Chapter 50: A Meeting and A Farewell.
“Have you packed your black dress robes?”
“Yes, Hermione…”
“What about your books?”
“What do I need my books for?”
“Homework “ you have too much to ignore until you get back…”
“Hermione, I don’t think it’ll be appropriate to do homework at the service…”
“But Friday “”
“I’ll do it on Sunday evening.”
“Okay, okay...do you have “”
“I have everything Hermione, relax.”
Harry wasn’t trying very hard to disguise his agitation with Hermione; it was bad enough that she was so adamant about hiding the truth about Alchemina from Lupin, but now she was hovering around him as he sat in the common room, checking that he’d packed all his things in a manner that even Mrs. Weasley would consider overbearing.
The truth was he would of course be ignoring Hermione’s advice concerning Alchemina and Lupin it wasn’t for the fact he wouldn’t have a chance to see Lupin before he left that evening. The memorial for Mrs. Bell was that Saturday, and Dumbledore had made arrangements for Katie to go home Thursday night and arrive back Sunday morning. She had asked for permission for Harry to accompany her, and Dumbledore had obliged, so Harry spent Thursday afternoon packing for his stay at the Bell home.
At about six o’clock Katie came downstairs carrying a bag of her own belongings.
“Do you want to leave now?” Harry asked her. He was hoping to have a word with Dumbledore concerning Alchemina before he left, and was eager to leave early.
“Yeah, okay…” she replied.
A few of her seventh-year friends, as well as Ginny, Hermione, Ron, Neville and Euan, hugged her and gave her their condolences. Ginny and Hermione hugged Harry goodbye as well and they set off for Dumbledore’s office, from where they were to be traveling by Portkey to Katie’s house.
“Ice mice,” Harry said as they reached the office, and the statue moved to let them in. Upon entering the office Harry was unpleasantly surprised to find Professor Alchemina inside with Dumbledore and McGonagall. He wouldn’t have a chance to say anything after all.
“Harry, Katie,” Dumbledore said smiling at them. “Ready to leave?”
“Yes, Professor,” Katie answered. Harry nodded.
“Alright then,” he said, picking up an apparently empty teapot from his desk and walking over to the two of them. “I will see the two of you on Saturday; Professor McGonagall and myself will be attending the memorial services.”
Harry and Katie nodded.
“Okay, then. Here’s the Portkey, both of you take hold of it.”
Harry took the teapot from Dumbledore and held it out to Katie, who grabbed hold of the spout, her other hand still grasping Harry’s. They waited about five seconds, Dumbledore counting on a pocket watch, and then Harry felt a jerk somewhere behind his navel andDumbledore’s office disappeared as they drifted upwards. Moments later, Harry felt his feet hit the floor with a thud. Harry took a moment to find his bearings and then, still feeling Katie’s hand in his, took in his surroundings. He was in a large, old-fashioned but tastefully decorated room. The walls were pale yellow and the floor was hardwood. There was a large stone fireplace with pictures over the mantelpiece. The door opened and a tall man with hazel eyes and dark haired flecked with gray walked in. He smiled sadly at the two of them and Katie ran to him and wrapped her arms around him.
“Katie, it’s good to have you home,” he said relieved, and the two of them started crying. Harry felt a bit uncomfortable, not wanting to intrude on their moment, but the man, who he assumed to be Mr. Bell, looked up to him.
“You must be Harry,” he said, walking over and shaking his hand. Now that he was closer, Harry could see he had dark circles under his eyes, much like the ones Mrs. Weasley wore after Mr. Weasley’s death. He gave Harry a small smile; a smile that did not reach his eyes, which remained sad and empty.
“Harry, this is - this my dad “ Christopher Bell,” Katie told him, wiping tears from her face.
“Nice to meet you… I’m so sorry about Mrs. Bell,” Harry said earnestly, though wishing he was meeting Katie’s father under different circumstances “From what Katie’s told me, she was a wonderful woman.”
“She was,” Mr. Bell replied. “And thank you, thank you for everything. For being here for Katie…”
“You don’t need to thank me,” Harry said. “Katie’s done the same for me, too.”
“Still, thank you.”
“Where’s Libby?” Katie asked her father.
“She’s not here,” Mr. Bell answered. “She’s taking care of the arrangements for Saturday. She’ll be back at around eight, I think… but let’s move into the kitchen. There’s a fire lit, and I’ve just made tea.”
“Where shall I put these?” Harry asked, picking up his and Katie’s bags.
“Oh, yes I forgot “” Mr Bell said, then he pulled out his wand, gave it a small flick, and the bags vanished from the room. “There, all taken care of… now into the kitchen.”
They followed Mr. Bell into the kitchen and sat down at a table with tea and a tray of biscuits. Mr. Bell flicked his wand again, and the teapot poured itself into three cups. Harry put milk and sugar into his and he sat awkwardly, wondering what on earth they were going to talk about, if anything. Harry looked at Katie, who seemed to be working up the courage to say something.
“How did it happen?” she asked tremulously.
Mr. Bell put down the cup of tea he was drinking and looked tiredly at his daughter.
“They attacked her ward. Hit her with a killing curse,” he said as though each word was more painful than the one before. “It’s thought to be painless…” he added quietly.
“So… so, they didn’t “ torture her or anything?” Katie asked.
“No. No, it was over very quickly…” Mr. Bell replied.
“It’s not fair…” Katie said, crying again.
“I know it’s not fair, love,” Mr. Bell said.
“She’s gone…I didn’t get the chance to say goodbye”
“I know, Katie.”
---
Harry thought that Katie’s reunion with her father had been heartbreaking to witness, but it was nothing compared to the breakdown she and her sister shared upon her sister’s arrival home. Katie stopped crying long enough to introduce Harry to Libby, who was an older version of Katie with long dark-blond hair and light-brown eyes flecked with hazel “ the only difference was that Libby cheeks were slightly freckled. Katie then asked if it would be okay if she and Libby talked alone.
“Sure,” Harry replied, and Mr. Bell nodded. Katie and Libby went upstairs, leaving the two of them alone in the kitchen.
“I’ve heard a lot about you Harry “ not just from Katie,” Mr. Bell said.
“Oh… er “” Harry wasn’t quite sure how to respond to this.
“Don’t worry, I didn’t believe any of the stories the Daily Prophet ran about you being a deceitful, attention-seeker,” Mr. Bell told him.
“What about the ones saying I was touched in the head?” Harry asked warily, but feeling slightly more relaxed.
“No. Didn’t believe those either…”
“Good to know.”
Mr. Bell surveyed him carefully.
“Do you care about my daughter?”
“Yes I do…sir… very much,” Harry said growing uncomfortable again, but Mr. Bell smiled.
“Relax, Harry,” he said. “I trust you. You seem like a good kid “ and you’ve been through so much… don’t think I could handle myself in your spot.”
“I don’t have much of a choice.”
“You’re modest, I like that…”
“Er… thank you,” Harry replied.
“So, I hear you’re quite the Seeker…”
---
Friday they were all very busy, making sure all the arrangements were set for Mrs. Bell’s memorial service. Harry had helped in whatever way he could; Mr. Bell had asked him to handle the Daily Prophet reporters who had shown up asking for interviews, as he, Katie and Libby weren’t up to answering questions. The Daily Prophet wasn’t the only newspaper that had sent reporters to the Bell home, international papers from Ireland and Scotland to as far as Australia had been reporting on it too; this was due not only to the fact that she was an important Healer involved in a high-profile project at St. Mungo’s who was murdered by Death Eaters, but also because she was the mother of the girlfriend of ‘the boy who lived’ “ apparently making her death even more newsworthy.
Saturday was a very sad affair. Harry stood beside Katie the entire time, her hand in his, and as with Mr. Weasley’s service, people shook his hand along with the Bells as they offered their condolences. He had seen Dumbledore and McGonagall, as well as Hippocrates Smethwyck, whom he recognized from his visit to Mr. Weasley at St Mungo’s the previous Christmas; Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, George, and Mrs. Weasley had attended too, along with members of the Order. Harry also saw a woman he knew to be Neville’s gran. A reception at the Bell home followed the service, and it wasn’t until nine o’clock that night that Harry, Katie, Libby, and Mr. Bell were alone again. They all sat down, exhausted, in the sitting room; it seemed everyone was all cried out. Mr. Bell decided to get up and make tea, and Libby followed him. Harry sighed and put his arm around Katie.
“You alright?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said, then hesitated a moment. “Harry, I’ve been meaning to ask you… what happened? Why did you “”
“Stop talking to you?”
Katie nodded, avoiding his eye.
“Remember what Hermione said, about maybe it was because of my feelings for you that I had that vision?” he told her; Katie nodded again.
“Well, when I went to Dumbledore “ he basically said the same thing. And “ well, I had to shut down my emotions and practice my Occlumency again, so I thought I would have to shut you out… I didn’t want Voldemort to get into my head again, it would have been too dangerous, for everyone. And, I especially didn’t want him to know… how I feel about you.”
“Why didn’t you tell me that, Harry?”
“Because… I thought that if it had to be over, then it would be easier for you to hate me. Easier then if you missed me because… I don’t know “ because I ‘hurt you to save you’…”
Katie punched him.
“Ow! What was the for?”
“You told me once “ to hit you, if you were ever as stupid as Ron was over Hermione…”
“Oh… thanks…I suppose.”
“So “ why’ve you come back now?”
“Well “ turns out it wasn’t me that was the problem. In fact, Voldemort doesn’t have any access to my mind at all “ just mine to his.”
“How’s that?”
“Well…it’s kind of personal “ it’s just, it’s still sinking in…”
“It’s okay, you don’t have to tell me…”
“I will eventually, it’s just something I need to think about…”
“Harry, really “ it’s alright. I trust you.”
“Thanks, Katie “ I appreciate it.”
“And thank you for being here “ I don’t know if I could have faced this without someone to lean on.”
“Don’t mention it…”
“No, really. Thank you,” Katie said. “I love you, Harry.”
“I love you, too.”