money from it, so please Mrs. Rowling if you read this
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though.
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Note: When chapter 20 first posted, the last few paragraphs of it were cut off. You may want to go back and see if you missed anything. The last sentence of chapter 20 should be.
Her voice faded to a whisper, growing weaker with each passing moment.
Now, on to the final chapter of Blood Traitor.
Harry stood at the base of the stone archway. A shaft of light fell at his feet from an open door at the top of the chamber. He could hear the whispers coming from the archway. He stepped closer.
There was a mist blowing in the arch, swirling, taking the shapes of two men and a woman. He could just see green in her eyes.
“Mum?” Her eyes flared brightly and faded again.
“Dad?” One of the shadows moved forward. Harry smiled.
“Sirius.”
“Am I supposed to come through?” The shadows moved back, the green faded from his mother’s eyes.
“Go back.” A voice whispered around him. Harry stepped back from the archway. Listening, he heard another voice, more distinct, coming from behind him, he turned to look at the open door. It was slowly closing, the voice sounded like….
“Ginny! Oh God….Voldemort!” Harry yelled, sprinting for the door.
Harry opened his eyes. He could tell he was still in the graveyard, but it was quiet now. He started trying to take inventory of his body. His head hurt terribly, and he ached everywhere. Harry tried to move his arms.
Well they still work anyways, he thought to himself. He realized a moment later that there was something heavy on his chest. Harry looked down to see Ginny, her eyes closed, and her face streaked with tears. She was whispering softly into his chest. He could just make out her words coming from her mouth.
“I came back for you.”
Harry struggled to make his mouth work. It hurt even to move his jaw. His hand went up and rested on her back.
“I’m here, Gin,” he whispered to her. Ginny gasped and sat up in disbelief, hardly comprehending what was happening as Harry struggled to raise himself. As he finished lifting himself to a sitting position, Harry’s head started spinning; he turned to the side quickly and threw up, every muscle in his body protesting against the movement.
“Harry!” Ginny threw herself on top of him almost before his stomach stopped retching, causing him to crash back on the ground. “I thought you were dead,” she sobbed, burying her face in his neck.”
Ron began to relax, stopping his struggle to break free from Dumbledore when he saw Harry moving.
“Where’s Hermione?” he panicked, forgetting that he had let Hagrid take her.
“Hagrid has her over by the gate. Come, we will revive your friends,” Dumbledore said to him.
“Where is my wand?” Ron asked, frantically feeling his pocket.
“It is over by Voldemort. He was unable to use it thanks to your spell,” Dumbledore replied, smiling kindly at him. Ron looked to where his wand lay, unwilling to walk near Voldemort to get it.
“I don’t want it if he touched it,” Ron spat the words out venomously.
“It is a good wand, Ron. Only a tool, but it compliments you well,” Dumbledore said softly. Ron looked at his wand lying on the ground again.
“Accio Wand!” he said, holding out his hand. The wand flew to him, its familiar warmth spreading into his hand.
“Let’s get the others and go home sir,” Ron said, walking over to Hagrid.
“No, I’m not dead, Gin, just very tired,” Harry said quietly. Ginny clutched him tighter in her arms.
“Don’t you ever do that to me again, Harry James.” Harry gently ran his hand up and down Ginny’s back, letting her hold him for a minute, before trying to pry himself out of her arms.
“Help me get up, Gin. We need to get out of here in case he wakes up. I don’t have the strength to fight anymore,” he said urgently.
“Ronald?….What happened?...You’re ok?” Hermione asked, after he had revived her.
“Yeah, I’m ok, Mione.”
“What happened to your head?” Hermione gasped, reaching up to touch him. “You’re still bleeding,” she whispered.
“Voldemort hit me with a headstone. It’s ok, Mione, I’m going to live.” Hermione closed her eyes, relieved yet terrified at the same time.
“Where is Harry, Ronald?” she asked softly, dreading what she thought the answer had to be.
“He’s over there with Ginny.” Ron pointed. Hermione’s eyes flew open and followed his hand to where Harry and Ginny were. Ginny was helping Harry to his feet, he didn’t look very steady, but he was standing. Hermione grabbed hold of Ron in a fierce hug breaking down in tears.
“How did she get here?” she gasped.
“I have no idea, Love,” Ron replied, as he picked her up in his arms. Neither of them saw Harry collapse again.
Dumbledore sat on a chair he had conjured in the graveyard, waiting patiently for the fallen form to wake up. Harry, even if he had not passed out again, had not yet discovered how to kill Voldemort. Dumbledore’s gamble had failed. That left him no choice but to let Voldemort go. The Ministry would never be able to hold him; he was actually less dangerous on the loose than in custody for even a day.
The thirteen fallen Death Eaters on the other hand, were in the hands of Ministry Officials. Dumbledore could have killed them where they had fallen, but like Harry, chose not to. He was sure he would live to regret it, but the Ministry had not authorized the death penalty for any of them yet.
That is going to have to change. We are at war, the voices told him.
Dumbledore had delivered his students to Madam Pomfrey, harmed but alive. Luna, with a broken leg, Cho, and Neville, along with the nasty gashes on their heads had broken arms. Ronald had escaped with only cuts. Hermione, other than being knocked out, had been uninjured. Harry was simply exhausted.
And Ginny Weasley, who had insisted on being the one to support Harry’s unconscious body, she was tired, but would finally recover from her collision on the Quidditch field with Cho. They would all be in the hospital a day or so, Harry maybe a week.
The Dursley’s were not going home. They would have to be hidden. Dumbledore himself was to be their secret keeper. They would have a lot to adjust too. Dumbledore felt badly for them. They only wanted to be left alone, and now their lives were being changed on them.
Another family damaged by Voldemort, he sighed to himself.
At least Petunia seems to be forgiving herself for not being born magical. Such anger she harbored to her sister, his second said.
I’m just glad Ginny was not at full power. A few more blasts like the first and we would have been done for, the third remarked.
Not even Tom has hit us that hard before, the fourth put in. Could she be more powerful than him or Harry?
No, Dumbledore answered. Ginny unleashed everything she had in those two spells. Tom and Harry, if they ever figure out how to put that much into one spell would be able sustain it. Perhaps for hours.
Dumbledore snapped from his thoughts. Voldemort had started to move again. His second, third, and forth selves immediately went on the defensive.
Voldemort climbed unsteadily to his feet. His red snake-like eyes, searching the area, fell on Dumbledore.
“You cannot win, Tom,” Dumbledore said in a perfectly friendly tone. Voldemort laughed hideously at him.
“Here to finish me off, Dumbledore? You should have done it while I was defenseless.”
“We both know that in your present form, the death curse will not kill you.”
“The fact that I am here at all should tell you that,” Voldemort hissed at him.
“As I told you the last time, Tom, there are fates worse than death.”
“You are a fool, Dumbledore.”
“Perhaps, that does not change the fact that you cannot win. Only a year ago, Harry cowered at fighting you. Today he nearly destroyed you. He only grows stronger, Tom. The next time you face him he will rip you from the shell you have become.
“Never! Will that insignificant boy defeat me! I will send my Death Eaters after him relentlessly, till the day he dies,” Voldemort spat the words out at Dumbledore.
“You fail to recognize what you have created, Tom. In attempting to kill Harry, you have brought about the creation of four sorcerers whose ability and power will be greater than the founders of Hogwart’s themselves,” Dumbledore replied evenly. “All four were greater wizards than myself, who you hide from, like a snake in the grass.”
“Then destroy me if you can, Dumbledore!” Voldemort screamed.
“Oh, I am Tom,” Dumbledore replied. Gone was the friendly tone that his voice had carried during the rest of the conversation.
“But alas,” he continued, “I see that you are beyond reason. You always have been, preferring to hide in your hatred. I will be leaving now. I’m afraid you will find you are quite alone. Your Death Eaters are in Ministry custody. So you need not bother looking for them. Goodbye Tom Riddle. I fear the next time we meet, shall be your last day on this earth.” With that, Dumbledore picked up the water pitcher on the ground next to him and was gone. Voldemort starred at the empty chair where Albus Dumbledore had been sitting.
“MY NAME IS LORD VOLDEMORT!” he thundered into the night. Silence answered him, not even an echo.
Harry truly woke for the first time on his fourth day in the hospital. He had awakened briefly over the previous three days only long enough to roll over and fall back asleep. Today he lay in bed listening quietly as his friends and Dumbledore sat talking around him.
Ron was telling everyone how he had recovered to see Harry, with Ginny next to him. It had looked like Harry was only seconds away from falling to Voldemort. Ron had tried to jump between Harry and Voldemort, but something had happened before his body reached the beams of light streaming from each of them.
“When I dove to break the connection between them, there was a blinding white flash, followed by what had to be a shock wave, because the trees all around bent away from Harry. Some of them were ripped out of the ground….But I felt nothing. When I turned around again, I could see that Voldemort had been thrown against a tree and knocked unconscious. But Ginny, who was right next to Harry was not hurt at all,” he finished.
“Professor Dumbledore, what happened? Why did the blast affect Voldemort, but not the rest of us?” Ron asked.
“It is my theory that what radiated from Harry was pure love. Love for his friends and adoptive family. Anyone who loved Harry was unharmed. But Voldemort, who has nothing but hatred for Harry, was hit almost as hard as if the death curse had been sent at him.” He smiled at the group. They remained quiet for some time.
“I have a question,” Harry said quietly.
“And what would it be, Harry?” Dumbledore asked. Harry looked down at Ginny. She was sitting on a chair by his shoulder. Her head rested on his bed and she was holding his hand tightly in hers, almost like she was afraid that if she let go he would disappear. She was the only one besides Harry not to have been released by Madam Pomphrey yet. Today was her last day; Harry was to get out tomorrow.
“Did you tell Ginny where we were, or did she find us on her own?” Ginny sat up looking at Dumbledore questioningly. She didn’t know if he wanted the secret of the chocolate frog cards to be reveled.
“I think, Ginny, that you may tell this group, though I urge you all to forget what you hear,” Dumbledore said quietly. Ginny picked up the chocolate frog card of Dumbledore that she had placed on Harry’s bed stand.
“Revel!” She waved her wand. “The Headmaster uses the cards to keep track of things. I figured it out when Harry made us start carrying them around. I figured out how to make my picture report back to me. Then I stuck my picture to the back of the cards you were all carrying,” she said. The others stared at her incredulously.
“You’ve been using those all year to keep track of me?” Ron asked. Ginny nodded. “I took that thing in the shower!” he stammered. Dumbledore burst into laughter. The others joined in a few seconds later. Ron turned a few shades of red darker than his hair before laughing at himself.
“I think that perhaps we should let Harry sleep for a while,” Dumbledore said, noticing that Harry had his eyes closed again. Harry listened to them filing out. Hermione, Bridgette, Cho and Luna all giving him a kiss on the cheek or forehead before they left. Harry heard the door close behind them.
“I can still feel you standing there,” Harry said, his eyes remained closed.
“I can leave if you want me to,” Ginny replied softly.
“No, Gin. You can stay.” Ginny climbed onto the bed next to him sliding her hand into his again.
“You saved me, Ginny. I would have failed if you hadn’t shown up. You saved all of us,” Harry said, opening his eyes to look at her.
“I couldn’t let my Big Brother die on me,” she replied with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. Her smile faltered and she looked away from him. Harry didn’t reply and they sat together quietly for a few minutes.
“You haven’t called me that for a long time,” Harry finally said. Ginny looked back to him. She shifted to her knees by his side and the fingers of her left hand laced themselves into his. Her right hand brushed his face as she leaned over him. Harry felt his heart in his throat.
“And you don’t call me Little Sister anymore.” Harry flinched. He hadn’t been able to for some time now. He had hoped she didn’t notice.
“Ginny, you’re too close to me already. Voldemort will come for you.”
“He is already coming for me, Harry,” Ginny whispered.
“Ginny, please; I can’t take the pain of losing you if I let you in more than you are.”
“Why not, Harry? Why could you try with Hermione and not me?” she asked softly. Harry scowled.
“Because I’m different, Harry, because I will say yes?” Ginny answered the question for him. Harry tried to look away from her, she knew him so well to have guessed that, but she held his gaze with her hand on his face.
“And what about me, Harry? You don’t think I won’t feel the pain of losing you? What of the pain I have watching you every day, but not having you? I hid because I was afraid you would say no. I made you my brother because it is what you would give. I couldn’t live with the rejection that might come from asking for more. I convinced myself it was enough. Then I thought you were dead, and the pain of never trying was worse than I could ever have imagined.
“I followed you the night you went to the Mirror of Erised. Do you know what I saw when I looked into the mirror, Harry?” Harry didn’t respond.
“Tell me what you saw, Harry?...” Ginny whispered. “Tell me what you saw when you looked in the mirror the second time?” Harry closed his eyes tightly.
“I’m not moving, Harry. I will sit here until you answer me. Tell me no if you must, if you don’t love me, if I am nothing more than your sister. But my heart is bare before you. It is yours, if you will only take it.”
Don’t be a fool, Harry, Sirius whispered in his head.
Harry opened his eyes. Ginny was leaning over him less than a foot away, her eyes closed, the color drained from her face. Not even when she was lying on the ground in the Chamber of Secrets had she appeared so vulnerable.
Harry slowly slid his left hand to her right hand and then up her arm. Ginny began to tremble at his touch. As his hand reached her face and his thumb played across her cheek her breath sucked in, in a gasp. Harry moved his hand to the back of her neck, his fingers becoming entwined in her hair and she let the out tinniest of whimpers. He began to pull her face closer to his, lifting himself to meet her halfway.
“I saw you, Ginevra,” he whispered just before her lips met his.
The explosion of sensations that washed over him were unlike any Harry had ever felt before. Her lips were like fire and ice all at once. She was fragile, yet the strongest person he knew. Ginny melted into him filling every dark crevice with light and Harry knew he was lost. With one kiss, she had claimed him as hers, taken his soul, and still he wanted to give her more.
Ginny sank into Harry letting her weight press down on his chest. Electricity surged from her lips to the back of her head all the way down her arms and legs into the tips of her toes and fingers. She had dreamed of this, but it didn’t compare. She felt something cold leave her body and be replaced with warmth she did not know, but knew she could never be without again. Harry had finally accepted her love and given his in return. For the first time in her life, even from before meeting him, she was complete.
Ginny finally broke the kiss, buy settling into his arms with her head on his chest. They lay there for a long time before either of them spoke.
“How long are you going to make me wait, Potter, or do I have to ask that too?”
Harry wasn’t sure how he knew what she meant but he did.
“I don’t have a ring, Gin,” he said softly, not lifting his lips from the top of her head. Ginny sat up on her knees again. She locked her eyes with his and reached for his face with her right hand, trailing it down his neck to find the chain he had worn every day since Charlie’s wedding. Her fingers pulled the chain out from under his shirt and slid down it wrapping around the ring that it was threaded through. Holding it, she sat looking into his eyes.
“If you want it,” he whispered. Ginny began to pull the ring. Harry felt the chain begin to cut into the back of his neck and then break as the strain became too much for it. Ginny turned her hand over palm up and opened it, the ring resting there for him to take. Harry reached for her hand taking the ring from her. He turned it over in his fingers before taking her hand and sliding it onto her finger.
“Will you marry me, Ginny,” he asked. Strangely, Harry felt very nervous. That there was a chance she might say no.
“Yes, Harry James Potter. Yes, Yes, Yes. I will marry you,” Ginny whispered in delight before wrapping her arms around him and kissing his lips deeply again. She settled down next to him on the bed her back pressed into his stomach, sighing peacefully. Harry watched over her shoulder as she played with the ring on her finger.
“When, Harry?” she asked softly.
"As soon as your parents will let us,” he whispered, “but as far as I’m concerned we are married now.”
“I love you, Potter,” Ginny whispered before she fell asleep.
Harry woke up the next morning thinking it was all a dream. Ginny was gone and no one else was around. He felt for the chain around his neck. It was gone, and he could feel rawness on the back of his neck where it should have been. Like someone had ripped it off of him. Harry looked to his bedside table and saw the broken chain lying there. The ring was missing.
It wasn’t a dream. Was it? he asked himself. Not getting an answer he got up and headed for the bathroom to clean up. He was just finishing getting dressed when he heard someone walk into the hospital and stop outside of the privacy curtain around his bed.
“Are you decent, Potter?” He heard Ginny’s voice ask him. Harry felt his heart pounding in his throat.
She called us that last night in the dream, the voices remarked timidly. Harry was scared, terrified might better describe what he was feeling
“Ginny….Last night something happened to me. Something that was so amazing it had to be a dream and I don’t want it to be a dream. You would know the truth, Gin, did it really happen?” Harry asked barley above a whisper.
He’s scared, the voices said quietly to her
“Funny, I had a dream last night too, Potter. Then this morning, I look down at my hand and I’m wearing you’re mother’s wedding ring,” Ginny replied softly. Harry stepped out from behind the curtains.
“Did you really say yes, Gin?”
“When are you going to talk to my parents, Potter? It is no fun walking around with an invisibility spell on my engagement ring,” Ginny said, while glaring at him. But this was different than anything he had ever seen before. Ginny’s eyes were dancing in the light, for him, he realized.
“Are they here?” Harry asked nervously.
“Yes they are, Potter. Finalizing plans with Ron and Hermione for next Saturday,” Ginny replied, stepping close to him. “You know, Potter, I’ve been here for quite some time and you haven’t kissed me good morning yet. I’ll be really disappointed to find out Ron is more attentive to Hermione than you are to me.” Harry stepped close to her and gave her a quick peck on the forehead.
“How’s that?” he asked backing away from her.
“Not even close,” Ginny replied grabbing him. “I guess you need lessons.” She then yanked him by the back of the head and pressed her lips to his. Harry felt his knees going weak. He couldn’t breath, but didn’t care. Finally, leaving him with his head spinning, Ginny broke away from him.
“That. Is what I expect from you every day for the rest of my life,” she teased him. Harry stepped closer again.
“Let me see if I’ve got it right, Gin.” He kissed her again, this time he felt Ginny sink into him. He slowly pulled away from her looking down into her brown eyes.”
“Better?” he asked.
“Mmmm,” Ginny replied, closing her eyes, as she laid her head on his chest.
“Erm….We’re not interrupting anything? Are we?”
Harry turned around quickly, to see Ron and Hermione standing in the doorway to the hospital. He felt his face flush. Ginny stepped beside him taking Harry’s hand in hers.
“Not really. I was just kissing my fiancé,” she replied evenly.
“I told you. Who else could it have been?” Hermione said excitedly from behind Ron. Ron gapped at them.
“How….how long have you two been keeping things a secret?” he stammered.
“Yes, how long?” Hermione snapped. “Ginny only just woke up the day you came in here. So it had to be sometime before her accident with Cho.” This was not the reaction Harry had expected from Ron. He had thought, based on how he reacted to Ginny’s previous boyfriends, Ron was going to kill him.
“Well actually, we started dating last night about fifteen minutes after you guys left. We were engaged about five minutes after that,” Ginny answered. Ron and Hermione were both shocked into silence.
“I guess that explains why this showed up last night then,” Ron replied a few moments later. He held his diary out to Harry. Harry took it from him, looking at it warily.
“Go ahead; it’s not bad, at least not any worse than the rest of it,” Hermione said. “Really,” she urged when Harry looked up at her. Harry opened the diary to the marked page and began to read. Ginny looked on over his shoulder.
THE ONE MARKED BY THE DARK LORD…. MARKED AS EQUAL BY HIM….OTHERS WILL COME IF HIS HEART IS TRUE….HE NEED NOT FIGHT ALONE….
ONE OF RED HAIR WILL RISE….POWER APPROACHING THAT OF THE DARK LORD….IN 11 YEARS THE FIRST TO OFFER FRIENDSHIP, IT WILL BE TESTED IMMEDIATELY….CHOOSE WISELY EQUAL AND HE WILL BE YOUR GENERAL PLANNING YOUR VICTORY….HE CAN SHOW YOU THE WAY TO NEW MAGIC….HIS HEART WILL WAVER ONCE, BUT RETURN TO STAND WITH YOU AND FACE HIS GREATEST FEARS….CHOOSE WISELY EQUAL AND TWO OTHERS WILL FOLLOW….
SHE OF BROWN HAIR….ONE FROM NONE….THE SECOND FRIEND IN 11 YEARS….POWERFUL HERSELF BUT UNCARING OF IT OR THE POWER THE FIRST TWO POSSESS….DRAWN TO THEM BY THEIR HEARTS, SHE WILL BE OFFERED THE HEART OF EACH….SHE WILL LOVE BOTH BUT WILL ONLY WANT ONE....TEMPERED BY HER GENTLE HAND THEY WILL LOSE THEIR HEAD STRONG WAYS, SHE WILL TEACH THEM RESTRAINT….SHE WILL GIVE BOTH STRENGTH, FOR EVEN THE ONE SHE FORESAKES WILL FIGHT FOR HER BEFORE HIMSELF….
A THIRD, VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE….MORE POWERFUL THAN THE FIRST TWO….NOT VISIBLE TO THE EYE, SHE LIKE THE EQUAL IS MARKED BY THE DARK LORD….WHILE THE SECOND MAY TAKE THE EQUAL FOR HERSELF….HIS LOVE FOR THE THIRD WILL BE GREATER….FEAR OF FAILING HER WILL DRIVE THE EQUAL TO WHERE HE CAN DEFEAT THE DARK LORD….THE SCAR SHE CARRIES HOLDS THE KEY TO THE EQUAL’S VICTORY….IF THE EQUAL IS FORSAKEN BY THE SECOND, THE THIRD WILL CLAIM HIM….FOR IT IS TO HER THAT HE BELONGS AND HIM TO HER….IF NOT IN THIS LIFE, THEN THE ETERNITY THAT FOLLOWS….
A WARNING, THE THREE MUST COME TO THEIR PLACE WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE OF THEIR ROLE…. LEST THEY BECOME CORRUPTED, FORCING THE EQUAL TO FIND THE PATH TO VICTORY ALONE….
THE EQUAL, IF HIS HEART IS TRUE, NEED NOT FIGHT ALONE….
Harry closed the diary. Ginny held him tightly around the waist. They didn’t say anything for quite some time.
“You two ok?” Ron asked quietly.
“Yeah, Ron, we’re ok. Right, Gin?”
“As long as you still love me, Harry,” She replied quietly. Harry turned her to him and lifted her chin with his hand. He placed his lips on her mouth and kissed her gently.
“Every day, for the rest of your life, and the eternity that follows,” he whispered when he pulled away.
“Potter?”
“Yeah, Gin?”
“When are you going to talk to my parents?”
“Right now if they are still here, Gin,” Harry replied. He looked over to Ron.
“I need a Best Man, Ron.”
“And I need a Maid of Honor, Hermione.”
“I think we can handle that,” Ron and Hermione replied together, beaming at their friends.
“Where are Molly and Arthur?” Harry asked.
“They’re waiting for us to bring you two back to mine and Ginny’s room. I guess we are all supposed to go see Dumbledore a little later today,” Hermione replied. “When is the wedding going to be?”
“It will depend on what Mum and Dad say,” Ginny replied quietly. “I would like it to be tomorrow. But I will not fight with them if they say I have to wait until I’m of age.”
Hermione leaned close to Ron and whispered in his ear.
“Gin,” Ron said, “I don’t know how Mum and Dad are going to react. But if they will let you, Hermione and I would like to have you two share our day. We could make it a double wedding.” It was Harry and Ginny’s turn to be speechless.
“Please, if they say yes, we want to share it with you,” Hermione urged them.
“I….I don’t know what to say, Ron,” Harry stammered.
“Say yes, it has never been important to Hermione and I to have all of this fluff. All we really wanted was to exchange vows in front of our families. We know that’s all that really matters to you two also,” Ron replied. Ginny pulled Harry over to Ron and Hermione, wiping tears from her eyes as she did.
“Thank you,” she said, hugging them both.
“This is the way it is supposed to be,” Hermione said softly while pulling Harry into the embrace. “Us four, together forever, our lives are bound, it is only right that we share the same wedding day.”
Harry knocked nervously on the door to Hermione and Ginny’s bedroom before going inside.
“Hello, son, how are you?” Mr. Weasley greeted him warmly. “Feeling better I hope.” Harry smiled weakly.
“Yeah, Arthur, I’m doing alright. Where’s Molly?”
“She’s in the bathroom, should be out in a minute. Where are the others?”
“Erm….they’re in the common room. I sort of had something I wanted to ask you and Molly in private.” Harry watched Mr. Weasley’s eyebrow arch up.
“Oh, Harry dear. Are you doing ok? I tried to talk them into keeping you there another day.” Mrs. Weasley had smothered him in one of her famous hugs. He couldn’t help but feel better. He just hopped he would at sometime in his life get another one after this conversation.
“I’m fine, Molly. I really didn’t need to stay there any longer,” Harry replied when she finally let him go.
“Molly, why don’t you sit down for a minute,” Harry said, pointing to the chair next to Mr. Weasley. His request flustered her.
“Harry, is everything ok?” Mr. Weasley asked. Harry didn’t know where to begin.
“Erm….Molly….Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.”
“Harry, since when do you call us that?” Mrs. Weasley interrupted him.
“Please, it really needs to be Mr. and Mrs. Weasley for this conversation,” Harry replied, his discomfort rising by the second. Mr. Weasley seemed to catch the importance of what Harry was trying to talk to them about first. He took his wife’s hand in his.
“Let him talk, Molly,” he told her quietly. “Go ahead, Harry.” Mr. Weasley nodded at him, when she relented to his request. Harry started again.
“Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, I don’t really know how to say this….” Harry paused, and then plunged forward. “But I am in love with your daughter. I would like your permission to marry her,” he said firmly. Mrs. Weasley clapped her hand over her mouth. Mr. Weasley couldn’t hide his shock either. Harry waited, and waited, and waited some more. Finally, Mr. Weasley found his voice.
“You’re not talking about some time in the fairly distant future are you, son?” Harry shook his head.
“I’m sorry sir, not to have asked you first. But I asked Ginny last night and we would like it to be as soon as possible. Hermione and Ron have asked us to share the day with them if you will sign the papers so that Ginny can be married before she turns seventeen.” Harry heard the door open, he turned to see Ginny cautiously enter the room. She walked over next to Harry and took his hand.
“Mum, Dad, I don’t want to fight about this. I love Harry, I have since the first time I saw him. I have made my decision; I am going to marry him. I would like it to be this coming Saturday but if you will not allow it, I will not fight you.” Ginny’s mother and father, already in shock from Harry and Ginny’s request, were dazed at her words. It was so unlike Ginny not to dig her heals in ready for a fight that they didn’t know where to begin. Finally, Mrs. Weasley managed to speak.
“Ginny, you’re so young,” she said quietly.
“Yes, Mum, I am,” Ginny agreed with her. Her mother and father just stared at her.
“You’re really not going to put up a fight are you, Ginny?” Mr. Weasley finally asked.
“No, Dad, I’m not.”
“After seeing the way you two acted around each other three months ago when they had Harry demonstrate the phoenix charm, I would be lying if I said I didn’t think there was something beginning to happen with you two, but this is beyond sudden. We were not aware that you were even dating,” he replied.
“We were not, until last night,” Ginny answered. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley’s eyes went wide.
“How can you know?” Mrs. Weasley asked, her voice a whisper.
“Mum, I know you were done with school before you and dad married, but he proposed to you on your 16th birthday. You told me once that you had been dating for three months. How did you know?” Ginny asked. Mrs. Weasley opened her mouth and closed it again before turning to her husband and back to Harry and Ginny.
“I just knew,” she whispered. “Ginny smiled slightly.
“I do too, it’s just right. That’s all I can say. You and Dad simply have to trust that Harry and I know what we are doing.”
“Ginny, can you give us one good reason we should allow this besides you and Harry saying you are in love?” Mr. Weasley asked.
“No, dad, I can’t. People get married because they are in love and they want to spend their life with each other. I’m asking you to believe that Harry and I have found that. Every other argument I can give you, is an excuse.” Mr. and Mrs. Weasley turned to each other.
“Molly?” Mrs. Weasley shrugged her shoulders. Mr. Weasley turned to Harry.
“Have you discussed this with Remus yet, son?”
“No, sir. I was going to speak with him after talking to you.”
“Why don’t you go do that. Molly I need to discuss this.”
“Yes, sir,” Harry replied.
Harry sank down on the couch in common room next to Ginny. She waited until Professor Lupin entered hers and Hermione’s room before speaking.
“Hello, Potter,” she said quietly, while closing the distance between them. Harry felt a surge of emotion move through him when her head fell on his shoulder. He turned and kissed the top of her head.
“You smell like strawberries, Gin.”
“Remus is going to speak with my parents?” Ginny asked.
“Yes, Gin.”
“What did he say?”
“He said yes, Gin.” Harry leaned over, pulling Ginny with him, resting on the side of the couch. “He also said it was about time the two of us came to our senses. That we had hidden from each other so well, that we didn’t even know our own true feelings. I guess he was right,” Harry finished, his voice fading as he spoke.
“You guess, Potter?” Ginny snapped quietly at him.
“No, Gin, I know he was right.” Harry laughed. “You’re not going to cut me any slack now are you?”
“No, Potter, I’m not.” Harry laughed again.
“Gin, do you remember at the Quidditch tryouts telling me you would never give me anything? That I would have to earn everything I got from you?”
“Yes.”
“Would you give me a kiss if I begged you?” Ginny stood up in front of him pulling Harry to his feet.
“I gave you my heart, my soul and my life. And now, you have the nerve to ask me to kiss you? You certainly don’t want much, do you?” Harry smiled cheekily at her, watching her eyes dance with the light streaming in the windows.
“Well how about if I give you a kiss then?” Ginny let out an exasperated sigh.
“If you must, Potter,” she replied pulling his head to hers. Harry heard the portrait door open and pulled away from her.
“Damn,” she muttered angrily. They turned to see Ron, Hermione and Professor Dumbledore enter the common room along with Hermione’s parents.
“Ah, I see we have located Hogwart’s newest sweethearts,” Dumbledore said brightly, a mischievous smile on his face. Harry felt his face flush, and was glad to see that Ginny was too. Ron and Hermione had turned around, and were pretending to be interested in a star chart that someone had put up on the bulletin board.
“Sir, I may need to speak with you later,” Harry said quietly.
“Ah, yes,” Dumbledore replied kindly. “I am well aware of yours and Ginny’s situation. If it becomes necessary, I will make similar arrangements for you as I have for Ronald and Hermione.”
“Thank you, sir,” Harry and Ginny replied together.
“If you would like, I could speak with your parents Ginny,” Dumbledore added in a serious tone.
“No, sir. I think this is one time Ginny and I don’t want your influence,” Harry replied for both of them. Dumbledore nodded his head.
“Perhaps that is the wiser decision to make.” The door to Hermione and Ginny’s room opened. Mrs. Weasley stopped abruptly when she saw all of them assembled there.
“Oh, Albus, we were not expecting you quite yet.”
“No, it is quite alright, Molly. We are early, so I thought it might be a good opportunity to show the Grangers around the Gryffindor tower. Please, carry on.” Mrs. Weasley nodded at him. Mr. Weasley had joined his wife.
“Why don’t you all come in? So we won’t be interrupted,” Mr. Weasley said.
Harry sat nervously on the couch with Ginny next to him. She was holding his hand very tightly and every once in a while he could feel her shiver. Mr. Weasley turned, he glanced at Remus before his eyes settled on the two of them. His wife stood next to him.
“You understand the seriousness of what you ask?” he asked them quietly. Harry and Ginny both nodded their heads in reply. “And you are both sure this is what you want?”
“Yes sir,” Harry replied
“Yes Dad,” Ginny answered. Mr. Weasley looked at Remus again and then to his wife before taking a deep breath.
“Then your mother and I will not stand in your way Ginerva. You have our blessing. I beg both of you to treat each other well.” Ginny had launched herself from the couch the instant that her parents had given her and Harry their blessing. She was enveloped in her mother’s arms a moment later.
“Thank you, Mum, Dad.” Harry recovered a second later and joined them.
“Thank you, sir,” Harry said quietly.
“Can we go back to Molly and Arthur now, Harry?” Mrs. Weasley asked as she wrapped her arms around Harry and Ginny.
“Sure, Molly,” Harry answered.
“Well,” Mrs. Weasley said breaking away from them, “For those of you who may be wondering what is going on. Arthur and I are happy to announce that our daughter is engaged to be married to Harry Potter. They both wish it to be as soon as possible. It so happens that our son Ronald Weasley will be marrying Hermione Granger this Saturday. They have both graciously offered to share their day with Harry and Ginny. So, we can all look forward to a double wedding ceremony.”
“Hear, Hear,” Professor Lupin said, applauding loudly. He then walked up to the two of them and wrapped them in his arms.
“Congratulations, Harry, I will insist on a dance with your bride. Yours also Ron,” he said brightly. Harry smiled at Remus.
“Be careful, Remus, her bite is much worse than her bark,” Harry replied.
“Watch it, Potter,” Ginny snapped at him, before wrapping her arms around his waist. As congratulations were given and a few plans were started for adding Harry and Ginny to the ceremony on Saturday, it took awhile for the room to calm down. Finally Professor Dumbledore broke in.
“I think it might be time to discuss with all of you what I brought you together for,” he said loudly to get their attention.
“Please, have a seat,” he said while conjuring a table and chairs for them. When they were all seated he started to speak.
“There are a number of issues to discuss with you. I am afraid most of them are not happy. Most of you know that Harry is in grave danger everyday from Lord Voldemort. The truth is, there is no one Voldemort wants dead more than Harry.” Harry watched the reactions around the room. This wasn’t really news to any of the people here, including the Grangers, who had been inducted into the Order earlier that year. Harry did not know what they did, but he was sure there were plenty of things to do that did not require magic.
“Recent events have brought Ronald, Hermione, and Ginny to the attention of Voldemort and have placed them in as dangerous a position as Harry.” Harry felt his stomach drop. He knew this, but hearing it made it much worse. The only things keeping him at the table were Ginny and Hermione holding his hands tightly on either side of him.
“Don’t you dare back out on me, Potter,” Ginny hissed at him. Harry gave her hand a squeeze. He tuned out most of the rest of what Dumbledore was saying. In the end nothing was really worse than at the start of the conversation.
The location of Hermione’s parents was going to be placed in the trust of a Secret Keeper. Hermione herself would fill the role. The Weasleys would have to abandon the Burrow until after the war. They would be staying at 12 Grimmauld Place until that time came. He, Ron, Hermione and Ginny were going to be staying at Hogwarts that summer.
They would begin training in occumlency and legilimency. Harry himself would be doing it, with Dumbledore checking in on them. Harry was surprised at first, but realized a moment later that he had been doing it successfully for a year, and was more than capable of teaching the others.
Hermione was being given access to the vault of potions notes in the school and tasked with continuing the instruction she had been giving Harry and Ron throughout the year. A number of the other professors would be working with them throughout the summer on a number of different things.
Ginny would be making up her O.W.L.s in four weeks, as she had been in the hospital when the rest of the 5th years had taken them. In short it was too dangerous for them to be anywhere but Hogwarts. And they had too much to learn to take the summer off.
The last week of school flew by. With exams done, Harry and Ginny spent most of the week with Ron, Hermione and Bridgette getting ready for the wedding. Hermione had at one point been forced to ask Bridgette, if she would be her Maid of Honor, if Ginny did not wake in time for the wedding. Bridgette was now going to be hers and Ginny’s attendant.
Harry had been very nervous about telling Bridgette, hoping that her feelings for him had not changed. Ginny had been unconcerned. He found out later that Bridgette had come to see him in the hospital. She had been there for an hour when she had felt Ginny watching her.
“You don’t love him, do you, Bridgette?” Ginny asked when Bridgette turned to look at her. Bridgette smiled and shook her head.
“He doesn’t love me either, Ginny, not like that.” They both watched each other for a few minutes before either of them spoke.
“What?” Ginny asked.
“At least I tried, Ginny.”
“I’m just waiting until he wakes up, Bridgette.” Bridgette smiled at her.
“Will he say yes, Bridgette?” Ginny whispered.
“I know he loves you, Ginny. I don’t know if it is like you want him too.” Ginny looked down at the floor again.
“He will fight you, Ginny. But if you ask for his love and it is the truth of his feelings he will not be able to deny you.” Ginny looked up at Bridgette again.
“Take the chance, Ginny,” Bridgette said, before she got up and left the hospital.
The rest of the time had been spent with Cho, Neville and Luna. They had all recovered from the fight with Voldemort fairly quickly. And now that Ginny was out of the hospital, Cho was finally recovering emotionally from the accident during the Quidditch match. She still swore that she would never play Quidditch again. Harry thought that was kind of sad, until he talked to Viktor about it. Viktor had shrugged, and said:
“Dere is someting for everyone. Dat dey vil not do, for fear of vat it might do to demselves or oters. Cho is preventing pain to erself more dan anyone else. Give her more time, maybe she vil change er mind.” Harry understood what Viktor was talking about only too well.
Dumbledore walked Harry and Ron into Hermione and Ginny’s room, on the morning of the day of the going home feast. Their jaws hit the floor.
“This is my wedding gift to the both of you and your wives. It is the reason you four have not been allowed in here the past two days. It takes a while to conjure walls and such,” he said brightly.
The room had changed. The beds were gone, replaced with couches, a sitting area and fireplace on Ginny’s side. Where Hermione’s bed had been there was now a dining table and chairs. This would allow the privacy needed for two young married couples, when they did not wish to eat in the great hall.
There were two new doors leading out of the common area. To go with the one that led to the bathroom Ginny and Hermione had shared that year. The two new doors lead to private bedrooms with large, queen size, four-poster beds. Each bedroom had two large dressers and a closet for their clothes. A desk, big enough for two people to do homework at, sat near a small fireplace. There was also a door in each bedroom that led to private bathrooms for each couple.
“Does Harry Potter and his Weezey like it sir?”
“Dobby?” Harry and Ron said together
“Did you help with this?” Harry asked in awe. Dobby nodded excitedly.
“Dobby will be taking care of your flat for you this year,” Dumbledore said quietly from behind them.
“Sir, I don’t know how to thank you,” Ron stammered. “I certainly can’t afford to pay for this.”
“Ronald, this is my gift to you and your bride,” Dumbledore replied evenly.
“Does sir like it?” Dobby asked tugging on Ron’s pant leg.
“Yes, Dobby, it is amazing”
“Dobby, are you still going to help the Weasleys and the Grangers?” Harry asked quietly.
“Yes, sir. Is not much to clean this apartment sir.”
“Not without a raise, Dobby. You now make two galleons a week,” Harry replied.
“Dobby does not want a raise, Harry Potter sir.”
“Take it or leave it, Dobby,” Harry said crossing his arms.
“Sir drives a hard bargain,” Dobby replied, reaching his hand out for Harry to shake. Harry laughed along with Ron and Dumbledore. He shook hands with the elf to seal the bargain.
“Unless sirs have need of Dobby, I is needing to leave to help the Grangers.”
“Go ahead, Dobby. We will see you soon,” Ron replied.
“Go ahead, Dobby.” Harry nodded to him. Dobby bowed to them and with a loud pop he was gone.
“Your brides are finishing the fitting for Ginny’s dress in Hermione’s old room. They have been instructed that they can find you here when they are finished. I will let you show them their new home. Their things have been moved in already. Yours will be brought down by the house elves during the ceremony tomorrow night,” Dumbledore said, before turning to leave.
“Sir,” Harry and Ron stopped him. They both walked over and gave him a hug, “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Harry, Ronald.” And then he left.
“Can you believe this?” Harry asked turning around again to take the room in.
“No,” Ron replied simply, “I can’t.”
Harry was sitting at the small desk in his and Ginny’s room when she came in. He looked up at her, his heart doing that now familiar little leap into his throat. He couldn’t fathom how he had been able to bury it, now that he had admitted the truth to himself.
“What do you think, Gin?” Ginny walked over and sat down in his lap.
“I think if I could stay here forever that I would. I have you. Ron and Hermione are just out that door. This is perfect. We even have a small fireplace in our bedroom,” she whispered to him. They sat together for some time before Ginny noticed the parchment on the table.
“Why do you have Ron’s vows?” she asked.
“I was just reading them,” Harry replied. “If you want Gin, we could do our own too,” he added after a moment.
“Do you know how long that took him to write, Harry?”
“We could do it together Gin, one vow, alternate lines. I could say something and then you would take a turn. It would make it ours, different than anyone else,” Harry replied quietly. Ginny turned in his lap so she could face the table.
“Me first,” she said, as she pulled the ink and parchment to her. Harry watched her, as she wrote out her first line.
“How come you get to go first?” he asked taking the quill from her and dipping it into the ink.
“Because I’m the girl, Potter,” she teased. “You should get used to it.” Harry finished writing his line. Ginny took the quill from him and began to write hers.
“I love you, Gin,” Harry whispered into the back of her neck. Ginny giggled.
“Why, Potter, I do believe you are trying to distract me.”
“Is it working?” Harry asked quietly.
“Not in the least,” Ginny replied, moving from his lap to the other chair. “Your turn,” she said handing him the quill. Harry glared at her.
“Write, Potter,” she said pushing the parchment to him. Harry laughed and started to write.
Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione made their way down the hall on their way to the end of year banquet. They ran into Peeves at the top of the stairs.
“Well if it isn’t the golden foursome,” he cackled in his sing song voice. They regarded him warily.
“Probably think Peeves is going to throw water balloons at you, don’t you?”
“The thought might have crossed our minds,” Harry replied carefully. Trying not to flinch as Peeves floated down in front of them.
“Peeves hears of the great fight with You-Know-Who….Peeves grants the foursome….a free pass.” He floated off to the other end of the hallway. They turned to watch him go. He was carrying an armful of water balloons behind his back.
“Quick,” Hermione and Ginny said grabbing their respective fiancés, “let’s go before he changes his mind.”
Author's note:
Well, that is it for, Harry Potter and the Blood Traitor. I'm sure many of you will have a thing or two to say about Harry and Ginny's wedding. This is the way I always planned it and I'm not going to apologize for it.
Thank you to everyone who has reviewed for me, especially those of you who have been with me for every chapter. Also for those of you who took the time to e-mail me with more detailed questions. I really appreciated it when you did.
I have finally decided on the title to the sequel for this, and the first chapter should go up on the site in a week or so.
Year seven will be called:
Harry Potter and the Unlocked Mind
It will be posted under romance H/G and R/HR
So, until the first chapter of Unlocked Mind,
See ya.
Man, everyone throughout the whole story wants to know what Ginny does with the package she recieves at the end of chapter 3. I finally tell you, and not one comment from anyone yet???