Chapter 9 - Assimilating Number Two
Arthur Weasley was enjoying a nice dinner with most of his family as the month of July ended. Only his two oldest children were not there. As usual, his wife had fixed a truly wonderful meal consisting of a roast and vegetables from their own garden. Almost everyone seemed to be happily talking, the exception being his youngest. She concerned him more than he was comfortable admitting. This had not been a good year for her - neither at school nor at home.
The school year had been marred by a cursed diary given to her at the end of last summer. They believed Lucius Malfoy had given it to her, but it was not possible to prove that. Most interestingly, a few weeks ago, Malfoy Manor had been destroyed and Malfoy had been caught with his pants down, legally speaking. After his quick trial, he had been sentenced to thirty-five years in Azkaban.
After Ginny had almost been killed in the Chamber of Secrets, and then rescued at the last minute by Harry Potter, she had had a disagreement with her mother on whether to come home immediately or wait until the end of the school year. Molly had not taken kindly to being put in a position where she was told "no" in front of others - and Arthur understood that to an extent - so she had punished Ginny severely over the summer with many chores. Arthur had stepped in not long after Ginny came home to stop the redundant lectures, but then as now, even he could see trouble brewing with Ginny. While he could simply put his foot down and make Molly stop, he had learned years ago to do that only in the most critical of cases. This left him wondering what needed to be done. At this moment, he believed that the best course was to get Ginny back to school and let time dull the issue.
As cake was being served, a tawny owl flew in and landed in front of Ginny. That surprised Arthur as most people sent their letters in the evening so the normally nocturnal owls could fly at night, not to mention night being a better time for the owls so the Muggles would not see them. Everyone watched Ginny pull two letters from the owl and give it a scrap of roast as a thank you. Arthur was distressed to see Molly looking upset to see Ginny receive a letter, but he was thankful she said nothing - for the moment.
Ginny looked at the two letters and held one out. "This one is for you, Dad."
"For me?" Arthur reached out and took the proffered letter.
"Whose owl is that?" Ron asked.
"This is Archimedes. He belongs to the Grangers," she answered absently as she opened her letter and began reading.
Arthur opened his letter, assuming it was from Hermione's parents, but he was to be surprised.
Dear Mr Weasley,
I would like to invite Ginny over to my house for this week and the first part of next week. If this is acceptable, we are going to be at Diagon Alley in the morning and you could meet us at the Leaky Cauldron with Ginny. We expect to be there at 9am, and after running our brief errands would take her home with us.
If possible, we would like her to stay until the evening of the 10th, which would allow her to be home for her birthday. I hope you'll say yes, as I would really like to spend time with one of my best friends and show her a little of the Muggle world, as well as give her a break from the rest of her summer.
So my parents will know whether to wait for her, please send a reply back with our owl this evening. They have expressed their own personal interest in meeting Ginny, as they are as curious about Wizarding customs as your daughter is about Muggle ones.
I sincerely hope you'll let Ginny do this.
Hermione Granger
(Emma Granger)
P.S. Harry requests that, if possible, you kindly meet us tomorrow morning even if Ginny can't stay with us. He says he has something important to talk to you about, and wants to do so in person.
Arthur considered the letter carefully, fully aware of the scrutinizing looks his wife was giving him. The boys were looking at Ginny as she read her letter, giving him a little reprieve. He appreciated the fact that Emma had signed the letter, giving the invitation more legitimacy. He was also well aware that the letter was far more than an invitation. It told him that Ginny had been telling her friend or friends what her summer was like, and he did not have to wonder very hard what those letters might have said. He knew Ginny was very unhappy this summer. The postscript was merely one more interesting point, going so far as being ominous given the implications of correspondence between the girls. He could only think of a couple of likely things Harry might seek him out to discuss, and none of them were good, at least at this time.
"What does it say, Arthur?" Molly asked.
He folded the letter and put it in his robes, noticing that Ginny was also putting hers away, and that she had a smile on her face. That reinforced his last thought. Before his sons could pester their little sister, he decided to grab the figurative dragon by the tail and try to prevent a few problems. "Ginny? Hermione has asked if you would like to spend the next week with her at her house. Would you like to do that?" Every head swivelled to him.
"She can't, Arthur. Have you forgotten that she is grounded for the summer?" Molly's voice rose slightly, as if not believing that her husband could have forgotten.
"I have not forgotten, Molly, but that is a discussion for us to have later," he calmly brushed her concern away, knowing that was like waving a red flag in front of a hippogriff. "Would you like to go, Ginny?"
"Yes, Daddy, very much so," she said with a big smile.
Arthur was saddened that it was the first of the summer, or at least the first that he could remember.
"Arthur, I forbid it," Molly said sternly.
Just as calmly as before, Arthur said, "Boys, if you will go to your rooms for a bit, please. Ginny, please remain."
"But, Dad, I was just starting on my cake!" Ron protested.
"And if you are still hungry in an hour, you may come back down and have some. For the moment, please go to your room." He gave them all a stern look and they quickly obeyed, understanding their mother was about to be unhappy and it was best not to be present when that happened. While all the boys left, Ron was the only one to take his cake with him.
Arthur smiled at Ginny before looking at his wife. He was going to have to put his foot down as head of the house, whether he liked it or not. "Molly, I believe Ginny's punishment has gone on long enough. I understood your anger at the scene in Dumbledore's office, but Ginny had a point, too. I agree that it would have been better for that discussion to be in private, but she had a need to stay at school for the final weeks."
"And I wanted her to come home then and there, and she had no place telling me, her mother, no," Molly protested strongly.
"I've agreed that it could have been handled better, but tell me why you are so insistent on punishing her. What are you trying to teach her after five weeks of double chores?" he asked.
"She needs to learn that I am her mother and I know what's best for her. She is still a little girl," Molly said forcefully.
Arthur looked at his daughter and saw anger in her eyes. "If she is still a little girl, then why are you not treating her as such? Little girls do not spend ten hours a day doing housework. Little girls write letters and play with their friends. They skip around the house and play with their family. You have forbidden her to do half of those things, and I have not seen her do the other half because you have removed all the joy in her life this summer."
"Little girls would have come home with their mother when asked," Molly objected.
"And done what, Molly?" he asked tiredly. "What would her coming home a month early from school have accomplished?" He watched his wife get more upset.
"We'll never know how much I could have helped her because she didn't obey me."
Arthur thought that was circular reasoning, but left it alone for now. "Ginny, what have you learned from your punishment?"
"I've learned not to have a large family unless I have a house-elf," Ginny said levelly, although it was obvious how much effort it cost to remain civil.
He could not help it, Arthur cracked a grin and chuckled, eliciting a glare from his wife. "I can understand that. Did you learn anything else?"
"No, Dad; or at least nothing that I wish to share."
Arthur thought that was bold of her, but he understood. She was a mixture of Bill's bravery and the twins' scheming, a truly scary combination when he thought of it. "Thank you for your honesty, Ginny. As head of this household, I hereby cancel the rest of your punishment."
"Arthur!"
He ignored his wife for the moment. "I will say that you are to mind yourself and keep out of trouble lest I reinstate it," he finished, barely suppressing a smile as he watched his daughter's face light up. "Moreover, in the future, if you wish to disagree with whatever your mother or I clearly want you to do and we are in public, you will politely ask that we discuss the issue in private. If we are not in public, you will still politely request to discuss the matter. I give you my word that we will honour that request," Arthur said while shooting a firm glance at Molly, "even if we may not change our minds."
"Thanks, Dad!" Ginny jumped up and ran over to him and gave him a big hug. "And tomorrow?"
"Be ready to go at a quarter to nine. Go on upstairs now, and pack to stay until the tenth. Also, please take the owl with you and send a reply back saying that we'll be there. I'll even do the dishes for you, my dear." He was rewarded with another hug and a squeal as she picked up the owl and hurried out of the room and up the stairs.
"Arthur! Do you realize what you've done?" Molly looked beside herself in anger.
"Yes, Molly, I do. I let you run this household because you do a good job most of the time. However, this time you went too far, so I've cancelled a punishment you really should never have meted out, or else should have had a much shorter time limit."
"But…"
"Molly, did you not hear a word Ginny has said?" he asked in a frustrated voice. "Did you not hear her tonight, for the last five weeks, or even in Dumbledore's office?"
"But she must be trained," Molly insisted.
"If we got a new dog, it would be proper to train it by tempering its spirit, not by breaking it. A person is much more complex than a pet, but even I can tell that you've been breaking Ginny's spirit. She is no longer the vivacious girl we once had." He shook his head slowly as he thought about what had happened to his daughter. "I know part of the change is what happened to her with that damn diary, but she was mostly normal when we met her off the train. She changed the moment she came home and the punishment is why. Did you not hear her answer? She said she learned nothing from the punishment, therefore it was a worthless punishment."
"That's because you wouldn't let me lecture her."
"You lectured her for three days, Molly. If she had not understood by then, she never was going to understand. It was doing more harm than good."
"I completely disagree. You don't understand her because you're not around the children enough," she said angrily.
Arthur blinked as if slapped, not believing what he had just heard. They had both wanted a large family and he did his part in providing for them as best he could. What did she expect of him? He knew he did not spend as much time with his children as he would have liked, but he could easily say he knew all about human nature. "Molly, let's pretend for just a moment that you work very hard and fix the best meal you can every day for this family."
"I already do."
"I know," he said with a smile as he set her up, curious as to what her reaction was going to be. "Pretend that every day after you've slaved away in the kitchen, I tell you that it's not bad, but it could be lot better. And I do that day after day, week after week, and month after month, even though you are doing your very best. How would you feel?" he asked and waited.
She huffed. "I would consider you to be the most ungrateful and inconsiderate person I'd ever met."
"Would you resent me for my comments?" Arthur asked innocently.
"Of course I would."
"And you've been telling Ginny for the past five weeks that she's not good enough, no matter how hard she's tried. She feels she did nothing wrong to you. I'm sure she feels guilty about what happened at school, but you're not helping her to get over her bad feelings about that. All you do is yell at her for not coming home when there was nothing you could really do for her."
"And you think she's resenting me? For trying to help her?" Molly was incredulous.
"Oh, no, my dear. I don't think that at all, I'm actually quite sure she resents you at the moment." Molly went wide-eyed, her anger returning. "You see, dear, tonight is the first time I've seen her smile and be happy since she came home from school ... the first time. I believe you need to think about that." Arthur pulled out his wand and walked into the kitchen, everything on the table floating after him. As he left the room, Arthur noticed that his wife was sitting there in shock. He hoped he had managed to reach her in a way that would truly help.
Arthur grabbed Ginny's bag and stepped into the fireplace. A moment later, he came out of the fireplace in the Leaky Cauldron. He waited for his daughter and cleaned the ashes off both of them before looking around. He need not have bothered trying to find her friends as they found Ginny. Hermione was the first to hug Ginny, and then Harry did. Arthur wondered about the length of hug there, but found it more amusing than anything else. Then he heard his daughter say "Happy belated birthday" and understanding dawned. He also noticed Hermione's mother approaching.
"Emma," he nodded to her.
"Arthur," she held out her hand and they shook, something Arthur was not used to with women in the Wizarding World.
"Thank you, Mr Weasley," Hermione said, pulling his attention down.
"You're quite welcome, Hermione. I thought your idea was a good one and Ginny heartily approved," he replied jovially.
"Don't worry, we'll all take good care of her," Emma promised.
Arthur smiled. "Of that, I have no doubt, not after this last year." He looked at Harry and gave him a smile and firm clap on the shoulder. "Thank you again for saving my daughter, Harry."
"It was my pleasure." Harry looked a little hesitant after answering.
"Did you still want to speak with me, Harry?" Arthur had wondered whether the boy's request would stand only if Ginny had not come or if there was more. He had recently heard some news from Azkaban that concerned Harry, but that news had not yet become public knowledge. He did not think Harry could have heard that yet.
"Actually, yes. Could we sit down in the corner over there for a few minutes?"
"Certainly." He looked at the others. "If you ladies will excuse us men for a moment?" He got a chuckle and two giggles before he led Harry to the side.
"Could you please put a privacy charm around us, Mr Weasley?" Harry politely asked when they sat down.
Arthur was surprised but did the charm anyway. When he finished, a very serious young man sat in front of him.
"Mr Arthur Weasley and head of the Weasley Family, I, Harry James Potter and head of the Potter family, wish to give you a formal notice."
Arthur felt as if he were about to have a heart attack. A formal family greeting and notice? That eliminated all other preconceived ideas he had about his discussion other than two. He hoped for the better but unexpected one: a contract.
"Last May I, head of the Potter family, risked my personal life to save your daughter. When I did, tradition states that a Life Debt was created between our families. I now give you notice that I formally recognize that Life Debt to exist."
Arthur blinked slowly and swallowed hard. It was not the notice he had been hoping for. When he had first read that postscript, he had sincerely hoped that Harry did not know about this tradition. Now, all he could do was hope the price was not too high. "I acknowledge the tradition and acknowledge your right, Mr Potter," he answered as tradition demanded. "What do you ask?"
"At this time, I merely give notice and will let the Debt ride indefinitely."
It was all Arthur could do not to wilt in relief.
"However, the indefinite postponement has a condition." Harry was still completely serious. "The punishment that Ginny received this summer will never happen again. She will be on her best behaviour, but punishment where none is due will not be tolerated or I will call in the Debt immediately and your daughter will become a part of my family. At that time, you will no longer have any control over her. You are her father and head of house at the moment, and you will make sure she is treated lovingly as long as she is there. While she is still a minor, if punishments are required, they will fit the deed and no more. Do you agree to this, Mr Weasley?"
What could he say? Harry was totally within his traditional rights to demand many things, up to and including Ginny. His condition of postponement was even very reasonable. It was the suddenness of it all that was so shocking. To add to the shock, the tradition also had no age limit, so a thirteen year-old boy could do this, since he was the head of his house. He slowly nodded. "It shall be as you ask, Mr Potter." He smiled slightly. "Perhaps it is best that Ginny stay with you for the next week. My wife will not be pleased to hear this."
Harry's seriousness cracked and he smiled. "I don't envy you that, but she must be made to understand. Ginny thinks the world of you, Mr Weasley. It's her mother's actions this summer that have caused me to do this. If it will help, tell her that."
Arthur laughed a mirthless laugh. "I think not, or at least not that directly."
"It's your family, sir," Harry replied with a formal nod. "While not part of my formal discussion with you, I will also say that from time to time, I may do or buy things for Ginny because I want to or because I think it will make her happy. If I do, they are a gift to her without obligation and she will keep them, freely and without pressure to return them."
Arthur nodded. "As you wish. However, I suggest you be careful with my youngest son. He's likely to become jealous and upset when he finds out." He paused for a moment. "I'll explain to him that a gift is for the pleasure of the giver and the recipient, and such a gift is not charity. Hopefully, that will help a bit."
"Thank you. I'm sorry I had to do this," Harry stuck out his hand, "but thank you for making this not as hard as I had imagined it could be. I'm only doing this for Ginny's happiness."
Arthur reached out and gripped the smaller hand, giving and receiving a firm handshake. "I'm sorry you were forced into this, too. You should know that I cancelled the rest of Ginny's punishment last night. That aside, I'd like to extend an invitation to you and Hermione to join us for the last week of summer, as you did last year."
Harry grinned. "Thank you, we'd love to. I'm sure my mother won't mind, but we should ask her." He and Arthur stood together, before Arthur took down his charm. Harry gave a goofy grin and a wink to Hermione, who squealed and hugged Ginny. Both girls were very obviously happy, and Emma looked at them consideringly.
"Mum? Mr Weasley has invited Hermione and me over for the last week of the summer like last year. May we?" Harry queried.
"I don't see why not," Emma said, causing her to be hugged by each of her children. She looked at the man who was smiling at her.
"I'll tell my wife to expect them in few weeks, and we'll get them to the train as well."
"Thank you, Arthur. Well, kids, shall we go shopping while we're here?" Emma received an excited chorus of "yes".
Ginny gave her father a quick hug and then joined the Granger family. Harry slung the strap to Ginny's bag over his shoulder and followed them. Hermione used her wand and opened the doorway into Diagon Alley. Arthur shook his head a bit as he watched them walk away, before heading for the Floo to reach the Ministry and his job.
The trio of students first went to Gringotts. Emma was about to exchange some Pounds for Galleons until Harry stopped her. "Please Mum, let me take care of this. It's really not all that much and you do so much for me."
"Harry, you're our responsibility. A few books and robes won't hurt us," she tried to patiently explain.
"Please?" He wanted them to start getting used to him taking care of Hermione. The two of them had decided this was a good way to prepare her parents for learning of the bond later.
"For now since you have Galleons and I only have Pounds, but we may pay you back," she said mischievously.
Harry grinned and walked up to a counter. "I'd like to go to this vault," he said as he put his key down, "and I understand I have a family vault too, which I would also like to visit." He had only recently found out about the family vault when writing to Gringotts. Hermione had suggested he ask because he was from an "old family". He had been surprised the goblins had told him there was indeed such a vault, but that was all they would say unless he visited in person.
The goblin picked up the key and held it for a moment. "You have full privileges with this vault." He handed the key back and looked at Harry sternly. "You may not remove anything from your family vault until you are seventeen."
"But…"
The goblin did not let him finish his objection. "It is the law and part of the treaty, Wizard."
"Excuse me," Hermione quickly spoke up. "You said that he could not remove anything from it, but can he visit it?"
Harry looked at her. "Why?"
She put a hand on his arm to stop him.
The goblin seemed unhappy to say it, but he said, "You may visit." He called another goblin over, who took the four of them to the carts, after Harry purchased three money bags for a Sickle each. Emma was looking at Harry and Hermione very curiously, as was Ginny.
"Why would we visit if we can't take anything?" Harry whispered as they got into a cart.
"Because, Harry. You may find information in there that is useful…" She started to shriek as the cart suddenly shot forward. Emma joined her, while Harry and Ginny laughed. The goblin seemed delighted at scaring two of them, at least.
After several minutes of a ride which was thrilling for Harry and Ginny while leaving Hermione and Emma quite pale, the cart pulled up to a vault with what looked like a large door. The goblin walked up to the door and waved his hands over it, ending the gestures by a drawing a clawed finger down the middle. The opening split and a pair of double doors opened. Even Harry was impressed as this vault was at least five or six times bigger than his school vault, and this one was mostly filled with Galleons.
"Bloody hell…" Ginny breathed, echoing the sentiments all of them were thinking as they stared in amazement.
The goblin waved his hand and a light haze or film covered the entire doorway, breaking their stupor. "Remember, you may not take anything out of the vault."
"Can all of us enter, or can only Harry enter?" Hermione asked.
"All may enter," the goblin answered as he stood by the doorway.
Harry slowly walked in, followed by the other three. Inside the door, they found a set of shelves, which was almost the only thing in the vault other than coins.
Hermione joined him and walked over to the shelves, since they were the first interesting thing she saw. There, she saw an envelope with Harry's name on it, so she picked it up and handed it to him. While he opened it, Hermione continued to look at the things on the shelves.
Ginny came over and examined the shelves as well. Emma just stood back and watched, still amazed as to what her "son" had - starting to come to grips with what it meant to be an "old family" in the Wizarding World.
Opening the letter, Harry read:
Dear Harry,
If you are reading this, then something has happened to your mother and me. I can't express how difficult it is to write something like this, especially as we hold you in our arms at barely a year old. There are so many things I want to tell you, but fear I'll never get the chance to. If you are having to meet me through this letter, then my fears were justified. Your mother feels the fear and concern even more strongly, which is why I'm writing this.
The most important thing I can tell you is that we both love you more than anything else in the world. We sincerely hope we can be there for you as you grow up. Why do I sound as if I think that may not happen? That leads me to some other important things I must share with you.
Not long ago, Albus Dumbledore came to us and told us some information that is disturbing, frustrating, and sad. I cannot write it in this letter. If you don't know what to what I am referring, please go talk to him about it. Show him this letter and make him explain. (Albus - this is my command!) Because of this, we have brought a few important family heirlooms here, and we are about to go into hiding to keep you safe.
As you are reading this, you should be seventeen, or perhaps near it. My best friend Sirius Black should have raised you and explained much about your mother and me. You should have already seen our Will as Wilkes & Wilkes should have taken care of everything, but if you have not for some strange reason, an official copy of it is here. There is also a list of the properties we own here. Make yourself comfortable in one of them.
At seventeen, I would not be surprised to know that you have a girl you've set your sights on already. It took me a lot of effort, but by the end of our sixth year, your mother and I were dating and we married not long after we finished Hogwarts. If you have someone you love, Harry, guard her, cherish her, and love her, but never push her away. It is only through love that you find who you truly are.
One last bit of advice: Don't forget to have fun! If Albus hasn't given it to you yet, I lent him my Invisibility Cloak, which is a family heirloom. Get it from him and pull a few pranks for me. I'm sure Sirius has trained you well in them.
Love,
Your Dad & Mum
Harry had tears streaming down his face as he finished the letter, holding it in a shaking hand. He sniffled and looked up just in time to see both girls come to him and pull him into a hug. A moment later, Emma came over and joined the group hug.
"Are you going to be all right, Harry?" Emma asked him as she slowly stroked a hand over his head.
He nodded. "I will be. I just wish I could take this letter with me."
Hermione let go and started to dig in the inside pockets of her robes. She finally came up with a stack of parchment. Peeling the top sheet off, she pulled out her wand and cast the duplicating charm on the document and then the blank. She smiled at him. "I wondered if this would be needed. You can put the original back and take this copy for now."
Harry did that and then engulfed Hermione in a hug. "Thank you!" he fervently told her in a hoarse whisper.
Hermione blushed as he let her go. Her mother was smiling while Ginny looked like she was very pleased for him. Taking charge, Hermione looked at the other two females. "Ginny, will you please unroll that tapestry leaning against the shelves and see what it is? Mum, help me look through this box of documents; we need to see what's in here. Harry, look around to see if there is anything else you feel you want to know about right now. I see a box of jewellery, but you can't do anything with that, and there are likely to be other family treasures here."
They all got to work. Harry did a quick inventory. Most of the shelves were boxes of documents. Many of those were labelled investments, which he ignored for now - Hermione and Emma could look at those later. He also found a few personal things, most of which were meaningless to him, other than they came from some part of his family.
Hermione and her mother were going through a box of properties, with Hermione using the duplication charm to copy the information to a notebook she had brought just for this.
"Harry? Can you help me with this please?" Ginny called to him. When he came over, she whispered, "You need to see this. It's a self-updating family tree, but you need to hide this for now." She pointed to the bottom as it was spread around her.
Harry looked. All the Potters on there but one had both birth and death dates, showing him to truly be the last Potter. Finally, he saw what Ginny meant. Next to his name were two dotted lines, one to "Hermione Jean Granger" and one to "Ginevra Molly Weasley". He helped her to quickly roll it back up and return it to its place.
About the same time, the Granger women finished. "I think that's about all for now," Hermione said. "We can return some other time to look at the other less important things."
Harry nodded. "Thanks for copying everything, Hermione." He gave her a quick hug, leading to another blush from her, and then he led them out, allowing the goblin to secure the vault. Once back in the cart, Harry handed his school vault key over to the goblin, who took them to that vault.
Once the door to his school vault was opened, Harry walked straight in and began filling the three sacks he had. He came back out to find the girls, especially Ginny, staring in amazement.
"You have that much available to you now?" the redhead squeaked.
"Yes," he said brightly. "Now it's time for shopping."
Back in the lobby, Harry converted enough Galleons for a thousand Pounds, making Emma scowl as she wondered what he was up to, but it was done before she could stop him.
They went to the bookstore and loaded up. Even Emma bought several books. The three students bought their school books for the coming year, since Hermione had told Ginny to bring her school list. The Potions kits were easy to obtain and Harry bought some owl treats for Hedwig while he was at school. Emma bought treats for their supply at home, too.
The most difficult part of the trip was at Madam Malkin's. Harry had paid for everything so far, much to Emma's and Ginny's protests. When getting robes for next year, Ginny protested even more.
Ginny pulled Harry off to the side so they could whisper in private. "Harry, you can't keep buying me things. My parents will notice!"
Harry stood right beside her and whispered into her ear. "It doesn't matter. I already told your Dad that I was going to be buying you gifts and they were not to pressure you into returning them."
"But Harry, Mum will be livid…probably start calling me a scarlet woman and who knows what else."
Harry moved over so he was right in front of her and staring into her eyes. "Ginny, you are mine," he whispered, causing her to blush, but he did not let her look away. "You already know that your mother's opinion doesn't matter to you or to me. As long as you are true to me, you will always be a wonderful person."
Ginny threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Harry."
"Come on," he encouraged her. "My girls will look their best," he said half-teasingly before taking her back to be fitted for new robes.
For the first time in her life, Ginny had new school robes and she felt like she was a princess. Hermione had always had new robes, but the attention Harry paid to her made her feel like a princess, too. Emma stood back and watched, giving all that she saw a great deal of thought.
On the way home from Diagon Alley, the three students sat in the back of the car as Emma drove and listened in. The mother could not fail to miss that Harry sat in the middle and had none of the usual "boys don't like girls" feelings that most boys his age had. In fact, he had been friendly with both girls all day long.
"So, what was France like?" Ginny asked with a hint of concern.
"It was very interesting," Hermione answered first. "We saw lots of old sites, including a few castles."
"None as big or cool as Hogwarts," Harry quickly added.
"No, but Beauxbatons was still very impressive. It was built in the early Renaissance period and it's almost as large as Hogwarts. We got to meet one of the Professors there and go on a short tour of it."
"And?" Ginny asked nervously, which Emma did not understand.
"It was a nice place, but it wasn't Hogwarts. The professor who gave us the tour reminded me of Snape," Harry answered. "Oh, and all the classes are taught in French." He glanced up and Emma caught his gaze in her rear-view mirror before he looked back at Ginny. "Don't worry, we won't go there unless it really gets bad at Hogwarts, at least not for a few years. It'll take us that long to learn French."
Ginny visibly relaxed and smiled.
"We've been learning French and we'll teach you too. It's kind of fun in a strange way," Harry told her.
"Thanks," Ginny said brightly.
Emma suddenly understood why her two children had been so against the French magical school no matter how much Dan and she commended it, or how much they tried to get their two to see how risky Hogwarts appeared. There was a dynamic in play they had not known about, but she continued her ruminations on how they worked together. How had the three become so close? Were there others that would prevent Hermione and Harry from leaving Hogwarts if something else bad happened?
"Mum?" Hermione suddenly called out. "Can we stop at the Clothing Village? I really want to show Ginny something and maybe get matching T-shirts."
Ginny looked very surprised, Emma noted, but Harry seemed to go along with the idea. "We do have a little extra time." She saw her daughter whisper something in Harry's ear that made him smile just before she turned in. She wondered what this was about. She also noticed that Harry was whispering in Ginny's ear and she was looking very intently back at him as Harry nodded at her. Emma was now sure something was afoot.
Hermione grabbed the hands of the other two and pulled them into a clothing store that catered to teenage girls. Emma smiled to herself, wondering how long it would be before Harry was bored silly. To her surprise, Harry not only did not become bored, but he started suggesting clothes for the girls. By the time they left the shopping area, all three had a matching T-shirt and Ginny had a small pile of clothes, which Harry had paid for. Emma was growing concerned at the way Harry was spending money today, even if he did have a lot in his vaults. She and Dan would have to talk to him about money management soon, she thought.
Back in the car, Ginny held the bags of new clothes as if they were precious while the kids started talking about classes.
"Since I didn't see you getting the books for Muggle Studies or Divination, I assume you're not taking those?" Ginny asked.
"No," Hermione answered. "We're both taking Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, and Care of Magical Creatures. I wanted to take the other two as well, but Harry talked me out of them."
"Yeah, she would have killed herself with that many classes, and what does she need Muggle Studies for anyway?" Harry shook his head disbelievingly.
"It would be interesting to see how the Wizarding world sees the Muggle world," Hermione replied in an easy manner.
"But like I said before, you could read a book about that and avoid all the useless homework. You could probably teach the class," Harry praised her, causing her to blush.
"The twins say Divination is pretty useless unless you already have the gift," Ginny said. "I'll probably take Muggle Studies, Care of Magical Creatures, and Ancient Runes when I get to third year."
"We could help you get ahead by studying with us," Hermione offered. "Maybe they would even let you skip a year and join us in class."
Emma wondered why her daughter would suggest that.
"They won't," Ginny replied. "I looked in the handbook for that question at the end of last year and it said they never let people jump grades," she said a little unhappily.
"I wonder if there's another way…" Hermione speculated out loud.
"That would be great if someone found one, but I won't hold my breath waiting for it," Ginny answered.
Emma noticed Harry leaning over and whispering something in Ginny's ear. The girl smiled appreciatively before leaning her head over onto his shoulder. Emma wondered if those two were falling for each other, but they were still so young. Then there was the conversation Harry had with her father this morning. Emma could not help but notice it had been a very serious conversation, whatever it was they were talking about, based on their expressions. And Hermione knew, Emma was sure of that. That made the woman wonder what secrets her children were keeping from her, despite how much they told Dan and herself about their school. Were secrets simply a part of the Wizarding world? Yes, she realized, suddenly remembering that she was not supposed to mention magic to any of her normal friends.
They were soon home and the kids went to put their things up. Ginny would be able to stay in the spare bedroom on her own rather than share, a benefit of their house having four bedrooms. Emma thought the girl was in heaven by the way she acted. It was all very amusing.
Dan was soon home with a number of pizzas. Ginny had never had pizza before and found she loved it. They used the occasion to have a small birthday party for Harry, since his birthday had been yesterday. Both Hermione and Harry had wanted to wait one extra day to have it, until Ginny could come. It was yet one more facet to the mystery that was Ginny Weasley.
After dinner, the kids all sat down on the couch, with Harry in the middle, and watched the newly purchased movie Aladdin.
Emma and Dan watched from the doorway and barely contained themselves as the kids acted out the parts, trying to quote the lines. They were hilarious to watch. Harry tried to be the prince while Hermione was the genie and Ginny was the princess. When the movie ended, Hermione rewound the movie and they watched it again, now doing the quotes with the characters instead of after. The parents went back into the kitchen and talked.
"Dan, I'm concerned about Harry."
"Oh? What about?" Dan popped a cork from a bottle of wine and started pouring for the two of them.
"He bought everything today, including things for Ginny. He has a heart of gold, but I'm concerned about him not knowing how to budget and control money, even if he does have a lot."
"Perhaps I should talk to him about that soon," Dan offered. "After Ginny leaves would probably be a better time than now."
"I think that would be a good idea. Did you know he has a family vault and he probably has ten times the amount of money in it as he does in his trust vault? It was staggering." Emma was shaking her head ruefully. "He also has properties and investments. Dan, he's going to need help learning how to deal with it all."
"I wonder if they teach that at his school."
"That's a good question. Oh, I found out why he and Hermione were so against the French school and don't seem to want to change schools in general," she said conspiratorially. "It's Ginny. They didn't want to leave her behind. What I don't understand is why they consider her more important than their safety."
"You think Ginny is the reason? That's interesting." Dan thought for a moment. "You know, those three get along very, very well."
Emma took another sip. "Too well if you ask me. If you had asked me yesterday, I would have said that one day, Harry and Hermione would be dating; but I watched them today. Now, I'm not sure if Harry will date Hermione or Ginny. And he talked to Ginny's father about something very serious before they shook hands at the end."
Dan swirled his wine for a moment before taking a sip. "Harry did just turn thirteen." He grinned at his wife. "Since we only had Hermione, I never thought I'd have to give 'The Talk' to anyone."
Emma chuckled. "I should have discussed it with Hermione last summer, but didn't. I guess we need to do that soon."
"How about saving that until after Ginny goes home as well? There's no need to embarrass them too much now, and I don't think anything will happen while there's three of them together," Dan suggested and his wife agreed. "Back to the problem with the school, do you think that they would be more willing to change schools sooner if we could get Arthur and Molly to send Ginny to another school with them?"
"Assuming they all learn French," she reminded him, "but yes, I think getting Ginny to go too would help. However, I don't think that's going to happen," Emma said with disappointment. "I don't see Molly as one to let that happen. The more I've exchanged letters with her, the more I've found she's very opinionated, and rather close-minded. She was nice enough to answer my questions last year, but she didn't seem open to things that weren't traditional for her. All of her children have gone to Hogwarts, and I don't think that will be changing."
"Damn! There's got to be some easier way we can get them away from Hogwarts as soon as possible." He heard his wife agree, but he also heard no other voices. "Listen," he said as he put his nearly empty glass down and walked towards the living room. Only the movie on the telly could be heard.
Looking in, both parents saw the three children passed out on the couch, with Harry in the middle and the two girls leaning on him. His head was lolled on Hermione's.
"That's so cute," Emma whispered with a grin. "I need the camera." She hurried off and Dan chuckled quietly. Emma took her picture and several more.
They got the kids up one by one and helped each of them to their room and into bed, with Emma taking the girls and Dan taking Harry. When they came back down, Dan smiled at his wife. "You know, those pictures will be good blackmail material in a year or two." Emma laughed.
The next morning, Emma was in the kitchen making some tea and toast before she and Dan left for work. For a moment, she thought she heard female voices, and then she heard a window close. Looking over at the open kitchen window, it was easy to guess what was happening and it brought a small smile to her.
"What has you so happy this morning?" her husband asked as he walked in to get his own cup of tea.
"I thought I heard the girls talking, then I definitely heard a window close." She nodded towards the open kitchen window.
Dan looked that way a moment before he smiled too. "Ah. You know, it's nice to see that happening. I used to wonder if she'd ever do any little girl things like gossip about boys."
"Or about one boy, I strongly suspect," Emma said impishly. "Shall we see what work holds today?"
"If we must," Dan replied with a smile. Setting his tea cup down, he led his wife out the door. A moment later, they were driving into the office.
Hermione woke up a few minutes early. She suspected noises from her parents getting ready for work had awakened her. On her way back from the bathroom, she looked in Ginny's room and saw the girl sitting in the window seat hugging her knees to her.
"Ginny?" she softly called. Ginny's head snapped around to look at her. When Hermione saw the red eyes and tear streaks, she closed the bedroom door behind her and walked over to her friend. "What's wrong?"
Ginny sniffled. "Nothing, other than feeling sorry for myself and being angry about it."
Hermione looked at her friend and made a decision. She leaned forward and closed the window.
"Why did you do that? The morning air was nice."
"It is, but the kitchen window is right under this one, and I suspect we'll be talking about things you don't want my parents to hear," Hermione said as she sat down next to her friend and bond-mate. "What's wrong, Ginny?"
The redhead wiped her cheeks and leaned back against the wall. "Have you fully thought about what this all means for us, the three of us? I mean, have you considered what it will be like in ten years?" When Hermione did not immediately answer, Ginny added, "I've had a lot of time to think this summer, when I wasn't hating my mother."
Hermione put a hand on the other girl's foot and patted it. "It will be all right, Ginny. Your dad stopped the punishment."
"I know, but what about us? In ten years we'll all be out of school and living together, the three of us. That will be unusual, don't you think?"
They heard a heavy door close downstairs followed by a car starting a moment later, before it left.
"My parents are gone for the day." Hermione looked at her and smiled a little sadly. "Life won't be normal, but we'll deal with it." She brightened. "Besides, I'll have a sister now and I've always wanted a sister."
Ginny laughed and lunged forward, hugging her new sister tightly. "Me, too."
When they parted again, Hermione became more serious. "So why were you so upset when I came in?"
Ginny's face clouded and she played with a strand of hair for a moment. "I was thinking about me and how stupid I am."
"The diary wasn't your fault."
Ginny shook her head. "That wasn't it, although I suppose that does touch it a little. No, I was thinking about what I wanted. Seeing what you have here, the happy home and a good family made me think about how bad the last year has been and how much I wanted to leave my family."
"Your family loves you, Ginny," Hermione insisted.
"Mostly," Ginny agreed after a moment of thought. "My brothers do most of the time and I know my father does." She sighed. "If I have to be honest, I know my mother does sometimes; but I still wanted to get away and I saw Harry as my best way to do that. Then yesterday, I saw all of his money and I enjoyed him buying things for me. It's like I was living my fantasy."
"And?" Hermione asked when Ginny stopped.
"And I was really happy because I realized I had left the ugly part of my summer behind, which made me think of what Harry told me about his life growing up. He told you about all the chores he had to do and never got any thanks for it?"
Hermione nodded. "It's really sad and it makes me angry that his relatives treated him that way."
"I know, I feel that way too. But that made me realize how selfish I was being. All my thoughts since I joined you were about me, how good it was and what Harry could do for me." A new tear leaked down Ginny's cheek. "Me, me, me. Me, who might not have had a perfect home, had it a lot better than he did. Despite that, he treats me nice and takes care of me. He treats me like part of his family. He treats me better than I deserve."
"He is pretty special," Hermione softly said.
Ginny wiped her face again. "He is and I'm going to be a better person just for him. I'll learn to enjoy it when he's nice to me, but I want to do something nice for him." Ginny grew determined and she leaned forward. "It's no longer going to be all about me; it's going to be about him, and you too. I don't think he really knows what love is. I think you and your parents have helped, but deep down, I think he's still living in his cupboard under the stairs. I want to pull him out of there, Hermione. I want him to love life with us."
Moved by her friend's plan and plea, Hermione grabbed Ginny in a hug. They held each other tightly for a moment.
"We can each show him love. I also want us to be best friends and show him friendship. Will you show him friendship with me?" Ginny asked.
"Of course, Ginny. We can both show him love and friendship. I think he needs all he can get."
They both giggled as they thought of what Harry might think about what they were going to do.
"Go wash your face with cold water and then let's get dressed," Hermione advised.
Ginny gave her one more hug before scampering off to the bathroom in the hall.
Hermione went to her room with a smile on her face. She had wondered about the young girl and was pleased to see that she was starting to see this more maturely.
Downstairs, Harry had finished his cereal and was looking at the Daily Prophet. He heard feet running downstairs and looked up in time to see Ginny come running to him. She almost knocked him off his chair as she leaned over and gave him a hug.
"Err, what was that for?" He was confused. Looking past Ginny, he could see Hermione and she was smiling very widely at them.
"Well, I don't think I said thank you enough yesterday," Ginny started to explain.
"You did," he assured her.
"Then it's because you looked like you needed one." Ginny blushed a little, but she did not break eye contact. "Anytime you feel lonely or need a hug for any reason, know that I have a hug for you. All right?"
"Uh, OK," Harry slowly replied, not sure what to make of that.
Ginny became more serious. "Harry, were you the one that caused Lucius Malfoy's house to be searched and him to be sent to Azkaban?"
Harry grabbed her hand. "I will protect you and Hermione. You are my family."
Ginny engulfed him in another hug, pressing his face to her chest this time since she was standing and he was sitting. "Thank you, Harry! I won't forget that and I'll do something very special for you one day."
"You don't have to," he said a little muffled, bringing a smile and light blush to her face as she realised how she was hugging him.
She released him so she could look at him properly and saw he was blushing slightly too. "Maybe I don't have to, but I want to because it's what family does, Harry." Because she knew it was what the older kids did, Ginny took hold of his face with both hands and slowly leaned down. When he did not back away, she closed the last few inches and brushed her lips on his. They felt … soft and warm. "Thank you," she murmured.
As she pulled back, she said, "We may be bonded, but I don't think we're ready for all the things that go with it. When you're ready to really kiss, I'm sure I'll be ready too, as will Hermione."
Harry watched a very satisfied looking Ginny walk over and get her own bowl of cereal. He looked over and saw Hermione with a calculating look, as if she wondered what it would be like to kiss him. That made him feel warm all over again for some reason.
"I, uh, I think I'll go get my books. We can, uh, we can start on looking at things for next year and work on our French. Maybe even help Ginny catch up to us. Yeah, we should help Ginny catch up to us." Not sure he could take them looking at him like that, he quickly left to go to his room for a few minutes and cool off. He would almost swear he heard giggles behind him, but he tried to ignore all the sounds.
That evening, after a day where the girls had mysteriously started to sit a little closer to him than usual, Harry retrieved the copy of his parents' Last Will. He had some alone time as the girls were busy with Emma.
He read through it. Other than the first couple of paragraphs, it was not all that hard to understand and was only two pages in length. In fact, about half of it seemed to be what they thought about people and suggestions for him to do. It was page two that was so interesting, and maddening.
Deciding he needed help to make sure he was really understanding what he was reading, he took the Will to Dan. He had a warm feeling about doing something with his "father".
"Dad, can you help me with this? I want to make sure I really understand what I'm reading." Harry handed the document over.
"Ah," Dan said after a moment. "Emma told me you copied some of the documents in your family vault." He smiled at Harry. "It must be nice to be able to make copies without a photocopier."
Harry grinned. "It is."
"Well, let's see what you have here." Dan started reading. "Hmm, this first part looks like a fancy way to say that if only one of them died, then the other inherited it all and legally had control over everything. Emma and I have similar language in ours."
"Oh, OK. That first part was the hardest."
"Yes," Dan drawled, "legalese at its finest. This next section is more personal."
"It's not the same as hearing your parents say they love you, but it was nice to read."
Dan smiled at him and clapped him on the shoulder. "Emma and I love you, too. It may not be in quite the same way as your parents would if they were here, but please don't doubt that we do love you very much."
"Thanks," Harry said shyly and looked down in embarrassment.
"There's nothing wrong with sharing emotions, Harry. I know most boys your age don't, and I didn't very much at your age, but there's nothing wrong with it. Everyone has feelings."
He turned back to the document to continue reading. Harry was sure he was still red in the face, but he looked at Dan in appreciation. This is what he thought of when he thought about spending time with his father - doing things together, even if they were simple things.
"This next section," Dan said, breaking Harry out of his thoughts, "lists the bequests. Do you know if this has been executed or not?"
"Uh, executed?"
"Has it been done or carried out?" Dan said with a smile.
"Well, the family vault has a lot of papers in it, which Hermione said were the investments. So I guess all of that stuff has been given to me, but I really don't know about any of it."
"Hmm, we'll probably need to contact the barristers who drew this up, or perhaps the bank, but there's no hurry. Other than a few gifts, it all goes to you anyway." Dan kept on reading. "This last part could be very interesting."
"Yeah, other than the first few paragraphs, that is what confused me the most," Harry told him.
Dan slowly read through it, mumbling as he went. "All right, let's see if this makes sense. You're parents left a list of five people or couples to leave you with if both of them died at the same time. The first is Sirius Black. Do you know who he is?"
"Uh, sort of. My parents also left me a letter in the vault and my dad said he was their best friend. That's all I know," Harry said a little apologetically.
Dan looked thoughtful. "I wonder why he didn't come to pick you up to take care of you. Perhaps something happened to him too. It seems unusual to me to list five people, but as you and Hermione have explained, they were in a war. The second was Frank and Alice Longbottom."
"They're the parents of one of my dorm-mates, Neville Longbottom. It's…" Harry paused, trying to figure out how to explain. "It's strange. He says he was raised by his Gran, and yet … he talks about his parents as if they aren't dead." He looked at Dan quizzically, wondering whether he was making sense.
"I don't know. Harry. That could be his way of dealing with their death, or maybe they live somewhere else because they can't take care of him." When Harry nodded, he turned back to the Will. "Third choice was a Filius Flitwick. Where have I heard that name before?"
Harry grinned. "Professor Flitwick is our Charms teacher. It would have been great to have been raised by him. Not only is he a lot of fun, but he's very smart."
Dan smiled with him. "I'm sorry that didn't work out for you." He continued to the next name. "Ah, this one I know: Minerva McGonagall."
"She wouldn't have been as good as Flitwick, but I think she would have done all right." Harry sighed. "Two good choices and I got neither."
"Well, what I'd like to know is what happened. The fifth entry is Albus Dumbledore. There were four other names before his and he didn't even raise you. He gave you away. What's worse," Dan said, getting a little angry, "is that it finally says that if all the choices are not able to take you, that you are to be raised by the professors at Hogwarts and raised in the castle."
"I've always thought of Hogwarts as home, at least until you let me live here," he hastily added the last part. "Instead, I get sent to the Dursleys."
"It doesn't say not to send you there, but it lists enough choices that you shouldn't have gone there." Dan looked at Harry carefully, trying to gauge Harry's feelings. "Harry, would you like Emma and I to try to find out why you went there?"
Harry thought about it for a moment. "No, or at least not yet. I'm not as angry about it as I used to be, when I had to live with my relatives. Now I think I want to know because I feel like I'm missing something I need to know about, not because I want it changed."
Dan patted him on the back. "You work it out in your own way then, but if you need or want help, know that Emma and I are always here to help you."
Harry gave him a huge grin. "Thanks, Dad."
"You should put that document somewhere safe so it doesn't get lost. The girls will be home soon from the grocers and you can show it to them later. They may have a useful idea or two."
"Good idea."
"And Harry, I think that we should sit down and talk about a few things next week after Ginny goes home when we won't be interrupted…"
"What about?" Harry quickly asked.
"Financial planning would be a good topic. Emma told me that you have investments as well as gold in your vault, and you're going to need to know how to take care of that. We can start helping you to understand the language and principles that go with that, so it will be easier for you when you have to take care of it one day," Dan explained.
"Oh, right. That sounds like a good idea." Still smiling, Harry ran upstairs and put the document in his trunk with the letter from his parents. He was slowly filling in the gaps about his family.
Dan felt pleased that Harry still came to him to ask questions, after their disagreement at the beginning of the summer about continuing at Hogwarts. He also decided it was be best not to mention "The Talk" until he was giving it. Advanced notice could be a problem, and he should probably talk to Harry at the same time Emma was talking to Hermione.
The day Ginny was to go home, Hermione opened the Daily Prophet to see a massive story, with a photo, about the escape of Sirius Black from Azkaban. She was very thoughtful as she finished reading the story and sat thinking about it.
Harry came down a few minutes later.
"You need to read this," she said firmly as she pushed the newspaper to him.
Ginny came down while Harry was still reading.
Emma Granger also brought a full breakfast in and frowned a little at the intense expression on Harry's face. "Harry? Is something wrong?"
"Yes and no." He looked at Ginny. "I've never read any of the accounts about what happened when I was a baby, but does the common story mention anything about Sirius Black?"
"Yes, it's part of what makes the story so tragic. He betrayed his best friends," Ginny explained.
"Harry?"
He looked up to his step-mum, or that's how he thought of her now. "It looks like there's more to my family history than I knew. The best friend of my parents betrayed them, which is why they were killed, and then he killed another best friend and some people who were nearby. He was sent to prison the next day, which explains why he didn't raise me like my parents' Will stated. Apparently, he just broke out and is on the loose." At her look of concern, he hastily added, "But I wouldn't be concerned, we have good protective wards here."
Emma nodded in understanding.
"You read your parents' Will?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah. You can read it later. I meant to show it to you, but you were out with Emma and then I forgot."
Hermione smiled in appreciation.
Harry looked at each of his bond-mates. "I believe we have a new project for the coming year. I'd like to learn a lot more about my family."
Hermione brightened at the prospect of a project. "I've never done a genealogy project before, but it sounds like fun."
"I agree," Harry said with amusement. She was so predictable sometimes.
"That does explain why you weren't sent to live with him," Hermione said.
"Yeah," he said a little sadly, wishing it could have been otherwise.
"Harry?" Ginny got his attention. "Before you return to school, you and Hermione should visit your family vault again. You can copy what's on the family tapestry to learn some of the names and dates."
"That's brilliant, Ginny," Hermione said excitedly. "I wonder if there's more family information in some of those papers I copied. I haven't had a chance to read them all yet."
Ginny sat up a little straighter at the praise from her "sister".
"As much fun as this is, you need to hurry and finish eating. We have to go meet Ginny's father so she can go home," Emma reminded them as she left the room.
Ginny deflated a little and the other two gave her sympathetic looks. She was the happiest she had been all summer, being with her Harry and her "sister". The three of them had grown a lot closer. All of her new purchases were shrunk in her bag and she knew she could cancel the shrinking charm once she was alone in her room. Ginny was looking forward to their arrival at The Burrow in a couple of weeks, and then all three of them would be returning to school so they could be together every day.
((A/N: A little character development here. Next time, Harry starts to learn about his family history and he will be surprised.))