Harry Potter and the Fight for Ginny by Sorn
3. The Order’s New Head
This all proved too much for Molly, who broke down in tears. She was saying something but no one knew what she was saying through her tears. Molly’s reaction was exactly what Harry had expected; he had thought that she would have spoken up earlier saying that Ginny was not of age. Harry had planned to speak up for Ginny if Molly did try preventing her from hearing what was being said, but he was not upset that he didn’t need to do this.
It was the reaction of everyone else that caught Harry by surprise; they all looked like they knew this all along. The room was once again calm as Molly got a better hold of her crying, and the room’s occupants turned their attention back to Harry.
“Would anyone like to take a moment before I take questions?” Harry asked. With an exchange of looks the room came to a quick decision: they were ready to continue. Harry nodded, and before he let them ask questions he summoned Dobby.
“Yes, Mas “” Dobby started and quickly restarted, “Yes, Harry Potter, sir?”
Sir was far better than Master, Harry thought. “When dinner is done you can bring it out,” Harry said.
“Dinner has been ready for hours, Harry Potter. Dobby has been keeping it warm for Mas- you, sir” Dobby finished with a stutter.
Harry looked at his watch, and was surprised to see that it was past midnight. “Now would be fine, Dobby, thank you,” Harry stated.
Turning back to the gathering Harry said, “I think we can eat and answer questions.”
“Good I’m,” Ron started, “starving,” everyone finished with a laugh.
As the well-needed laugh died away those gathered broke into conversation, discussing what Harry had told them. Irritated a little Harry asked, “So no one wants to ask me anything?”
The room stopped again. It was Lupin who answered Harry, “We all have been speculating about what you showed us to be true, and the truth is you covered most of the questions I thought of as you progressed. But I think there is one question I have. How did this house manage to rise from the ashes?”
“Dumbledore. He has been working on it since Sirius’s… Well, since Sirius died,” Harry replied to Lupin’s question.
Almost as an after thought, Harry remembered he had one more thing he needed to share with those gathered. Pulling one more note from his pocket, Harry announced, “Dumbledore did one more thing: He named the person who he felt should replace him as head of the Order.”
All night Harry did not miss a beat; he had done everything but this, and he was not worried about any of it, until now. How could he tell a room full of wizards that they should appoint him head of the Order of the Phoenix? Harry had just come of age, why should they follow his orders?
Harry was pulled away from his thoughts as he heard his name called. “Yes?” he asked absentmindedly.
“Whom did Dumbledore choose, Harry?” asked Arthur.
After a pause Harry said, “Me.”
The room went deadly quiet at Harry’s announcement. Professor McGonagall, who had not said a thing during the entire course of the meeting, finally broke the silence; “We have never gone wrong by following Dumbledore’s advice. I move to second Dumbledore’s nomination of Harry as the new head of the Order. All those in favor say I.”
Everyone said “aye” at once.
To this Professor McGonagall said, “Motion carried. Congratulations, Harry, you are now the head of the Order. I motion that we adjourn this meeting until tomorrow at ten o’clock.”
“Seconded,” Lupin said.
Harry still did not know what to think as everyone got up from the table. It was not until Hermione told everyone that they were more than welcome to stay the night, of course, that Harry was finely able to come to terms with what had just happened.
The Weasleys agreed to stay, along with Tonks, Fleur Delacour, and Lupin. Professor McGonagall, Mad Eye, and Shacklebolt all chose to leave.
Once those who were staying saw everyone off, Mr. Weasley turned to Harry and asked, “So where do we sleep?”
“Hermione and I got a chance to look around some of the place yesterday, and with Dobby’s help we found a wing of the manor that would be great for all of us. Follow me,” Harry said, and he started off.
The Potter estate was one of the oldest in the wizarding world. At one time it held over a dozen separate Potter families. Over time the family’s numbers had dwindled, leaving Harry as the last of the Potter line. Many of the wings we set up as though they were houses within the manor, with the exception of the center and largest portion of the manor, which was far too formal to live in. The furniture reminded Harry a little of Professor McGonagall in that it was far to ridge to be comfortable. This was not always true of McGonagall, really, but she did give that impression at first sight.
After three staircases, four long hallways, and a large pair of double doors, Harry announced their arrival.
“This was your,” said Lupin, “grandparents’,” finished Harry. “Yeah I know, and through those doors is my parent’s portion of the manor,” he said with a somber tone in his voice.
“That is the only wing that is off limits for anyone to make their own,” Harry said coldly, as though someone might have a problem with it.
Everyone’s reaction to the way he said it made Harry feel ashamed of himself, “Sorry, I didn’t mean…” But Molly cut him off as she pulled him in to a hug. Everyone else soon joined her. Harry was happy that with a group hug this big it was easy to hide a tear if you wanted to. All the girls didn’t even try and their tears flowed freely.
With the tears dry again, Harry showed Molly and Arthur the master suite, which in its own right was almost a house by itself. Besides the bedroom it had two enormous full baths, two private studies, two walk-in wardrobes larger than any room in the Burrow, and a living room that would hold the first floor of the Burrow with room to spare.
“Merlin’s beard,” expounded Ron. “I never knew you owned something like this, Harry.”
“Oh, that reminds me,” Harry said. Starting with his new mum, he put his hand on her shoulder and said, “I, Harry Potter, do hereby grant Molly Weasley all rights and powers belonging to a resident of Potter Manor.” After her he moved to the next person in the room until he had done this with everyone. When he got to Ginny he almost faltered, he was too close; all he wanted to do was kiss her…just one kiss. Harry shook his thoughts away and preformed the rite.
After he was finished, Harry explained that they all could Apparate anywhere within the boundaries, but not directly on or off the grounds. With that taken care of, he showed everyone else his or her rooms. For the most part the other bedroom suites were very similar each having one bedroom, a bath, walk-in wardrobe, private study, and a sizable sitting room. “Tomorrow, after the meeting, I will take you all down to the Potter family vault to get some money so each of you can make your room yours,” Harry said, quickly adding, “I expect you to each spend a thousand Galleons on your rooms, and if you spend one Knut less I will be very insulted. This is our home and I want you to make it look like our home.” Everyone could tell that this was non-negotiable and let it go at that.
Soon everyone had exchanged hugs, said their goodnights, and was fast asleep, with the exception of two of the manor’s new residents.
Ginny was finding it hard to sleep; with what Harry had told everyone she understood why Harry had broken up with her. “Prat,” mumbled Ginny. How could he not see that not being with him was killing her? She had the urge to go to Harry and beat the snot out of him, and before she knew it she was standing in front of her bedroom door. As she put her hand on the knob, she lost her conviction. Then, as she started back to her bed, Ginny thought she heard a noise outside her room.
Outside Ginny’s room, Harry stood fighting all his willpower not to just burst in and take her in his arms. ‘NO!’ Harry yelled to himself, and he began to return to his room. To his surprise her door opened and she said “Harry?”
“Sorry, Ginny, I did not mean to wake you,” said Harry, as he began to once again walk away.
“Harry James P-Potter,” Ginny said, doing her best to sound stern, but it came out as a quiver.
“Sorry, Ginny,” and with that he went to his room, leaving Ginny crushed.