessly.
“That was an interesting question!” Harry stated, trying to gain some more time. “In fact, I think no one can boast about living a perfect life, neither can I! But I had learnt to treasure every aspect of my life! For now, I guess I wouldn’t change a single thing!”
Harry knew his answer was less than clear, but he did not care. Finally, every reporter had asked his question, and Colin's applause to Harry's last response announced the end of the conference.
"Thank you so much for your time, Mr. Moody and Mr. Potter! And, Harry, congratulations, again, for your well deserved award!" He said, taking the stand again, so that Harry could step aside. Colin then thanked the reporters for their presence and collaboration in the most diplomatic way, but Harry felt too overwhelmed to appreciate the words.
Again, loud voices and camera flashes accompanied their retreat from the conference room. And, once the door closed behind them, Harry just let out a heavy sigh. For the first time, since this press conference was organized, he could breathe easily again. Mad-Eye Moody looked at him, and his scared face twisted in what looked like a genuine smile.
"You did well, Potter!" He said. "I have only one thing to add: I think you were truly born to fight the Dark Arts! And coming from me, that means something!"
"Thank you, Sir, for everything!"
"Good job, Harry!" Collin shook enthusiastically his hand. "After such a performance, I say you deserve a treat!"
The treat was the comforting sight of Ron, Hermione and Ginny coming towards him. An overjoyed Hermione threw herself at his neck, as Ron surrounded them both with his arms. And they were just standing there, wrapped in a tight embrace, feeling as if they were brought back in time, and they were the Gryffindor Golden Trio again. They kept smiling, but the sheer emotion that filled their hearts now moistened their eyes with tears of joy.
“Congratulations, Harry!” said Hermione when they found their voice again.
“Well done, mate!” Ron shook Harry’s hand, his famous Weasley smile cracking his freckled face. “And for your brilliant answer to that Skeeter woman, I hereby grant you ‘the Order of the Bug’!”
Harry smiled to his best friend, and immediately shifted his attention to Ginny who just tied her arms around his neck.
“I am so proud of you, Harry!” Ginny whispered to him.
The whole world then seemed to vanish. All Harry remembered was how much he loved the sound of Ginny's voice, especially when they were in each other’s arms, like now. Tenderly, he framed her face in his hands and kissed her smiling lips. It felt so right when they were together! And he’d never get tired of smoothing her soft red hair, or losing himself in her amber eyes. Like always, Ginny’s eyes were shining with love for him. But, today, at this moment, he could see a cloud of sadness darkening her gaze. She must be upset about what he had said to the reporters about their relationship, he decided.
“Gin … I’m sorry about … you know ... I don’t mean what I said to Rita Skeeter earlier!” Harry uttered.
“It’s OK, you don’t have to justify!” Ginny touched his cheek. “But tell me that you don’t kiss ‘any other Weasley’ the way you just kissed me!”
“Hey, Weasley, I was serious!”
Ginny burst out laughing, like she always did when Harry used that Quidditch captain’s tone with her. She rose to her feet to kiss him again, and Harry could swear that the cloud in her eyes was still there.
“You mean … so much to me, Ginny!” He pressed her tightly against him. “You know that, don’t you?”
“Yes, Potter, I know!” Ginny replied with a lightness she didn’t feel. “And I also understand you want to keep it from those reporters!”
‘But sometimes, I feel like I never ceased being your Chaser, in every meaning of the word!’ she added silently, as her heart gave a painful squeeze. Harry was about to say something, when Ron’s joyful voice interrupted their moment. Harry and Ginny startled, they had completely forgotten about Ron and Hermione, who had kindly left them alone for the last minutes.
“If you’re done, lovebirds, we have something important to say!” Ron handled them a small, ivory card. “Here are your tickets to Platform 9 3/4! Remember we’ll all leave at 3:00 PM this afternoon!”
“Dumbledore had agreed to lend you the Hogwarts Express?” Ginny looked amazed.
“Yes! He said it was part of Hogwarts’ wedding gift for us!” Hermione smiled with delight. “We and our guests can stay in the dormitories, and the ceremony will be held in Hogwarts magnificent gardens!”
“I have to pick up Mum!” Ginny suddenly remembered, grabbing Hermione’s arm. “Come with me, Hermione, I want to show you what I found for my dress!”
The two young women waved their goodbye before leaving hurriedly. Harry looked at the card: a familiar train, beautifully decorated with flowers, was steaming its way in a bright sunshine. So they would all take the Hogwarts Express to attend Ron and Hermione’s wedding. The small, intimate ceremony they had planned had turned into a gathering for all their friends from Hogwarts, and several members of the Ministry of Magic had confirmed their presence. It would be an unforgettable day!
“Are you all right, Harry?” Ron asked, as his friend kept staring at the wedding ticket.
“I’m fine!” Harry answered, emerging from his deep thoughts. “Sorry, mate, those last days were crazy for me!”
“We understand, don’t worry!” Ron padded him playfully on the shoulder then added in a lower tone. “Look, I want you to know that we are all very happy for you! No one deserves the ‘Order of the Phoenix’ more than you, and don’t you ever doubt that!”
“Don’t use that ‘Head of Games and Sports’ tone with me!” Harry replied in a broad smile. “Why don’t you try it with your bride-to-be? She might be impressed!”
“Nothing can impress Super Healer Granger from St-Mungo’s Hospital! I understood that long before she agreed to marry me!” Ron said, and Harry secretly envied the love that showed in his voice when he spoke about Hermione. “By the way, you are still my Best Man, so don’t miss the train, OK? I talked to Mad-Eye: he gladly released you from duty for the next week, so you can properly prepare for your best friend’s wedding. Who says he’s not cool, huh?”
Harry looked at his commander who was still talking with Colin a few steps away. Mad-Eye was certainly one special character, but ‘cool’ would never apply to him.
“I wouldn’t miss your wedding for anything in the world, believe me!” Harry told Ron, knowing for a fact that the next days would be, indeed, memorable!
A/N: Thanks SO MUCH for reading :) Sorry about this LONG first chapter (!), but I had to 'pave the way' for the next stories. Please, let me know what you think, OK? I can't wait for your comments, THANKS again !!! :) :)