********I would like Danielle to be the moderator for this chapter please. Thank you. *******
A/N: all of the characters contained herein are the property of Ms. Rowling.
Leaving Harry and Dumbledore, Remus walked briskly to the information desk and inquired of the witch there where Mrs. Weasley was being treated. He returned after a brief, whispered conversation.
"She's in the Spell Damage Ward: Life Threatening Unit," he said grimly, before leading them through the hospital. He seemed to be extremely comfortable in the medical surroundings, and knew exactly where to go. Harry had noticed this before on his visits with Remus to see Aunt Petunia. He narrowed his eyes in thought.
"Remus?" Harry asked. "Have you had to be in here alot?"
"No, usually my lycanthropy doesn't require medical attention. Why do you ask?" Remus said distractedly,
as they waited for the lift to take them to the next floor. Harry shrugged.
"You've just always seemed very familiar with the place is all," Harry replied. Remus nodded and stepped onto the lift, which had finally arrived.
"I would hope so. I did most of my training here," his guardian said. Harry's eyes widened.
"I didn't know that you were a healer, Remus," he said. Remus smiled, a trifle bitterly.
"That would be because I'm not. I trained to be. I was at the top of my class too, despite how abysmal I have always been at potions. In my last year, the Werewolf Regulation Acts went through, though. I never got to finish."
"That's...that's..." Harry said, too outraged for words.
"Water under the bridge, Harry. I've moved on, and I really do enjoy teaching. Thank you though," he said softly. Dumbledore had remained quiet throughout the exchange, although he watched Remus with a solemn look in his eyes.
A soft ding announced that they had arrived on the right floor, and they exited the elevator. Lupin led them down a long corridor to a doorway marked Family Waiting Area. He opened the door and ushered Harry inside. As he stepped in, Harry was nearly knocked to the ground by the impact of a sobbing Ginny hurling herself at him.
"Oh Harry! I was so worried... and Mum is... and then Professor McGonnagall said you'd gone to the Ministry and Harry...my Mum," she sobbed. Harry wrapped his arms around her, patting her on the back gently as he'd seen Mrs. Weasley do.
"Shhhh... It'll be ok Ginny. Your Mum will be ok. I'm sorry I couldn't get there in time to stop them. I should've protected her better. I'm so sorry," Harry soothed. He felt the guilt welling up to consume him. He was supposed to be the bloody savior of the wizarding world, and yet again he had failed to protect those he loved. He kissed the top of Ginny's hair, repeating over and over again how sorry he was.
"Harry, you stupid prat," Fred Weasley said angrily from behind him. Harry sprang away from Ginny and turned to face the twins.
"When are you going to stop taking the blame for everything that mad man does?" an equally angry George said.
"You didn't fail us or Mum. You saved us," Fred said his eyes flashing
"Mum would've died if she hadn't got treatement. You were the one that made sure she did," George added.
"Besides," added Fred, "you were halfway down Diagon Alley chasing off a whole flock of dementors when she was hit."
"And then there is the fact that you blew up that death eater who was in the middle of casting the killing curse at us. I'd say you have nothing to be sorry for mate," said George, his voice softening.
It hit Harry with the force of an oncoming train then... he had killed a person. He'd managed to block it out of his mind with the happenings at the Ministry and in his worry for Mrs. Weasley, but now it filled his mind. He was no better than Voldemort. His eyes widened and he started to back away, when he felt Ginny's hand in his.
"They're right, Harry. You saved my Mum, and brothers, and who knows how many more people today. If it's anyone's fault, it's Tom's," he heard Ginny say. He looked down at her, saw the tears still sprakling on her cheeks, and forced himself to push his feelings, once again, to the back of his mind. He'd deal with it later. Right now, Ginny needed him.
"Y-you're right. I need to stop blaming myself," Harry said, not really believing it. "So... how is your Mum?"
"We don't know. They aren't saying much yet," she said. Harry nodded, watching the twins as they walked over to Remus and Dumbledore. He looked around then, checking to see how the rest of the Weasleys were handling the situation. Mr. Weasley sat on a long orange couch which stood along one wall. Bill, idolly twirled a styrofoam cup in his hands, watching the liquid swirl inside it. Charlie held a second cup and was softly talking to his father, as though trying to get him to take it. Ron stood across the room, behind Hermione. He had his arms wrapped around her and his chin rested on her head. His expression was completely blank, and Harry was fairly certain that his friend was not even aware of his presence. In a corner, away from everyone else, his arms wrapped tightly around himself and his eyes cast down, stood Percy. Ginny followed his gaze to her outcast brother, biting her lip in indecision.
"He almost didn't come, you know," Harry said quietly. "He didn't think anyone would want him here. I talked him into it."
"Harry, do you mind if..." she began. Harry shook his head.
"Go ahead Ginny. He needs you," he said gently. She pecked him on the cheek and then walked over to her brother. Harry watched as she spoke softly to him. He saw Percy look up, startled for a moment, before he opened his arms to her and she hurled herself at him, much as she had Harry earlier. Percy wrapped his arms about her, choking back a sob. Mr. Weasley looked up at the sound and, with a determined look on his face, walked over to them.
"Percy?" he said quietly. Percy jerked his head up, pulling away from Ginny.
"Dad... I'm..." he began. Mr. Weasley said nothing, just wrapped his prodigal son in a fierce hug. One by one, the other Weasley children began to walk over to their father, brother, and sister. Though Harry knew that all was, by far, not forgiven, for now a truce had been reached. As the family drew on each other for support and comfort, he looked on amazed and a trifle envious. He felt a gentle touch on his shoulder and turned to see Hermione, tears sparkling in her eyes.
"Beautiful isn't it?" she said quietly. Harry could only nod.
"Once again Mr. Potter, well done," said Dumbledore. Harry shrugged.
"It was all Ginny, sir," he said, looking down awkwardly.
"I think you helped more than you know, Harry," Dumbledore responded.
"Hermione," said Lupin, who had come over with Dumbledore," Why don't we see if we can find food for everyone. This is porbably going to be a long wait."
Sensing that Dumbledore wanted to talk to Harry alone, Hermione nodded and followed the professor out of the room. Dumbledore smiled and motioned Harry over to some chairs, which sat in one of the corners. They could talk there without disturbing the others.
"Remus tells me that you used your wandless magic today in Diagon Alley and again in the Ministry to drive the dementors away," the headmaster said, without preamble. Harry nodded.
"Yes, sir," he said. Images of what had happened in Diagon Alley and the Ministry flitted through his mind. He ached with the thought that he had killed, that he may have taken a parent away from another child, the way his had been taken from him.
"Harry," Dumbledore said gently, seeming to sense his thoughts. "You saved your friends today in Diagon Alley. You acted out of necessity, not for revenge or a thirst for power."
"I killed someone today, professor. I didn't have to. I should've found another way to stop him. I could've disarmed him or stunned him, but I saw him ready to curse Fred and George and I acted. All I could think was that he had to be stopped, so I did it. I'm no better than the people we're trying to fight," he said in a low voice. His agony was clearly visible in his eyes, before he averted them, looking down at the floor. Dumbledore regarded him sadly, sighing.
"Your father was just two years older than you are now when I had this conversation with him, Harry," he said. Harry's head snapped up .
"My dad?" Harry asked. The headmaster nodded.
"He was in auror training at the time. He'd been out on what was supposed to be a 'routine' training mission, but they ended up encountering some death eaters. One of them had Sirius cornered, and James, much like you, did what he had to. He cast a reductor curse at the man. It hit him squarely in the head, killing him instantly. Your father was devastated. He nearly dropped out of the program, until I reminded him that his intent had not been to kill the death eater but to save Sirius. It's the same with you, Harry. Did you cast that spell with the intent of killing the death eater or saving your friends?" he asked.
"I wanted to save them. I had to save them. They are my family," Harry said quietly. He wanted desperately to think of it in the terms Dumbledore did.
"The try to remember that was what was in your heart. It was rescue Harry, not murder," Dumbledore said gently. Harry nodded.
"Thank you, Professor."
"You're most welcome. There is, I'm afraid, one more matter we need to discuss. I'd rather not do it here, however, I recognize the folly in trying to get you anywhere else right now," he said kindly, his eyes twinkling over his half-moon spectacles.
"What's that, sir?" Harry asked.
"That extraordinary patronus which you cast at the Ministry," he said. "Remus tells me that it, not only, was not your normal patronus form, but that you cast it without the use of your wand." Harry nodded.
"Yes sir. I used the meditation techniques I learned for occlumency, this summer. I just sort of cleared my mind and concentrated on drawing my magic into me and then releasing it at the dementors. I was as suprised as everyone else when it was a green pheonix instead of a silver stag," Harry said. He could practically see the wheels turning in Dumbledore's head as he digested Harry's words.
"Well, it seems you've made quite a bit of progress in a very short time, Harry," he said.
"Sir, there's more. I don't think it was exactly a normal patronus, I mean, aside from the fact that it wasn't silver. I think it actually hurt the dementors when it touched them and when it came back to me...." Harry hesitated searching for the right words. "It was like I absorbed it back into me rather than letting it dissipate. Does that make any sense?" Dumbledore's eyes widened.
"You're quite certain of this Harry?" he asked. Harry nodded. Dumbledore gazed intently at him for a moment, and then seemed to reach some decision.
"I think that I'm going to have to look into this further before I reach any conclusions. For now however, I believe that you should go to your friends."
Harry glanced over at the Weasleys, again. They had broken apart once more. Now, however, Percy was standing with Mr. Weasley and Ginny, while Bill and Charlie stood a little ways apart, talking to the twins. Fred and George appeared to be getting an account of what had transpired at the Ministry. Ron was sitting alone on the couch, his head in his hands.
"I think you're right, professor... and thank you again," Harry said, before rising and walking over to Ron. He sat down next to his best friend, not really sure what to say. He suddenly felt he knew what Ron had gone through, trying to find the words for him after Sirius had died.
"Allright mate?" he finally settled on, feeling hopelessly inept. Ron looked up and nodded stoically. His eyes, however, gave away the fear he was feeling.
"She'll be ok, Ron. Your mum is the strongest person I know," Harry said, praying that he was right.
"But what if she isn't, Harry?" Ron said, his voice breaking. "What would we do without her?" Harry thought about all the empty lies and meaningless platitudes people had given him, and decided to answer as honestly as he could.
"I don't know. I hope we never find out," he said simply.
"I'll tell you what we'd do, Ron," Ginny said. Neither boy had seen her come over. "We'd go on fighting, like she'd want. We'd help Harry beat Tom, and then we'd live our lives and be happy and never, ever forget her."
Her voice trembled, and Harry could see unshed tears in her eyes, as she tried desperately to fill her mum's roll as the heart of the family. She sat down next to her brother, putting her arm around his back and laying her head on her shoulder. Ron, in turn, snaked his arm around his sister and leaned his head over so it lay on hers. Closing his eyes, he finally gave in to his pain and fear, allowing his tears to trickle slowly from underneath his lashes.
"Thanks sis," he said in an unsteady voice.
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Several hours later, Harry sat on the waiting room couch with Ginny, asleep in his arms. His mind was whirling with thoughts of all that had happened that day. His thoughts flew from the bittersweet memories Lupin and Hagrid had shared with Harry, to the fights in Diagon Alley and the Ministry, and finally to the pain and worry that they all felt over Mrs. Weasley. He looked around at his surrogate family.
Ron and Hermione sat on the other end of the couch, holding hands and talking quietly. Hermione had been a rock for Ron, and Harry was unsure how his friend would have made it through the difficult waiting without her. Across the room, Mr. Weasley sat with his three oldest children, who were offering him what comfort they could. The twins seemed to be taking it the hardest. They had been there when their mother fell and seemed to feel, despite their earlier words to Harry, that her condition was their fault. Dumbledore had left shortly after his talk with Harry, but Remus remained. He sat drinking coffee with Tonks, who had arrived just after Dumbledore left. She kept casting Remus worried looks, and with good reason. Remus was not looking well at all. Harry remembered, then, that the next night would be a full moon, and sighed, knowing what awaited his guardian. The sound of the waiting room door opening broke his reverie. Everyone immediately came to attention.
"Mr. Weasley?" an exhausted looking healer inquired.
"Gin?" Harry said, nudging her awake and nodding towards the healer. She cast a wide fearful look at her boyfriend. He marveled at how strong she had been for her brothers and father that night, allowing no one but him to see just how scared and worried she really was.
"It'll be ok, love," he said gently, helping her to her feet. Taking her hand, he lead her over to where the rest of the family stood listening to the healer.
"She's awake, now. She has been through quite a trauma, however, and lost quite a bit of blood. That spell is fatal nine times out of ten. It attacks the internal organs and can do quite a bit of damage. She is, obviously, a very resilient, very strong witch. .She will be very weak for a while, and is going to need plenty of rest, however, we feel that she will make a full recovery."
Cries of delight, and great whoops of sheer joy (from the twins) broke out. Ginny hugged Harry fiercely and kissed him, before moving on to her dad and brothers. Ron had wrapped Hermione in a bear hug and swung her around the room.
"Did you hear that, Hermione? She's going to be fine! Mum is allright!" he was shouting.
A sudden clarity of thought reached Harry then, as he joined in the Weasley's celebration. As he saw their joy and love for one another, he knew. This was what he was fighting for. This was what he would kill, had killed, to defend. This was his family, the people he loved. No matter what it took, he would stop Voldemort before the pain and darkness he brought touched them again.
A/N: Now you know. I just couldn't bring myself to kill Mum. Thanks, as always, go out to Danielle for moderating, my son Will for being my beta, and all of you for your wonderful reviews. A couple of people have asked if the spell which hit Mrs. Weasley was the same a theone which hit Hermione at the Ministry... yes it was, onlythis onewas full force because the death eater was actually able to speak the incantation. Next chapter: Halloween, Hogsmede, Pranks, and the motorcycle