The Die is Cast
The door was suddenly thrown open with a loud bang, and Harry, still at the desk with his head resting in his arms, jumped and sat up, groping around for his wand.
–Happy birthday!†Ron shouted, clapping Harry on the shoulder. Hedwig, still perched next to Harry, hooted at Ron indignantly.
Harry blinked, and looked around, rubbing his shoulder. –That was the shoulder you landed on yesterday!†he told Ron, annoyed.
Ron looked slightly sheepish. –Well, I have to be excited for now, since going to take us to the Ministry for our Apparition exams in about an hour.â€
Harry shrugged. –Both of us need to do it before we leave, and that’s tonight, Ron.â€
Ron pressed his fingers to his lips, and glanced at the door. –Mum’s up, Harry, and we don’t want her hearing that, whatever we do tonight.â€
Harry felt his face grow slightly warm as he realized his slip. –Blimey, I’m going to have to do better. Speaking of which…â€
He pointed his wand at the pile of crumpled letter drafts, which vanished instantly.
–What were those?†asked Ron curiously. When Harry didn’t answer, he told him, –Good first use of overage magic, mate.â€
Harry smirked, and flicked his wand. Ron yelled as he suddenly found himself hanging upside-down.
–OI!â€
Harry laughed, and flicked his wand again. Ron landed on Harry’s bed, and he sat up, massaging the back of his neck.
–I owe you one for that,†he said, but he was grinning.
–No, because it’s just payback for you hitting my sore shoulder,†Harry riposted.
At that moment, Mrs. Weasley stuck her head inside his room. –What’s going on in here?â€
–Harry’s making the most of being of age.â€
Mrs. Weasley raised her eyebrows at her son, but she turned to Harry with a wide smile. –Happy birthday, Harry. I’ve been preparing you some breakfast…â€
–You didn’t have to.â€
–… which will be ready in five minutes,†she continued, as though there had been no interruption. –Come on down when you’re ready.â€
Harry nodded, and arched his back, which ached from his less-than-comfortable position during the night. As Mrs. Weasley left the room, Harry turned back to Ron, and asked quietly, –Are you finished packing?â€
–Hermione did the internal extension thing to my rucksack,†Ron said, –but I haven’t finished yet.â€
–You’d better do it quick, then, before somebody guesses that something’s up,†Harry told him.
Ron nodded. –I’ll try to finish it now.â€
With that, he got up and left the room; Harry stood up, stretching his back a bit more, before making his way down the stairs and into the kitchen. Ginny and Mr. Weasley were already seated at the table.
–Happy seventeenth,†Ginny told him. –Enjoy it while you can, since you’re about to have your last examination for a while.â€
Harry grunted.
–Do you feel ready?†asked Mr. Weasley. –We can always delay it, if you wish.â€
Harry shook his head. –No, I’m ready. I’m just not looking forward to whatever Scrimgeour might do.â€
Ginny patted his arm sympathetically. –Maybe you should try making Scrimgeour even more annoyed with you than you are with him. It might get him off your back.â€
–We don’t want any more trouble from the Minister,†Mr. Weasley said. –Given Harry’s history with the Ministry of Magic, the last thing we need is them turning on him again.â€
–They’re not on my side,†Harry muttered. –They never have been. Frankly, I don’t care what Scrimgeour thinks of me.â€
Harry’s eyes met Ginny’s, and he refrained from adding, –Not that it matters.†It wouldn’t do for Mr. Weasley to suspect him. Soon he would be on the run from everyone; hopefully Dumbledore’s letter would persuade Kingsley to call off any search for him, but Scrimgeour undoubtedly would scour the entire country for him.
Ginny kept a calm, casual demeanor, but he noticed her look away for a moment, before she stood and told him that she needed a shower. Harry watched her go for a moment, wondering how she took the situation so well, since every time he saw Ginny these days, knowing that he might never return from his mission, made his heart clench painfully. But as soon as she was gone, Mrs. Weasley served Harry his breakfast, and he dug in, hoping that Mr. Weasley hadn’t noticed anything.
After Harry finished his eggs and bacon, Ron finally appeared in the kitchen and served himself some toast.
–Where have you been?†demanded Mr. Weasley. –We’ve got to be there in half an hour!â€
–Lost track of the time,†Ron said innocently, lowering himself in the chair Ginny had vacated.
–Well, you’d better hurry it up, then,†his father told him, as he stood up, –because we’re going in five minutes. Thank God you’re dressed.â€
Ron shot Harry an annoyed look, and the latter shrugged as Mr. Weasley left the kitchen. Mrs. Weasley, having finished cleaning up the kitchen, followed him out.
–I’m about to take a test, and all I get to eat is one slice of toast?†Ron grumbled mutinously.
–Perhaps you’ll Apparate more easily with less in your stomach,†Harry offered.
–Then you have the disadvantage,†Ron shot back.
–Perhaps your mum will cook you something better if you pass,†Harry pointed out as he put his dishes in the sink.
Ron looked slightly cheered at that, but then his smile faltered. –What if I don’t pass?â€
–You will,†Harry insisted, and then added in a low voice, –Even so, we’ve got alternatives, as Hermione demonstrated last night. It could be come our primary method of transportation.†He then smirked. –She’s not going to like that.â€
Ron sighed. –You’re right. I’ll pass… I think. I’ve already taken it once. This time I’ll keep my eyebrows.â€
He finished off his toast, and a moment later Mr. Weasley came back in. –Let’s go.â€
The Ministry of Magic wasn’t that crowded when they arrived, but to Harry’s shock, as he and Ron approached the security wizards, both sporting square silver identification badges, he caught sight of a group of reporters standing by the repaired fountain in the atrium, including, to his great annoyance, Rita Skeeter.
–What are they here for?†asked Ron, staring.
Harry didn’t speculate. He had a sneaking suspicion what this was about. –Bloody Scrimgeour,†he muttered.
Sure enough, as they approached the security desk, one of the reporters cried, –There he is!†and the cameras started flashing. Trying to ignore them, Harry drew his wand and placed it at the security desk, and the guard put down his Daily Prophet. Harry recognized him from his first visit to the Ministry.
–Good morning, Eric,†Mr. Weasley said. –My son Ron and his friend Harry are both here to take their Apparition exams.â€
Ron too handed Eric his wand, and the guard took both their wands, and placed Harry’s on a set of scales like the one Rok Grimrook had used. He did the same with Ron’s a moment, later, and read out, –Fourteen inches, unicorn hair, willow, in use for five years, correct?â€
Ron nodded.
–Mr. Weasley, you know where to take them.â€
–Thank you.†Mr. Weasley steered Harry and Ron through the golden gates at the end of the atrium. Harry half expected the reporters to follow them, but thankfully they remained by the Fountain of Magical Brethren. Mr. Weasley led them to one of the lifts, and shut the golden grille. Several memos floated above them.
The lift descended, much more roughly than the one at Gringotts, Harry noted, but he grasped the handles hanging from the ceiling tightly and kept his balance. After a few minutes, in which Ministry wizards entered in and out of the lift at various stops, the lift stopped a fourth time and Mr. Weasley let go of his handle.
–Level six, Department of Magical Transport,†a disembodied woman’s voice announced, –incorporating the Floo Network Authority, Broom Regulatory Control, Portkey Office, and Apparition Test Center.â€
–This way,†Mr. Weasley told them, leading them down a short corridor. He then took the third wooden door, and led them into an office with a polished desk next to a larger door, where a bored-looking witch sat, also reading her newspaper.
–Good morning Cecilia,†Mr. Weasley greeted, and she put her newspaper down. She glanced at Harry and Ron, and then looked at a sheet of blue parchment that lay on her desk.
–Mr. Harry Potter and Mr. Ronald Weasley, scheduled for their Apparition tests at 10:00 am?†she read out. Mr. Weasley nodded in confirmation. –You were just barely in time.â€
She then turned to Harry and Ron, and pointed to a row of seats by the doors. –If you’ll wait there, please.â€
No sooner had Harry sat down, however, when the doors opened and a wizened man carrying a clipboard stepped into the office.
–Mr. Harry Potter?†he asked, looking at Harry. He nodded, and stood. The examiner’s eyes flicked to the scar on Harry’s head, but he said nothing. –If you’ll follow me, please.â€
Behind the set of doors lay another corridor, much larger than the first, and each door was labeled with little white slips. Harry glanced at the first as they passed, and it read, –Zabini, Blaise, 11:00; Longbottom, Neville, 11:30,†and so on.
–Right here, Mr. Potter,†the examiner said, leading Harry through the next door, which read, –Potter, Harry, 10:00.â€
Behind the door lay a large chamber, which contained several hoops on the floor and a couple of towering blocks.
–Now then, Mr. Potter,†the examiner said, –there are three parts to this test. First, I need you to Apparate into those hoops in succession, counterclockwise, whenever you are ready.â€
Harry nodded, and stared at the first hoop, concentrating hard on the space within its circle. Then he turned abruptly. This stage went rather well, with Harry finally finishing in the hoop he started in. The examiner said nothing, but proceeded to the next stage, which was to Apparate on top of, behind, and between the two gigantic blocks.
Once Harry stuck his head out from behind the last block, the examiner again made a note, and then looked at Harry.
–The last part of this test is the most difficult, but should prove your ability to travel long distances. –You are to Apparate to Diagon Alley, specifically behind Quality Quidditch Supplies, where another examiner will be waiting for you. He will confirm your arrival, and you are to bring his note back here to me.â€
Harry nodded. –When do you want me to go?â€
–Whenever you’re ready.â€
Harry nodded, and thought back to the store where he’d first seen the Firebolt on sale. He then again pivoted on the floor, and went through the sensation of being pulled through a hosepipe. A moment later, the sensation ended, and he gasped for breath, staggering slightly.
–A bit of a rough landing,†someone muttered, and Harry looked up to see an elderly Ministry witch seated on a chair behind a two-story building. Harry could hear people in Diagon Alley doing their shopping. The she scrutinized Harry for a moment.
–No sign of Splinching,†the examiner told him, making another note, –and you landed in exactly the right place.â€
She then signed the note, and handed it to Harry. –You may go back now.â€
Harry took the note, and again Disapparated.
–Very good!†the tiny wizard exclaimed as he reappeared. Harry handed him the note, and the examiner read it, and began scribbling on his clipboard, before removing the results and handing them to Harry. –You did very well. Take this to the front desk, and Cecilia will give you your license. Congratulations, Mr. Potter.â€
–How’d you do?†Mr. Weasley asked as Harry returned to the office and handed the witch at the desk his results.
–I passed,†he said, as Cecilia examined his results, before placing them on a set of scales similar to the one with which the security guards had examined his wand.
A moment later, a small card slid out from a slit in the side of the scales, and she handed it to him.
–Congratulations, Mr. Potter,†she said, as Harry took the license. At that moment, Ron came back through the doors as well.
–How’d you do?†he asked Harry, who showed him his license. Then he beamed. –I passed too.â€
–Good one,†Harry said, as Cecilia then took Ron’s results and likewise placed them on the scales.
The trip back to the Atrium seemed much shorter than the trip to the Apparition Test Center. Before Harry knew it, he was back in the Atrium, and he found, to his disgust, that the circle of reporters had gotten wider. And a moment later, Rufus Scrimgeour appeared from around a corner and saw Harry there.
–Ah, Mr. Potter!†he called, stepping forward in front of them. –I hope your visit to the Ministry went well.â€
–It did,†Harry said coldly. He glanced at the reporters. –You got a good turnout, I see.â€
Scrimgeour’s smile faltered.
–I was glad to hear that you released Stan Shunpike,†Harry continued, –but that does not change my resolve. You’re here to make the same request that you made last Christmas, and again at Dumbledore’s funeral. Minister, the answer is no. I will not participate in the Ministry’s dishonesty.â€
–It’s for the greater good!†Scrimgeour snapped, and Harry noticed him glance at the reporters nervously. They were watching the exchange from a distance, and Harry could see a couple of them with their brows furrowed, and Rita Skeeter was scribbling in her notebook excitedly. –The Wizarding World needs morale! Surely you’ve heard of the recent upsurge in attacks against Squibs and Muggleborns!â€
–Of course I have,†Harry retorted. –But you don’t want high morale, Minister. You want the Wizarding World to think you’re more competent than you really are. I will not lie to them.â€
He looked at the reporters too.
–And I will not give them the false impression that I’m here to discuss war tactics with you,†Harry added angrily. With that, he walked passed Scrimgeour and pulled out his Apparition license, and waved it before the reporters, making it very clear what he was there for. The cameras flashed, and Ron and Mr. Weasley kept behind him. As an added measure, Harry saw Ron also pull out his license to show the reporters, but he did not look at Scrimgeour.
–That was brilliant, Harry!†Ron laughed as they stepped into the phone box which returned them to London. –Did you see Scrimgeour’s face?â€
–I wasn’t looking,†Harry said, tucking his license back into his pocket.
–He’s not going to give up, you know,†Mr. Weasley told him seriously. –You may have made things worse.â€
Harry shrugged indifferently. –I really don’t care at this point what the Ministry does,†he told Mr. Weasley. –But I will not be used, and I will not be tricked into giving the impression he wants.â€
–It completely backfired,†Ron sniggered.
–The only thing I want made clear,†Harry continued, ignoring Ron, –is that I am not to be trifled with.â€
Ron laughed again, then, as one, the three of them Disapparated.
–I take it you passed, then,†Mrs. Weasley said as they filed into the kitchen. –I heard you Apparate outside.â€
Ron showed her his license, as Harry sat down at the kitchen table. Ginny had reappeared there, and Percy was there too.
–What’s up, Harry?†Ginny asked when she saw his disgruntled expression. –You look like Christmas was cancelled.â€
–Didn’t you pass?†asked Percy. His reconciliation with his parents had gone well, because it appeared that Mr. Weasley had completely accepted him back into the family; Mrs. Weasley was, of course, overjoyed at the return of the black sheep. Ron and Ginny were somewhat cold towards him at first, but after a while, they seemed to have warmed up a little.
–He passed,†Ron chortled as he sat down again, in too good a mood to be angry with Percy. –He just had a run-in with the Minister. It didn’t go well.â€
With that, he told them the story, still laughing.
–The look on Scrimgeour’s face was absolutely priceless!†he told them all, grinning. By this point, Ginny was laughing too.
–Harry, you do realize how severe the repercussions of this could be?†Percy asked, but Harry could have sworn that he was smiling too.
–Didn’t think about it,†Harry muttered, –and I don’t care, really.â€
–Do you actually approve of what Harry did?†Ginny asked Percy incredulously.
Percy’s smile faltered, and he looked at his sandwich, avoiding their eyes. –I owe all of you an apology, but especially you, Harry. I don’t expect you to forgive me for the past insults I leveled at you, because I hardly deserve it, but I want you to know that if I could take back everything I’ve done lately, I would.â€
Harry, Ron, and Ginny all stared at Percy in utter amazement, but he wasn’t finished.
–I was an idiot for the past couple of years,†he admitted. –When I learned more about Umbridge’s abuses toward the students at Hogwarts, I tried to kid myself into believing that Fudge didn’t know about it. But when I saw the evidence that he not only knew, but approved of her actions and even suggested them, I realized what sort of people I’d associated with.â€
–Was that before or after last Christmas?†asked Ron, his eyebrows raised.
–After,†Percy answered. –Umbridge tried long and hard to cover up her actions, but in the end, Kingsley Shacklebolt finally presented incriminating evidence against her, including several witnesses that she attempted to use the Cruciatus curse on you, Harry, and she was placed under house arrest for child abuse.â€
–About time!†Ginny stated emphatically, as Harry finally found himself grinning too.
Looking at Percy, he told him, –I accept your apology.†The latter nodded, but his gaze was still downcast. Significantly more cheerful, however, Harry thanked Mrs. Weasley as she served him and Ron their sandwiches as well.
It was 5:00, half an hour before her mother would begin Harry’s birthday party. Ginny sat at her desk, leaning on the surface with her head in her hands. She’d known for weeks; but now that the moment was only hours away, she felt a sudden emptiness. Through her window, she had just seen Harry slowly walking across the back garden, staring at the horizon with his hands in his pockets, probably taking a last look around the Burrow before his departure. Ginny watched him for a moment, until he finally moved out of sight.
Ginny had known that Harry’s successful Apparition test would mean his departure, probably within the next day or so, but it wasn’t until later that morning, just before he and Harry left for their exam, that Ginny had seen Ron in his room hurriedly stuffing clothes into a rucksack, and she knew instantly: they were planning on leaving that very day, in all probability right after the birthday party.
Ginny glanced at the box she had gift-wrapped earlier that week, and then glanced out the window again, knowing that Harry was probably still outside. Then she grabbed the box and hurried out her door and down the stairs. She stepped outside then, and looking around the yard, she finally spotted Harry approaching the back garden. She caught up with him as she spotted him watching a couple of gnomes fighting over an acorn. He looked up as he heard her coming.
–Is it time for dinner already?†he asked.
Ginny shook her head. –I just wanted to give you this, but it’s probably not a good idea to open it up at dinner. It would probably raise Mum’s suspicions.â€
Harry took the box, and looked at it for a moment, before sitting on a tree stump and carefully unwrapping it. He then opened the box and withdrew what looked like a steel fountain pen, but a bit bulkier and with a glass lens at one end.
–It detects enchantments and curses,†Ginny explained. –There’s a switch on the side.â€
Harry examined the curse sensor, and upon finding the switch, he clicked it and a small, blue light shone from the end.
–If it detects anything,†she continued, –the light will change color, green if it’s a harmless enchantment, red of there’s a curse or any form of Dark magic involved. I thought it might be useful.â€
Harry pocketed the sensor and smiled at Ginny. –Where’d you find it?â€
–There’s a lot of Defense stuff in Diagon Alley these days,†she told him. –Mad-Eye showed these to me a few days before you got here from the Dursleys. You can imagine that he’s used them a lot.â€
Harry chuckled. –Naturally. Thanks, Ginny.â€
–Any time,†she said, and then she turned and glanced at the house. From a distance, she could see her mother in the kitchen, and she took a quick look at her watch. They would be called in to dinner soon.
–We’d better get inside,†she said, –before the guests start arriving and Mum comes out looking for you.â€
She started to move toward the house, but the she heard Harry call her name quietly. She turned around, and Harry’s eyes met hers, before he pulled her into a hug, which he held for a moment, before letting her go.
–I’ll see you at dinner,†he told her, and he took his seat on the tree stump again. –I think I’d like to stay out here for another few minutes.â€
Ginny nodded and slowly walked back to the house. When she reached the door, she looked back at the garden, but Harry had gotten up again and was just visible slowly meandering by the orchard.
When she returned to her room, she found Hermione looking through a rucksack similar to the one she’d seen Ron packing that morning. As she closed the door quietly, Hermione looked up in alarm, but relaxed when she saw who it was.
–Sorry,†she said sheepishly. –Thought it was your mum at first.â€
Ginny nodded. Under any other circumstances, she might have found Hermione’s guilty look somewhat amusing (more along the lines of how Ron, Fred, or George might look when caught), but this time she couldn’t smile. –That would have been bad, Mum finding out about this just before you go.â€
–You know we’re leaving tonight, then?†Hermione asked.
Ginny nodded. –I figured as much when I saw Ron packing this morning.â€
Hermione nodded and glanced back at her rucksack. –I packed this last night while you were all still at dinner last night.â€
–Internal Extension Charm?†Ginny asked, observing the small size of the rucksack. –How much of your stuff are you taking?â€
–Almost everything, really,†Hermione replied. –I’m glad your mum just thinks I’m tidy, but really….â€
She stepped up to her trunk and opened it, showing it to be almost completely empty except for a few assorted bits and pieces. Hermione stared into it for a second, and then closed the trunk just as they heard someone coming up the stairs. A second later, Mrs. Weasley entered the room.
–Dinner’s just about ready,†she announced
–We’ll be down in a second,†Hermione replied.
Mrs. Weasley nodded and left the room. As soon as she was gone, Hermione opened her trunk again, and took out what looked like a moneybag, which she put on Ginny’s desk. She then took a piece of paper from the desk surface, and a quill, and scribbled a note, which she handed to Ginny. She then left the room without another word.
Ginny stared after Hermione, and then looked inside the moneybag, to see it full of Galleons. At first, Ginny felt a little insulted that Hermione had decided to leave her a bag of money, but after she looked at the coins more closely, she suddenly recognized them as the D.A. contact coins.
Startled, Ginny opened Hermione’s note.
Just in case you need them.
Standard Book of Spells, Grade 5, pg. 243 for engraving spells.
Standard Book of Spells, Grade 7, pg 176 for Protean Charm.
An hour later found Harry in the front room with all the Weasleys (Bill, Charlie, and Fleur excepted), Hermione, Lupin, Tonks, and Hagrid. They ate dinner in the front room because the kitchen was too small to fit all of them, especially with Hagrid present. While Harry was delighted to have them all there, however, he found it difficult to follow the conversations around him, because of the two letters in his inside pocket, his rucksack upstairs, and the rink in his pocket which he found himself fingering but carefully avoiding slipping on. He glanced at Ron and Hermione, who looked equally distracted, although Hermione seemed to handle it better. Ginny too was quiet.
After dinner, Mrs. Weasley came into the front room from the kitchen, and told Harry, her demeanor a little flustered, that the cake wasn’t quite ready yet.
–It’s all right, we can wait,†he assured her, but feeling regretful. Part of him wanted to wait, to enjoy the comfort of the Burrow now that he had less than an hour.
–We could start opening presents while we’re waiting,†Ron suggested.
–That’s a good idea,†Mr. Weasley said.
Fred and George didn’t wait for Harry’s opinion. They immediately approached him and offered him a fairly large package, which he carefully took. It was very heavy, but marked with a large WWW. Harry looked at the twins suspiciously, not trusting their innocent expressions at all, but nonetheless, he carefully opened the box, and instantly was pied in the face.
His face covered in cream and filling, Harry couldn’t see a thing, but he could hear a shout of laughter, and Mrs. Weasley started yelling at the twins. However, Harry joined in the laughter as he pulled the pie off his face and used his wand to siphon the cream away.
–I suppose I should have seen that coming,†he sighed in mock exasperation.
–Your real present is beneath it,†George told him, still laughing.
Fred’s and George’s present turned out to be a package of assorted Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes merchandise, particularly those related to Defense Against the Dark Arts: Decoy Detonators, Instant Darkness Powder, and a few black fedoras that Harry supposed were a type of Shield Hat. There was also an assortment of products from the Skiving Snackboxes. Harry looked up at the twins, wondering, not for the first time, how much they knew about his plans to leave, but he thanked them for the supplies.
Hagrid’s present also looked to be potentially useful. He gave Harry a softer package, which contained a grayish purple cloak made of a thick, leathery hide. Before Harry or Hagrid said anything, Lupin suddenly asked, –Hagrid, is that Graphorn hide?â€
Hagrid nodded, looking thoroughly pleased with himself. –Found it in some of me dad’s old stuff a couple of months ago, but it’s too small fer me.†Turning to Harry, Hagrid told him, –Graphorn hide’s a bit rare because it’s hard to catch or kill a Graphorn, but it’s dead useful because it’s tougher than dragon hide and can block most spells.â€
–This was your dad’s?†Harry asked, touched that Hagrid wanted him to have it.
–Yeah.†Hagrid smiled warmly. –Dunno where he got it, but I’ve got no use fer it, so it’s yer’s.â€
–Blimey,†Harry breathed as he folded up the cloak. –Thanks, Hagrid!â€
Hermione gave Harry a few spellbooks and a Sneakoscope, while Ron gave him a pocketknife, which he explained was almost indestructible and never needed to be sharpened. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley gave Harry an enchanted razor, and finally Lupin gave Harry a steel pocket watch, which, along with the two hands and twelve numbers, also featured a number of dials and interconnecting circles.
–This was Sirius’s watch,†Lupin explained to Harry. –Your grandparents gave it to him on his seventeenth birthday. He’d intended to give it to you for yours.â€
His hands shaking, Harry examined the watch carefully, and then, feeling his eyes water a little, he stood and pulled Lupin into an embrace. Harry then sank back onto the couch, and watched as Lupin returned to his seat next to Tonks, who took his hand affectionately.
–Well, the cake should be ready any minute now,†Mrs. Weasley said, standing up. –I won’t be a minute.â€
Harry straightened, and he glanced at Hermione as he reached into his jacket pocket and began fiddling with the ring concealed inside. This was the moment they’d agreed upon; Hermione gave him a discreet nod, and Harry stood up.
–I’ll take these upstairs, he said, pocketing Sirius’s watch and Ron’s knife, and picking up the twins’ box.
Hermione stood up too, scooping up the Graphorn cloak, the Sneakoscope, and the spellbooks. –I’ll take these, if you like.â€
–Cheers,†Harry said casually. He then looked at Ron, who remained seated, his gaze downcast.
As he passed Ginny, Harry’s eyes met hers for a split second. The blazing look he knew so well appeared in her countenance for a moment, and then she gave him a short nod, which Harry understood to mean, –Get to it.â€
As soon as Harry and Hermione made it to his room and stuffed his birthday presents into his rucksack, Hermione looked at her watch.
–Ron should be up here in a minute,†she whispered. –Whenever somebody decides to come looking for you.â€
–Just one moment,†Harry told her, and he pulled the two letters out of his pocket. He laid one of them, addressed to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, on his desk. He then opened his door, telling Hermione to wait there.
Harry stepped outside his room and closed the door quietly, before moving up the stairs as quickly and silently as he could. Every stair seemed to make a deafening creak as he did, but he didn’t stop until he reached Ginny’s room, and quietly he opened her door.
It was quite dark inside, but unlike Ron’s room, rather tidy. Harry could see a poster on one wall, but it was so dark that he couldn’t make out what it showed. The only light filtered in through Ginny’s window, shining upon her desk. Harry laid the second letter on her desk, and quickly left the room.
When he returned to his own room, he found Ron already waiting there, with one strap of his rucksack slung over his shoulder. Hermione too had put on her own.
–Mum’s last message is, ‘What’s keeping you so long?’†Ron muttered, his voice hollow, and his eyes on the floor.
Harry picked up his rucksack, still amazed at how light it felt, and admired Hermione’s spellwork for a moment. Hedwig then fluttered onto his shoulder, gripping it hard so that she wouldn’t fall off him in transit. Harry looked at his beloved owl for a moment, somehow glad that he’d be taking her with him, before taking out his ring. He then held it out in front of him, looking through its circle, before raising his left index finger, poised to slide it on.
For the past few weeks, they’d been so busy planning their escape, that they hadn’t considered the moment in which they actually would. Now that moment had come, and yet Harry hesitated, because again, he considered the magnitude of what he was about to do. Then, turning to his two companions, he whispered, –We can still turn back, you know. But once we put on these rings, there is no going back.â€
Hermione and Ron said nothing, but Harry could see the fear in their eyes, and the determination, as the produced their own rings from their pockets. Then they heard Mrs. Weasley’s footsteps coming up the stairs, and as one, the three of them slipped on their rings. The die was cast.
Ginny knew long before her mother finally went upstairs in search of Harry, Ron, and Hermione, that she would find three empty rooms, and knew before the sudden anguished scream that they were gone.
Everyone in the front room jumped up when they heard her mother’s cries, and Mr. Weasley was the first to run up the stairs to see what the matter was. Fred, George, and Lupin quickly followed, but Ginny remained in her seat, her eyes shut as she tried to keep her composure. Though she’d known about this, though she’d anticipated it and even aided it, the pain of their departure was still very sharp. She knew from everyone’s reactions that they had not expected or suspected this, not even Fred and George, but an overwhelming feeling fell upon Ginny as she realized that she knew, because Harry trusted her to let him go.
Tonks, Percy, and Hagrid remained in the front room with Ginny, staring at each other in surprise and concern, and finally after a few minutes, Lupin came down, followed closely by Fred and George, with an open letter in his hands. Ginny could see that it was in Harry’s writing.
–What’s happened?†Tonks asked immediately.
–Harry’s gone.†Lupin sounded as though he had a head cold. –Ron and Hermione too. I don’t know how they got out, but their rooms are empty, and they’ve taken most of their things with them.â€
Tonks gasped, and Hagrid leapt to his feet.
–Gone where?†he demanded.
Lupin sank into his chair. –We should have suspected,†he muttered, more to himself than to anyone else. –They’ve obviously been planning this for a while. He left a letter.â€
He then held the paper closer to his pale face, and began to read:
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Weasley,
By the time you read this letter, Ron, Hermione, and I will have gone. Now that I am of age, and knowing the things I know, I have embarked on my own task against Voldemort and intend to fight him to the end. I ask you now not to go looking for me, nor should you ask the Order to do so. We are of age. This was our decision, it was not taken lightly, and we have the right to act when we think it necessary. I sincerely apologize for the distress that our actions have caused you, but what I am doing, what we are trying to accomplish, is my responsibility and not the Order’s.
Before I leave, I should take the opportunity now to thank you for the hospitality you have given me, not only in the last few weeks, but since I first came here, after Fred, George, and Ron pulled me out of my barred window at Privet Drive. Before that, no one had ever treated me as family. You were the family I never had, and you will always be at the forefront of my thoughts and hopes. I don’t know if we’ll ever see each other again, but I sincerely hope that we will.
I now close in the hope that the journey ahead, and the sacrifices and actions I make, will not be in vain, and that one day the Wizarding World will be at peace again.
Harry James Potter
Hagrid sank onto the couch, which sagged under his weight, and Ginny could see large tears running from his black eyes into his beard. Tonks sat frozen in her seat, looking completely shell-shocked, but Ginny, unwilling to participate in the inevitable discussion on how to locate and bring Harry back, stood up and made her way up the stairs toward her own room. As she passed Harry’s room, she could her mother sobbing inside, and her father trying to comfort her. But Ginny continued on upstairs, until she reached her own room.
When she closed her door and turned the lights on, she started to change into her pajamas. As she pulled off her T-shirt, she caught sight of an envelope on her desk by the bag of D.A. Galleons, which she didn’t remember seeing before. Suddenly feeling somewhat nervous, Ginny picked up the envelope and opened it. Her heart started pounding as she recognized Harry’s writing again.
Dear Ginny,
You already know, of course, that I’ve gone. You’ve known for a while that I would. Take care of your mother for me, as I’m sure she’s taking this very hard, for which I am very sorry. Thank you for the support you have given me for the past few weeks: I don’t know when we’ll see each other again, if ever, but even with the very real possibility of my never returning, not once have you held me back or begged me not to go. Perhaps, if we both survive long enough, our paths will cross again.
Since I have no other opportunity, allow me to say this: a few days ago, you gave me ten minutes, which would probably make the strongest Patronus I could possibly produce, but those ten minutes were for you as well. Please take the memory with you.
I also feel that I must apologize for the hurt that I gave you at Dumbledore’s funeral, but I hope that you understand why I did what I did. However, I realize that doing so may not have prevented the Death Eaters from making you a target. Therefore, all I ask of you is to prepare yourself. I’d tell you to keep safe, but I know you won’t appreciate that, so I will simply tell you to look after yourself, and when you come of age and join the fight, give the Death Eaters hell.
Harry Potter
Ginny smiled at his last sentence, and vowed to herself that she would do just that. But once she read his signature, and put the letter in one of her desk drawers, she sank onto her bed and looked out the window at the starry sky, and felt her own tears running down her cheeks, not just for Harry, but for herself as she thought of the bleak, uncertain future that lay ahead.
In ancient times, ere man was born,
Gliding by from dusk to morn,
Great and awesome and time-worn,
Like jewels that the earth’s crown adorn,
The Stones of Edre flew above.
The clock chimed, interrupting Benedict Grobschmied’s reading, and he glanced up from his book of Dagadalfic legends to see that it was nine o’ clock, almost closing time. But he didn’t anticipate any visitors at this time of night, and he had half an hour left, so he sipped his glass of mead, and continued reading.
And eagles soared past storm clouds, where
Giant stones hung in the air,
Designed to dragon hamlets bear,
Which drifted in the sky above.
Ten minutes passed in silence, in which Grobschmied finished reading the legend of the Akasa Dvelara dragons. But as he proceeded to the tale of Amaranthine of the Fata, his door opened and his nephew stepped inside, followed by the proprietor’s son, Menger Gadlak. Grobschmied closed the book and set it down on his desk.
–What is it, Rok?†he asked wearily.
Grimrook smiled grimly. –It’s started, if a bit sooner than we anticipated. Mr. Potter’s finally made a move.â€
Grobschmied stared at him for a moment, before he drained his glass of mead. Then he picked up a folded sheet of paper and muttered something in the old Tylwthteg language, and then tossed it into the air. It vanished in a puff of dust.
–Then we are right behind him,†he stated, standing abruptly as he turned back to look at Gadlak and Grimrook intently. –Pack your things. We’re leaving.â€