A.J RYAN IN THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX

Chapter 20 - End of Term

A.J jumped awake as Mrs Weasley came through the kitchen door at ten past five in the morning.

"He's going to be alright, he's sleeping. We can all go and see him later. Bill's sitting with him now, he's going to take the morning off work."

Fred's head dropped back against A.J, while George and Ginny walked over to hug their mother.

Mrs Weasley rushed over and took the plates out of Harry's hands and pulled him into a hug.

She thanked him for saving Mr Weasley's life, saying it had given Dumbledore time to come up with an excuse for where he was so he wouldn't turn out like poor Sturgis.

Sirius was delighted to hear they would all being staying for Christmas, to be closer to the hospital.

Then her eyes fell upon A.J in Fred's lap, and his arms that were wound around her. She ignored the shock of it and put on an apron and started helping with preparing breakfast.

A.J wiggled her way off Fred's lap, as Harry and Sirius headed into the pantry and shut the door.

A.J gave a quick farewell wave and headed up the stairs, Fred walking with her.

She stopped near the front door, and he took her hand. "You said he'd be alright." He gave a brighter smile than before.

"So glad you believed me." She smiled sarcastically.

He shrugged, "I did, a little."

"Go eat some breakfast, then sleep." She encouraged softly.

"I'm sorry about before. I was just worried. I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

"Or Sirius." She added with a reproachful look.

"Or Sirius." He agreed.

"That's okay, I get it. Rotten situation, hard to think." She smiled.

"I'll see you soon?"

"Probably." She shrugged.

A.J had gone to see Dumbledore before class that morning.

"They searched the whole area but couldn't find the snake anywhere." Dumbledore was filling her in. "Nagini would have been there only as a lookout, he wouldn't have expected her to get through to the Hall of Prophecies." Nagini was a great big snake that Voldemort owned.

"You've been waiting for Harry to see something like this? He doesn't understand what it means sir." A.J asked.

"No, but for now, Harry is in control of his own mind." He nodded vaguely.

"Do you believe Voldemort is now aware of the connection?" A.J asked.

"Do you?" Professor Dumbledore countered.

A.J nodded.

He smiled gravely.

"He'll use that it to lure him to the Ministry." A.J said slowly.

The prophecies held in the Ministry of Magic are heavily protected. Only the people they refer to can take them from the shelves without suffering madness. Voldemort would not be entering the Ministry of Magic, when it was believed he had not returned to power, which only left Harry.

"When he returns to Hogwarts from the holidays, I will have Severus teach him Occlumency."

"Is that soon enough?"

"He is well protected now. I do not believe Voldemort will try anything yet."

A.J stared at him with her head slightly to one side.

He smiled when he noticed her. "When I made eye-contact with Harry tonight, I thought I saw a shadow of him stir behind his eyes."

This is why he was positive Voldemort would be aware of the connection. A.J had only assumed from watching Harry's memory that he had been too far into Voldemort's mind, for him not to have noticed.

"How did it go with Umbridge?" A.J grinned.

"She was livid that they all disappeared under her nose. I told her, Mr Weasley was in St. Mungo's and I granted them permission to leave." He grinned back.

"Oh right, how dare you, sir." She laughed.

Professor Dumbledore smiled politely as A.J turned to leave.

"You are dating Mr Weasley?" He questioned quietly.

"Yes sir. He was quite persistent." She said in way of explanation.

He nodded. "Good day."

She would have to wait until term officially ended to leave Hogwarts for the three week break over Christmas, even though she had only one class today. She spent the afternoon from lunch catching up on sleep on the long couch in her office.

She returned to her parents' house, apparating right out of Hogsmeade.

Her mother squealed and hugged her tightly. A.J felt bad that she had snuck out of Hogwarts all those times, but never to see her parents. She'd prefer they never knew she was leaving school.

"Ouch." A.J cried.

"Sorry dear. I've just missed you so much." Her mother released her.

"We're used to having you around a lot more." Came her father's voice from the doorway.

She rushed to hug him also.

"I know. I've missed you guys too."

A.J was used to being at home with them, as her mother had home-schooled her every day. The longest she had stayed away from them, was for two weeks, when she went to Australia on holiday with Oliver two summers ago. She had only been sixteen, but Oliver was eighteen at the time.