Disclaimer: The Harry Potter world is the property of J.K. Rowling.
The plot is of my own invention.
“And what about you, Harry? Still want to be an Auror?”
Harry and a number of his friends were lingering in the Great Hall on the evening of their final N.E.W.T. exam. He was about to answer the question when Luna spoke up first.
“Of course he isn’t, Hermione. Harry’s had enough of chasing bad wizards and witches around.”
Harry opened his mouth to correct Luna but realized she was close enough to the truth so he let her analysis stand. The past three weeks had been so busy he scarcely had time to think of the future, other than he and Ginny being together. He looked up at the Head Girl and nodded slightly at Luna as if to say, What she said.
“And Ronald still wants to play Quidditch, probably for the Chudley Canons, but he wants to be on a winning team so he’s rethinking that option.” Luna smiled strangely at him and tried to wink, but the left side of her face just scrunched up. It was rather comical.
“What about me, Luna?” Ginny asked, curious about the Ravenclaw’s prediction.
“Oh, you’re going to go through the motions of attending school next term, get a few N.E.W.T.s and wait for Harry to ask you to marry him,” she said serenely, looking off into the mostly empty Hall with her head half cocked to the left.
“Wha…?” Ron started, though more in amusement at his friend’s and sister’s look of annoyance and discomfort.
“Really, Ronald, how could you find that a surprise? They are the only two in love more than Stubby Boardman and Lana Emmerson, don’t you think?” Hermione choked back a laugh. “And speaking of love, when are you and…”
“Ok, ok, that’s enough,” Ron cut in, his face turning the color of a ripe red tomato. Hermione elbowed him as she tried to suppress a chuckle.
“Diane,” Luna began again, much to Harry’s discomfort, “leaves for the States soon to have another fight with her guardian.”
“Shut up, Luna,” Diane muttered dangerously, but the blonde Sixth Year paid no heed.
“Then she’s going to Central America to look for…” But the rest of Luna’s comment was truncated; a large ugly looking metal zipper had replaced her lips and it was shut tight. Everyone glanced at Diane, who, they could easily tell, was about to explode.
A tense few seconds ended with a wave of Diane’s hand which caused the zipper to disappear and Luna’s lips to return.
“That was interesting, Diane. Would you show me how you did that?” Luna asked. “I would very much like to use it on a number of students.”
The absurdity of the exchange lightened the atmosphere enough that Harry felt he could say something.
“Er “ Hermione and I have to meet with McGonagall about the Leaving ceremony. Do any of you have ideas for something different this year?”
When it was obvious Luna was about to say something, Ron, Ginny and Hermione all spoke at once, very quickly, trying to preempt the Ravenclaw. The remainder of the conversation was lively.
With most of the students outside and enjoying the weather, the Gryffindor common room was nearly empty, though the open windows carried the sounds of people playing games on the grounds far below. Harry was looking at some of the books Ginny had brought back from his vault at Gringotts, while she watched over his shoulder. The most interesting was another family album Harry’s parents had put together covering the years after they were married. It started shortly following their wedding, through their Auror training in the Americas and ended with a brief note saying that Lily was pregnant and more pictures would follow in a separate album. This last entry was dated February 1980.
Ginny moved around to sit with Harry and watch his face as he looked at the album. He gave no reaction until the last page. James and Lily were embracing, though his mother’s arms covered her slightly protruding abdomen and her face glowed. She would then try to move behind James, obviously timid about having her picture taken in her delicate condition.
“Your mother looks about three months along,” Ginny observed. Harry didn’t reply immediately, he appeared to be looking for another page that wasn’t there.
“They look so happy, Gin,” Harry said quietly.
“Yes, they do.” The response was cautious.
Another pause. “Maybe I should put this away with the other albums, they seem to depress me.” Closing the book, he yielded to Ginny’s pull as she lowered his head to her shoulder. “I wish I had a family like yours, Gin.”
“You do, Harry! Now don’t shake your head no, your silly prat, blood isn’t everything in families or there would be no adoptions, would there? You know my mum considers you as another son…though I can’t say I feel like your sister,” Ginny added quickly and was rewarded by a deep laugh from her boyfriend.
Harry sat up. “I know, Gin, and that means a lot to me, more than I can say… “ Then looking around the common room, distracted, he continues his lament. “What am I going to do in a few days when I’m finished here? I mean, I know I want to live in Hogsmeade to be near you…” He was rewarded with a brief kiss. “I’ve had my fill of fighting and death, and I want no part of it. I suppose I could just live off my inheritance…”
“Harry Potter: Playboy. Somehow that doesn’t fit you, love. But I’m all for you living nearby.”
They sat together in silence for a long time, Harry deeply in thought about his last days at the only home he ever really knew, Ginny trying to suppress her anxiety at being away from her boyfriend. Finally she spoke again.
“Have you decided if you’re going to come to the Burrow after the Leaving ceremony?”
“No… I mean yes, I’ve decided. And no, I’m going straight to Grimmauld Place and then to Godric’s Hollow.” He saw Ginny’s face fall, her parents would never let her accompany Harry unescorted. Then he smiled, remembering the reason why.
“Still thinking about rebuilding?”
“Yeah, I’ll camp out while the foundation is repaired and the outer walls put up, but that should only take a few days. Remus is going to be with me most of the time while Tonks is away at some Auror refresher courses.” Harry fidgeted nervously, trying to keep the mood light and happy. There was a long pause.
“It’s really brilliant about Ron’s tryout, don’t you think?” Ginny asked.
“He wont have any problem, it’s just a reserve keeper slot. I expect he’ll be starting for them in no time, their first-string keeper is worthless.” Harry paused before bringing up another subject. “And Hermione’s determined to go on to Cambridge.” It was more a statement than a question. “A bit odd, wouldn’t you say?”
“She doesn’t think so. The real question is what will happen to their relationship. Ron’s right pissed about it, but he’s being a prat himself. He could have tried out for the East Anglia team but he was so determined to play for Chudley.” Ginny’s voice held the disappointment they both felt. After their break-up and reunion she and Harry were sure they would stay together; it didn’t look hopeful now.
“You seen Diane lately?”
“I think she’s in London…”
“London?! What’s she doing there?” Harry said heatedly.
“You ask her, love, she doesn’t tell me anything any more,” answered Ginny, her voice held more than a little disappointment. “Maybe Luna’s seen her.”
Harry gave Ginny a skeptical look.
“Dinner?” Harry asked, holding out his hand. Accepting it, Ginny walked with Harry to the Great Hall in a troubled silence.
The Ides of June were splendid in Scotland in 1998, and the Leaving celebration at Hogwarts was packed with more guests than any professor could recall. With the lake and Dumbledore’s tomb as a backdrop thousands of friends, family members and Ministry officials crowded the school grounds. Marcus Proudfoot was the keynote speaker and delivered a stirring address that left everyone clapping and shouting “Hogwarts! Hogwarts! Hogwarts!” when he finished.
Academic awards were presented, most going to Hermione Granger, except in Defense Against the Dark Arts which, appropriately, was awarded to Harry Potter.
Standing far in the back of the crowd of guests, and not with his family, was Arthur Weasley. Beside him sat a somewhat older man writing furiously in one of a number of Muggle notebooks he had brought with him. When Harry’s name was mentioned he stopped writing and looked up to see the object of his investigation. Arthur noticed his hesitation and pointed out a number of Harry’s friends and the contributions they had made to the Wizarding world. When he spoke of Ron and Ginny, Michael Allen looked at the senior Weasley and received a curt nod and thin smile in reply.
The ceremony was closed with a brief address from the Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall, and then all were invited to refreshments where the Leaving Seventh Year students could mingle one final time.
Conspicuously absent was Diane Bradley. Harry had not seen nor heard from her in days, and when he and Hermione approached McGonagall about it she told them simply, “Don’t worry about her, she’s fine.” Both suspected, correctly, that the Headmistress knew more than she was letting on. Turning to walk off, Hermione noticed an odd smile on McGonagall’s face as Harry went his way.
Remus, Tonks and Hagrid were there to congratulate Harry, following, of course, the Weasleys. Harry refused to say good bye to Hagrid as he planned to see at least as much of his half-giant friend when he moved into Hogsmeade the upcoming September. And there was Remus and Tonks’ wedding, too. The date had been moved a couple times but was now firmly set at August 20th.
Following congratulations from his family, Ron, holding Hermione’s hand, led her to another part of the lawn where some familiar faces greeted them. Tré Mellanson, her sister Jacqueline, and a number of other men and women who resembled them, were standing ready to greet them. She was shocked most of all when a young woman, about her age, ran forward and embraced Ron, kissing him on both cheeks, and then once briefly on the mouth. And to her further astonishment, she could not understand a word they were saying, both were conversing in French “ though Ron’s was a bit halting and he paused for the girl to fill in a word here or there.
“Hermione, this is my good friend Nettie Mellanson,” Ron said, then looking back to the French girl, “Nettie, this is my, er, this is Hermione.”
The two shook hands in a friendly manner and then Ron began to introduce Hermione to Nettie’s siblings and parents. Just about then Charlie walked up.
“Just like old times, eh, Ron?” he snickered, elbowing his youngest brother. Then he stepped up to Tré and kissed her. “Bonjour, mon ami. Ca va, bien?”
“Naturellement, mon cher,” Tré replied, leaning her forehead against Charlie’s and stroking his cheek lovingly.
When the introductions were complete, Nettie led Ron and Hermione off behind her family. Standing unnoticed until that moment was a handsome red-haired man who appeared to be in his early twenties.
“Ron, Hermione, this is my friend, Claude.” Then in French to the man, “Claude, ça c'est Ron Weasley et son amie, Hermione.”
At the mention of Ron’s name, the young man’s face lit up; he stepped up and took his hand, shaking it vigorously. Glancing to the side, Ron saw that Nettie had a beautiful smile on her face as she looked at Claude. She was obviously in love. Ron gave Claude a friendly thump on the shoulder, nodded at him, and turned back to Hermione. “’Mione, would you excuse us for a minute?” He also spoke a few words in French to Claude and then motioned for Nettie to follow, leaving Claude and Hermione sharing curious looks.
A twinge of jealousy gnawed at Hermione as she watched Ron and Nettie walk off a ways; Ron was obviously engrossed in a fervent conversation with his friend about something. His hands waved about erratically for a moment until Nettie touched his upper right arm which seemed to calm him. She then spoke to him for a few minutes and Ron would occasionally nod or shake his head, in concurrence or disagreement, Hermione could not tell. Twice, she heard Claude say something to her that she didn’t understand, but she caught his drift: “What are they going on about?” She just shrugged.
Eventually their exchange ended and Ron and Nettie returned, both walking to their respective partners. After brief, friendly farewells, the two former Hogwarts students returned to their classmates; Claude, hand-in-hand with Nettie, returned to her family. On the walk back to the crowds Ron asked Hermione if she would accompany him somewhere that evening. He was quite mysterious about where they were going but Ron was insistent, it was a surprise and he would not, “Keep her out past her bedtime.” Laughing, Hermione agreed and they separated to inform their respective parents.
Moving together from family to family and from friend to friend, Ginny could sense that Harry was becoming more anxious as the day progressed. He had been consciously avoiding Jason Graham, slipping in and out of family groups, dragging Ginny hither and yon in spite of her scolding him playfully for his cowardice. But his luck was about to end. Turning left to avoid Professor Binns he ran directly into the Salem School principal and had to release Ginny’s hand to prevent the American from tripping over a nearby pod of chairs.
“Harry! I had the feeling you were avoiding me…” Seeing Harry’s guilty look Jason Graham frowned. “You were avoiding me, weren’t you?”
“Erm”no…yeah, sorry, I was…” Harry trailed off, quite tongue-tied, much to Ginny’s amusement.
“Harry, if it’s because of Diane, please, don’t worry, she’s fine,” he said reassuringly.
“Then where is she? I can’t believe she went though an entire term here and didn’t show for her certificate.”
Jason looked at Harry suspiciously. “Harry, Diane didn’t tell you, did she?” he asked.
“Er, no, I don’t think so…was it something about you?”
“Me?! Good grief, no, Harry…ah! You’re thinking we were fighting about something. Well, I suppose we were, but… She really hasn’t told you what we were…?” Jason suddenly looked terribly uncomfortable. “Just a moment, I have to do something.” Turning, Jason walked to the far side of the lake, took out a cellular phone, and made a call. When he returned ten minutes later, Harry and Ginny were still waiting; Ron and Hermione had joined them. But Jason’s expression was even more difficult to read.
“Harry, I just spoke with Diane. She wants to know if you can meet her tomorrow. She also asked that Remus Lupin accompany you.”
“Oh, Harry!” Ginny moaned with the expectation of another long separation.
“Jason, what’s going on with her?” Harry asked, his temper flaring.
“I can’t tell you, Harry, except that…”
“Then no, I have plans here. Tell Diane she can find me at Godric’s Hollow.”
“Ok, Harry. Sorry, I’m very surprised at her and…” But Jason couldn’t continue. He shrugged, shook everyone’s hand in congratulations, and walked off in the direction of the Headmistress.
“That was odd,” Ron said. “I wonder what’s going on.”
“I don’t know, but she’s getting on my nerves. Look, Ginny and I are having dinner in Hogsmeade tonight. You two want to join us?”
“We’d love to, Harry,” Hermione started, then hesitated.
“The thing is, mate, Hermione and I have an engagement, er… date.”
Hours later, with the Hogwarts Express departed and the school grounds nearly empty, Ron met Hermione for their rendezvous. Try as she might, Hermione was unable to get Ron to talk about where they were going or what they were doing. He would only tell her to bring a jacket because it may get chilly. Thus prepared, Ron pulled an old flask of Fire Whiskey from his jacket and set it on the ground.
“I had this Port key made for us; ready?” Hermione nodded silently and held Ron’s hand. “Activate!” In seconds they found themselves whirling through the sky and landing gracefully on a nearly deserted beach. There were a few Muggles about, but all were gathering their chairs and other beach paraphernalia and within minutes the couple was alone. They walked up to the sea wall and Ron pulled a small package from his pocket, set it on the sand and magically expanded it into a pile of wood. With another swish of his wand the wood was lit and began providing a welcome warmth from the chilly sea breeze. One last spell transformed a couple rocks into comfortable chairs and Ron beckoned Hermione to sit with him.
They talked for a long time. Ron explained where they were, but not why. They watched the sun set over the channel. And later, still silent about why he had brought them to the beach, Ron told Hermione to wait a bit longer. He produced a simple French dinner of wine, cheese, bread and an unusual tasting meat. Afterwards, Hermione pulled Ron up and herself transfigured the two chairs into a single large one. “Warmer this way,” she said, blushing.
Late into the evening, Ron finally told Hermione it was time to go. Taking her hand, he led the confused witch to the water’s edge and simply said, “Wait, and watch.”
They did not have to linger long.
Though Ron was studying the water closely it was Hermione that first noticed a change in the surroundings. The wind died out, the sky blackened, the water became as still as death and the surface, which had just started reflecting the stars, suddenly began to change. As it had more than half a year ago for Ron and Nettie, the sparkles of light on the water began to move and rise off the surface. In awe, and even a little fright, Hermione pulled Ron in closer to herself and felt the comfort and security of his arms wrapping around her back.
Both were unable to speak as the vortex of light began to swirl around. Then something happened that had not occurred the previous fall: the whirl of light stopped completely and formed into seven groups, finally uniting into seven distinctly human shapes. Hermione gasped as she recognized the images, the soldiers of seven nations. She heard Ron mutter a noise of amazement. “This didn’t happen before, with you and Nettie, did it?”
“No.”
The figures stood silently for a few seconds, regarding their surroundings and each other. They then started speaking, but neither Ron nor Hermione could hear them. “Nettie said she thought they were pieces of the souls of the soldiers who died here.”
“What do they want?”
“Don’t know, really, maybe just to be remembered.”
“How long does it go on?”
“Last time it seemed like hours but wasn’t more than a minute or two.”
In silence, the couple watched in awe as the specters moved around and interacted with each other. And, just as had happened the last time Ron witnessed the spectacle, it ended abruptly. The faint glow from the lights of a nearby town could be seen over the sea wall, the waves could be heard slapping against the wet sand, even the dull whoosh of an automobile passing on a isolated road. Everything was as it had been, as if nothing had ever happened.
Standing together, not only for companionship but for warmth, Ron and Hermione clung to each other. This is how it should be, Ron thought to himself. Then he made a decision. “’Mione, I’m going to pull out of the Canons’ tryouts. East Anglia has a better team and would be better for me, I think. And better for us.” He was slightly annoyed, at first, when Hermione laughed.
“Really? I was just about to tell you I would look into Bristol’s University for next term.”
“B-But they don’t offer the…”
“No, they don’t, Ron, but they do have you.”
“Bloody…” Hermione stopped the curse with a kiss. “You’d do that for me?”
“I’d do it for us.” This time Ron initiated the kiss.
“I love you, ‘Mione,” Ron said into her ear, which was quite a feat in itself, him having to bend over a good thirty centimeters to reach it.
“Hmm, really? Not just because I cleaned ink off your homework?”
He pulled her in closer. “You know the answer to that.”
While Ron and Hermione were walking the beaches of Normandy, Ginny and Harry were dining at the Red Lion, the latest new pub in Hogsmeade. The food was quite good, Harry reckoned, and they were afforded the privacy both wanted when he slipped the maître d’ a few Galleons while Ginny wasn’t looking. But except for the enjoyable company, Harry was deeply distracted by what was happening with Diane. Jason’s puzzling statements had been bothering him all afternoon, and in spite of frequent summons, Ankaa would not come to him. Finally, Ginny set her fork and knife down and asked what was wrong.
“I just have a feeling, Gin. Diane’s been acting strange the past few months. I’m worried about her.”
“Then find out what’s going on,” she said simply. “Otherwise you’ll worry yourself to death about it. Godric’s Hollow will wait, and I’ll wait.”
“You mean it?”
“Of course. Just don’t take forever.” Smiling, she reached across the table and took her best friend’s hands.
Harry, feeling bold, smiled back and took a chance. “I love you, Gin.”
Stifling a chuckle, Ginny smiled the way that melted Harry’s heart. “I know that you prat, and I love you, too. Let’s finish our dinner and get you on your way.”
Late that night, Harry Floo’d to Grimmauld place to tell Remus about his change of plans. The house was lit up but quiet as he walked into the kitchen. The scene that greeted him was so out of the ordinary he drew his wand apprehensively. Remus and Tonks were standing on the far side of the long kitchen table. Remus looked stunned, though Harry wasn’t sure if it was because of his unannounced appearance or something else. Tonks was covering her mouth and clearly had been crying. The table itself was strewn with papers and books, and oddly, some pictures of the first Order of the Phoenix which included a couple wizard photos of his parents. But none of these things startled Harry as much as seeing Jason Graham and Diane Bradley sitting at one end of the table where they had obviously been pouring over a small mountain of Muggle spiral notebooks.
“H-Harry, you… you…” Diane stuttered, looking up. Then, surprising him even more, she jumped up, ran across the kitchen and embraced him. To make matters worse, as if they could be any worse, she started crying.
“Wha…?” Harry started to ask, but Remus and Tonks just stared at him and froze his words. He looked back to Jason Graham who was nervously tapping his pen on one of the notebooks. When he saw Harry look his way he conspicuously closed the top one and folded his hands on them.
Harry pried Diane off of himself and set her at the table. Whatever had happened, he knew, had upset his friend greatly but none of the adults were offering any answers. Yet. Putting his wand away he self-consciously patted Diane on the back and moved towards Remus and Tonks. “Remus? Tonks? What’s wrong?” They said nothing and appeared almost petrified.
He looked to Jason and remembered what he’d been told after the Leaving ceremony. “You told me to find Diane. Why is she here? What is all this?” he demanded, pointing to the piles of paper and books on the table, becoming angry; outside of the two words Diane had spoken no one had said anything since he’d entered the room.
Finally someone did.
“Harry,” Remus said, clearing his throat, “something’s happened. Er “ I mean… Merlin!”
Exasperated, Harry finally let his frustration out. “Remus, what’s going on? Why are you acting like you’ve seen Voldemort…? You haven’t seen Voldemort, have you?” he tacked on cautiously, eyes widening.
“N-No, Harry, no, thank heavens. That’s truly behind us.” Finally appearing to have regained his senses, Remus walked over to Harry and invited him to sit. “The Muggle expression, ‘seeing a ghost,’ might have been a little more appropriate.” He looked at Harry and saw nothing but confusion and concern. “Where to start?”
“How about why everyone is so upset to see me.”
As soon as he finished saying what he’d say he heard Diane choke back a cry. “Harry, we’re not upset with you,” she said between sniffles. “Quite the opposite, in fact.”
“Alright, then if you are so happy to see me why can’t you talk,” he pointed to Remus, “why do you look guilty,” then to Jason, “and why are you crying?” finally at Diane and Tonks. But Harry wasn’t given a chance to hear the explanation. From the parlor fireplace he heard the whoosh of at least eight or ten people arriving, Molly Weasley being the first, arriving in the kitchen out of breath.
“Remus… Oh, HARRY! You’re here!” she shouted, and in her distinctly Mrs. Weasley-ish manner nearly crushed him with an embrace. As Harry attempted to catch his breath, Mrs. Weasley began her own line of questioning. “Remus, did you tell him? Good heavens, what a shock! Your Owl just arrived and I brought everyone with me!”
And indeed she had. The rest of the Weasleys, including Fleur, Tré, Hermione, and ending with a beaming Ginny, all piled into the kitchen.
“Not yet, Molly! We haven’t had a chance to…” Jason began to protest, but it was hardly heard over the growing mayhem. Ginny elbowed her way through her family to an utterly confused Harry who way trying desperately to understand why everyone was happy, crying, and slapping him on his back as if he’d personally won the Quidditch World Cup. Then he caught Diane’s eyes and saw through her tears. She was smiling at him, nodding, as if saying yes to an unasked question. There was something familiar, something he’d seen before in her expression, and it sent a chill down his spine. But as his brain tried to comprehend the maddening contradictory clues, Harry heard Jason Graham shouting for quiet. This time his pleas were heeded.
“We haven’t had a chance to tell him, yet.” That silenced everyone and caused a few of the Weasleys to freeze with their faces in a guilty Oh! expression. Jason turned to Lupin. “Remus, are you sure? I mean, I think it’s correct, all the evidence makes sense. I just don’t want to get his hopes raised falsely.”
Diane reached across the table and set her hand on Jason’s. “It’s all correct; and there’s more. I haven’t told you the last piece.” This got Graham’s attention.
“There’s more?”
“Jase, please, he has to know, I saw it in his eyes a minute ago.” Diane looked back at Harry. “You do know, don’t you?” The room had become deathly quiet and everyone watched Harry.
Opening his mouth to speak, to say what he thought, what he suspected, what he hoped was true, should be easy. But nothing came out, he just looked at Diane and saw it again. Finally, shaking his head, he asked simply, “How?”
With everyone focused on Harry, Ankaa startled the crowd by flashing onto the table in a brilliant spectacle of gold and red. Then the Phoenix answered Harry’s question decisively when he nuzzled Diane’s hand.
Harry tried to smile but curiosity forced him to repeat his question, “How?”
“You started it, Harry, last Christmas,” Tonks said, giving the first clue. “When we were playing around with Di’s hair; remember? You made hers short and yours long.”
Thinking back to the night in the parlor, Harry just nodded. How could I have missed it?
“And when we were looking through my things, Harry. You found the discrepancy in my birth date. I had my friend Billie do some research and found the next clue. I had to think hard about that one. It was almost too much, finding out I was adopted. But I thought back to when I read my mother’s diary and how she kept writing these puzzling notes about ‘telling her the truth,’ meaning telling me the truth. That’s why I was so pissed at Jason, he’d known since my family was killed. I was just too hurt to look through what was left of my family’s things or I would have found out earlier.”
“But it was Ankaa,” Remus said, picking up the story and giving Harry more information, “who gave us one of the biggest clues. The night you and Diane were looking at your family photo albums.” Lupin rummaged through one of the piles on the table and picked up a small Muggle photograph. “This fell out of the spine. We found a few more when Ankaa brought us this one.” Handing Harry the picture he saw his hand shaking.
He felt someone close behind him. “Not many parents put pink ribbons in their son’s hair, do they?” Ginny asked gently. She took the photo, looked on the reverse side, and handed back to Harry. “Look on the back, love.”
Harry turned the picture over, in fading pencil was scrawled:
25 December 1979
Remus handed him three other similar photos, all had the same note on the back.
“That’s why they were in my family album,” Harry stated plainly, the pieces making sense and many of the questions having been answered. But still not all. Then, with a quiet solemnity he looked at Diane and said it: “You’re my sister, aren’t you?” The look in Diane’s eyes was all the confirmation he needed. They reached for each other and were, for the first time that they both knew, reunited as a family.
Harry’s eyes misted as they embraced, but he still found it hard to say much. After a long pause, Diane whispered into her brother’s ear, “We’ll just keep the part about you kissing me quiet, ok?” and both burst into laughter.
In the background they could hear people leaving the kitchen to give them the privacy they needed. Remus and Jason stayed behind, however, anticipating Harry asking more questions. And they had many more to answer shortly.
“Why?” Harry asked for the fifth time. “Why did my parents give their first, er, Diane up for adoption?”
“That’s a most difficult question, Harry, and it took a lot of research and not a little guesswork to think of a logical reason.” Lupin pulled out a picture Harry had seen not long ago of his parents shortly after leaving Hogwarts. Then he presented another picture when they knew his mother was pregnant with him. “Lily was very self-conscious about her body when she was pregnant with you. Remember this?” He pointed at a picture of James and Lily when they knew she was pregnant with him. “She was still cheerful and happy, but Lily hid behind James.” Lupin handed Harry a few more shots with similar poses.
“Then we, Diane and I,” Jason said, “approached Remus with our theory. This was just a few weeks ago. He dug up pictures of your parents from when your mother would have been pregnant with Diane and she exhibited the same behavior: hiding behind people in photographs.” Harry gave Jason a skeptical look. “I know it still isn’t much, and very circumstantial, so we needed confirmation. But in the U.S., obtaining birth-mother records for adoptions is nearly impossible. Here again Remus was able to help.”
“Harry, if we did our math properly, Diane was conceived about the middle of March 1979.”
Harry looked up, there was something familiar about the date. “Wasn’t that when my parents were…” He saw Remus nod.
“That’s correct, Harry. They were doing their final Auror training in Central America at the time. Knowing what we know now, I suspect they planned it that way to be out of the country when their first child, Diane, was born.”
“She was sick! My mother was sick, you said, when they returned from training and spent time at St. Mungo’s.”
“And that’s where we went next. Arthur Weasley obtained a court order to open Lily’s records and we found copious notes referring to her post-partum recovery and depression.” Lupin looked gravely at Harry and Diane. “I remember both your parents being very down when they returned from overseas. They said it was due to Lily’s illness and her not being able to be certified as an Auror. The cover story worked very well. They were never really happy again until they became pregnant with you.”
Harry sat still, numb, absorbing the life altering events taking place. In the parlor he could hear Mrs. Weasley talking about having another daughter. Ginny shushed her.
“And I have one more piece of proof, Harry. I haven’t even told Jase and Remus this, yet. When we were in Poland, I suspected our relation, but when you were able to detect the hidden building, and cast the spell on the trap door in Grindelwald’s lab, I was sure. You thought they were such easy spells, but that explosion would have destroyed everything within fifty yards…”
“I-I was… what do you call it?”
“Channeling. You combined our magic and focused it. You might have even amplified it, that’s an even rarer form of Coalescence, I can’t even do that.”
“Is that why you called me ‘dense’? Because I didn’t realize what I’d done.”
Diane smiled and nodded. “Yeah, that, among other things.” She smiled mischievously.
“And the hair thing; what made you think…” Harry stopped and concentrated, he shortened Diane’s hair, much to her annoyance. “You have the same bloody hair as I do when it’s short!” he laughed, seeing the hair around the crown of her head stick out. He returned it to it’s normal state and sighed. “This is too much.” Then Harry stood and started pacing. “But why? You’ve explained the ‘how,’ but I just can’t imagine my parents giving up a child.”
“Harry, you have to remember what was going on at that time,” Lupin pleaded. “The first war against Voldemort was going very badly. I don’t think we can ever really know what moved James and Lily to do what they did, but Sirius and I - and even Pettigrew “ trusted them with our lives. There must be a sound reason somewhere, but…” he shrugged helplessly.
“Believe me, Harry,” Diane said, “I’m curious about that, too. Actually, I’m more than curious, I’m angry. I mean, I had a great life growing up, couldn’t have asked for more, but jeez!”
“Ahem, I might be able to add something, Harry,” Arthur Weasley said, he had silently entered the kitchen.
“Don’t tell me you knew all about this, too, Mr. Weasley,” Harry snapped.
“No, son, I didn’t,” he replied calmly. “But I do know this: There was a Prophecy in the Department of Mysteries for a Diane Lillian Potter until two years ago.”
“What?!” Harry and Diane cried out at the same time.
“When Ginny told me you were coming here tonight I began to have a hunch that Diane was your sister. For weeks Tonks and Remus had been asking questions about Lily, your mother, and I remembered her and James shortly before they left for overseas. I sent an express Owl to the Ministry Records Department asking if there were any Prophecies for someone named Potter dated after the early1970’s, except yours, Harry. I just received the reply that one existed… until two years ago.”
Harry moaned, sinking back in the chair. “We destroyed it, didn’t we? At the battle against the Death Eaters when we smashed some of the globes.” Mr. Weasley nodded. “It appears so, Harry. I’m sorry.”
The kitchen was silent for a long time. Mr. Weasley left, along with Remus Lupin and Jason Graham. Only Harry and Diane remained, deep in thought.
“I can’t believe it, Harry,” Diane whispered, as if saying it aloud would make it not so. “I still have a family.”
“I know. What are you going to do now?”
“I’ve already applied to the Ministry for permanent resident status. I think I’d like to be closer to you… if that’s not a problem,” Diane added hastily.
“N-No, not at all. I’d like that very much.”
There was another long pause. “Wow!” Diane whispered again.
“Yeah… ‘Wow!’ is right.”
Diane looked to her brother, her eyes still misty, and made a quizzical face. She reached over and pushed Harry’s fringe back. She blinked. “It’s gone, Harry!”
“What?”
“Your scar. When did that happen?”
“It’s been fading over the past few weeks,” he said, apparently unfazed by the news that one of the symbols of the entire Wizarding world had finally vanished. “But I’d say it was a fair trade, wouldn’t you?”
“What trade is that?”
Smiling, Harry answered. “Gain a sister, lose a scar.”
THE END
That’s all, folks. Thank you all for reading and sticking with me over the past five months.
One last item. I would recommend to all Harry Potter fan fiction readers the following outstanding stories. They are, by far, works of some of the best writers I’ve ever read on-line. I will not list the FF site that holds their work, but you can find them via a Google search on the titles below.
Melindaleo: The Seventh Horcrux (complete)
Chris Widger: The Grey Maiden Series (in progress)
S’Tarkan: Harry Potter and the Nightmares of Futures Past (in progress)
IHateSnakes