Confessions and Lessons
A/N I am not getting anything from writing this except the pleasure of reading reviews. Jo Rowling owns all the characters; I am just sending them on a little adventure of my own.
Harry knew that he had to get a few things straightened out before the meeting of the Order. He did not want Ginny’s parents to think he had deceived them or that he was trying to hide the prophecy from them. He was taking a risk, something he was fully aware of; but honesty was the policy he tried to live by.
He was mulling this over in the library when Mrs. Weasley walked in to tell him that tea was ready.
“Mrs. Weasley, have you spoken to Mr. Weasley yet? About me that is,” Harry asked very cautiously.
“Yes Harry I have. I don’t keep much of anything from Arthur for too long. Harry, quit worrying. You’re fine. Arthur was ecstatic that Ginny had finally gotten through to you. Although he probably will play the Dad card and lecture you about hurting his daughter,” Mrs. Weasley said with a chuckle.
“I need to talk to both of you. This is important. It’s something you need to hear from me before it is brought out in the Order meeting this evening. How soon will Mr. Weasley be here?”
“He should be here at any moment now. Things at the Ministry have been in chaos, but there is not much that can be done at the moment to straighten everything out. I’ll go check, but he should be apparating in shortly. Where would you like to meet us?” asked Mrs. Weasley, getting a bit worried at the look of seriousness in Harry’s sparkling emerald eyes.
“Let’s meet in here please. I will go get Ginny; she has a right to be here as well,” Harry exclaimed as he was walking out of the room. “We’ll be waiting for you in here when you find Mr. Weasley.”
Harry found Ginny in her room putting things away from their shopping trip. He watched her from the doorway, just enjoying her movements. He knew that in the next hour it could all be over for the two of them. Harry could not believe that he had forgotten to tell Mrs. Weasley about the prophecy. He was mentally kicking himself now, but there was only one choice now. He had to come clean to the Weasleys and respect their decision if they told him not to see their daughter anymore.
He broke out of the deep thought when Ginny noticed his presence and stepped in front of him to give him a kiss. They lingered in the kiss for a few moments, and ended it with a tight embrace.
“What’s wrong Harry?” Ginny asked, noticing the tension in her new boyfriend.
“There was something I forgot to explain to your mother last night. It’s about the prophecy. She may not want her daughter involved with the guy slated to do battle with Voldemort himself,” Harry tried to sound like he was joking about the matter. Ginny, however, knew differently.
“When are you talking to them about it?” Ginny enquired.
“In just a few minutes. I need to let them know before the Order meeting tonight. Professor Dumbledore is going to reveal the prophecy to everyone tonight. I’m not sure I am ready for everyone to know. I guess I’ll have to be; I’ll be there at the meeting tonight. I joined the Order today.” Harry said, looking at Ginny out from under his lashes.
He expected her to explode. Surprisingly enough, she didn’t. She looked rather proud. This was getting really confusing.
“I figured you would. I mean, the only thing holding Ron, Hermione, and me back is the fact that we are not emancipated. Our parents would rather keep us sheltered than let us in on what is going on,” Ginny said while rolling her eyes.
“Well, if your parents let us stay together, that might change tonight. What I came up here to ask is if you want to be there when I talk to your parents. If so, we need to get to the library quickly. Your mother had gone looking for your father when I came up here.” Harry was starting to get nervous.
“You think I would LET you handle this alone? We’re in this together, and we will face whatever comes, together; even if that means facing my parents, TOGETHER. Do you understand me? Come on, let’s go.” Ginny leaned up and gave him a kiss for courage, not waiting for an answer to her question, and followed Harry downstairs to the library.
“Hello Harry, you wanted to speak to me?” Mr. Weasley said even before Harry and Ginny had completely gotten into the room. “If this is about you dating Ginny, Molly and I have already discussed it, and I am fine with it. But I will tell you now, if you hurt my daughter….”
“Sir, forgive the interruption. But that is not the reason for this,” Harry began, not quite sure where to go next. “I found something out a few weeks ago. There was a prophecy. Well to condense it, I am going to be the one that has to kill Voldemort. I know I should have said something when I asked for your blessing to date Ginny, but honestly Mrs. Weasley, last night was the first time since I heard the prophecy that it was not in the forefront of my mind. Ginny knows about it, so does Ron. I was trying to push them out of my lives for their own safety. That plan failed pretty miserably. Do you know how stubborn your two youngest are?”
Mr. Weasley gave a small laugh; Mrs. Weasley was still too shocked to do much of anything yet.
“And while I am telling you all here, I might as well add that today, after I signed the emancipation papers, I asked Professor Dumbledore if I could join the order. If I have to be the one to kill Voldemort, then I need to be kept in the know. He agreed, so I am to be at tonight’s meeting. The prophecy will be one of the first topics discussed. I didn’t want either of you to think I had deceived you,” Harry said seeing Mr. and Mrs. Weasley both shudder at the use of Voldemort’s name.
The Weasleys exchanged looks that seemed to contain a conversation. Mrs’ Weasley was worried, Mr. Weasley comforting. Harry was on pins and needles waiting for their answer, knowing that they held the key to his happiness in their hands.
“Mum, Dad…I know you want to protect me. I fully understand that, but I am not a child anymore. Neither Ron, nor Hermione, nor I am going to let Harry handle this alone. Our destinies are just as entwined in his as Voldemort’s is. My place is at his side,” Ginny explained to her parents with a pleading to her tone. “I know you still think that Ron and I are too young to be in the Order; but if we are going to be with Harry, then we need to know what is going on as well. And we will be with him.” Ginny set her chin firmly with her last statement.
Molly looked at Arthur with tears in her eyes. She sniffled and said, “This is what war does; and make no mistake we ARE at War. It robs children of their childhood and pressures them into growing up far too fast.” She looked at Arthur again, and he gave a slight nod. “Harry, if we tried to tell Ginny not to see you, that would cause more problems than it would fix. We believe that you were not trying to deceive us; you just don’t have much deception in you. Keep our little girl safe Harry. That’s all we ask.”
Arthur’s eyes were suspiciously moist as he cleared his throat. “As for Ron and Ginny being in the Order, I see no harm in it anymore. Now that we know that Harry is going to be in the final battle with you-know-who, we really cannot keep information from the children any longer. I guess we have to let Hermione in as well. With Harry, Ron and Ginny in the Order, they would just tell her everything anyway,” he said with a resigned chuckle. “You’re sure it has to come down to you and Him Harry? No other choices there eh?”
Harry sadly shook his head and said, “I wish there was another choice sir. You will see why it has to be me tonight. I am presuming that Professor Dumbledore will bring his pensieve and show the actual memory of the prophecy being given. That’s how I was told about it.”
He walked over to the Weasleys and gave Molly a hug, shook Arthur’s hand, and said, “Thank you both for not taking the light out of my life. Ginny means the world to me. I will do everything in my power to keep her safe and make sure she feels loved.” He looked over at Ginny as he finished to see her blushing intensely.
Harry and Ginny left the library to tell Ron and Hermione what was going on. They were going to be so excited to be actual Order members. They ran up the stairs to share the news.
Ginny came close to running straight into Harry when he came to a dead stop in the middle of the hall. Her eyes almost popped out of her head at what she saw not 10 feet in front of them. Ron and Hermione…were KISSING! Finally, the dunderhead had gotten a clue and admitted his feelings. She loved her brother and her new boyfriend, but they were both so thick at times. As she was finally able to close her mouth, she looked over at Harry to see him place one finger against her lips so she wouldn’t make any noise.
He had to get the wording just right. After all, Hermione was like a sister to him. How was it that Ron had put it again? Oh yeah.
“Weasley, would you mind removing your hands and especially your lips from my psuedo-sister please,” Harry said, trying his best not to laugh.
Ginny could not hold it in when she heard that line come from her boyfriend. That was so close to the line that Ron had used when he caught Harry kissing her.
Ron and Hermione flew apart as if they had both been slapped. Ron grinned and blushed all the way to his ears. Hermione was giving everyone a very confused look.
“But Harry, I am not your sister. And just who do you think you are to be scolding us?” Hermione asked indignantly.
“Close enough Mione. That’s the line Ron used on me last night when he caught me kissing Ginny. Enough about that, guess what?” Harry said, knowing there was no way they were going to be able to guess this one.
Ron and Hermione looked at Harry like he was an idiot when he made them wait for a full minute before continuing, “You both are new members of the Order. That is, if you want to be. Ginny and I have already gotten approval.” Harry beamed.
“Do I even want to know how all this came to be? Or would it be better not to ask?” enquired Hermione, amazed at the news.
“Harry got my our parents to agree Ron, and Hermione, they figured if the rest of us were going to be in, you might as well be. We were going to tell you everything anyway. This way you get the information first hand. Besides, we are going to need your phenomenal research abilities to help find a spell for Harry to use to defeat V..Voldemort,” Ginny replied, shuddering at the last part of the comment.
“Harry…Voldemort…the Order…You miss two weeks around here and you miss out on everything. Will someone please start explaining at the beginning? Maybe someone could also let me know what is up with Harry’s muggles being here. You know I hate being left out.” Hermione let out an exasperated sigh.
Ron, Ginny and Harry filled her in on everything that had happened in the past few days, including the headlines in the Daily Prophet. All within the space of about ten minutes, Hermione had gone through a myriad of emotions. Confusion, happiness, laughing, distress at the prophecy, laughter again at the headlines, she was not sure which emotion she would actually land on.
“So let me see if I have this straight. Harry’s muggles decided to act like human beings. He tried to push you both away. Ginny of course told him he was mental. Dementors leave Azkaban and Voldy is ecstatic, Fudge leaves office and he gets angry. Sirius leaves a letter that seems to make things all better with Harry and Ginny. And somehow, Ron has gotten a clue about his feelings for me. Have I missed anything?” Hermione asked with a sarcastic laugh.
Ron, Ginny, and Harry all broke out laughing. Watching Hermione count these things off on her fingers was hilarious. They were still giggling a bit later when Mr. Weasley called them down for dinner.
After the dinner dishes were cleared, people started apparrating in for the meeting. The dining area was soon getting a bit crowded so Professor Dumbledore cast an expanding spell on the dinging area to make more room for everyone.
Seats were taken and the meeting was ready to start. Harry, Hermione, Ginny and Ron were getting their share of strange looks for not leaving the room. Ginny held Harry’s hand for moral support. She knew that if the headmaster were going to show the prophecy again, Harry would definitely need the support.
“If everyone would please quiet down, we can get started. We have a few new members I would like to introduce to everyone. First, Madam Amelia Bones, acting Minister, had joined the Order a few weeks ago, but this is the first opportunity she has had to make it to a meeting. She has some good news concerning prisoners and an excellent surprise for our newest and youngest members of the Order,” stated Professor Dumbledore, his look encompassing Ron, Harry, Ginny, and Hermione.
“Surely you are joking Headmaster. The Potter brat and his groupies are now going to be in on Order business?” Severus Snape sneered at Harry the entire time he was speaking.
Harry stood up. “Professor Dumbledore, if I may, I think we need to clear the air a bit here to make things a bit more productive.” Albus Dumbledore gave a slight nod and Harry continued, “Professor Snape, I don’t know what I personally I have done over the years to make you so venomous toward me, but I will give a blanket apology right this moment to try and make it better. If, however, this hostility you have toward me and my friends is somehow related to the infantile grudge that you have held against my father for so many years, all I have to say is GET OVER IT. I, contrary to your belief, am NOT my father. I can only hope to be as great of a wizard as he was. I am by no means the arrogant soul you make me out to be, nor do I step on anyone that gets in my way. You’ll find out shortly, but it is going to come down to me to make sure we defeat Voldemort. Know this Professor Snape, I will not tolerate the sniping, cutting remarks from you or anyone else any longer. Grow up, get over your grudge, and get on with your life. We have bigger things to worry about at the moment, and have no time for your tantrums and sarcasm,” Harry said as he took a deep breath, let it out slowly and reclaimed his seat.
“Very well put Harry. Now if everyone would please take notice of the pensieve in the center of the table,” Dumbledore began his explanation.
Ginny was mentally applauding Harry for his maturity. She was trying to keep her attention on what the headmaster was saying, but her thoughts and her eyes kept straying back to Harry.
After Dumbledore had shown everyone the prophecy, and explained the significance, he turned the floor over to Madam Bones. Harry was shocked at the lack of surprised faces at the table. Sure, there were a few, but more people had known about this than he had figured.
“I’ve taken a few steps that I hope will meet with everyone’s approval. Two years ago, when Sirius Black escaped Azkaban, I started to think that maybe the Dementors were not as effective as we had thought they were. I started a branch of training, similar to the Auror trainer, but a bit more intense. These trained wizards are our Special Task Force. The Death Eaters that were captured a few ago in the Department of Mysteries have been in the care of the STF. They were not in the population of Azkaban when the Dementors defected and therefore are still in Ministry custody,” Madam Bones paused for the whispering to stop.
“As you can see, I have been preparing for Fudge’s actions and those of the Dementors for a while now. Also, Mr. Potter, now that you are emancipated, the Underage Magic laws no longer apply to you. But to avoid any red tape, and to give you someone to practice with, I have waivers for you and your three friends. There are those of us that think the world might be a bit safer if you were able to train over the holiday. You will also be training to apparate. Just in cast you should need to escape quickly from any situation. Now, is there anything I forgot?” Madam Bones asked with a very amused look on her face. There were many mouths hanging wide open at what she had just said.
She guessed not all members came bearing such good news.