Harry Potter: The Boy Who Lived

Chapter Fourteen - Family is Forever

Harry and Ginny walked, hand in hand, through the empty streets of Hogsmeade.

“Where do you reckon we should go?” Ginny asked. “There’s not much to do here now, is there?”

Harry was saddened by her morose tone. It was supposed to be their honeymoon. Instead of lounging in bed drinking champagne and eating strawberries, the best Muggle tradition Harry could think of, they were stuck smack dab in the middle of an investigation. The day had turned into a colossal disaster.

After the Death Eater attack, the Ministry Officials arrived to take their statements. Ron and Hermione, who had not seen Draco standing a few feet away, had been incredibly shaken at Snape’s murder. They were taken straight to the Burrow, accompanied by Luna and Neville. Luna told the Officials that they were simply too traumatized to answer any more of their absurd questions.

No one but Harry had seen Draco narrowly avoid death. No one but Harry had witnessed Snape’s bravery. No one would believe that he wasn’t a traitor. Although, the Ministry was having a hard time explaining why Bellatrix would kill the Dark Lord’s most dedicated follower. They refused to listen to Harry’s account, even though it exonerated the former Potions Master. “That’s probably why they won’t listen,” Harry raged. “I’m the last person who wanted to know that Snape was innocent. I know what I saw.” Several times Harry overheard the Officials saying that, at best, he was delirious and suffering from the effects of a spell.

Harry, who had grown weary of the whole situation, took Ginny’s hand in the middle of a question and they vanished. They left the Ministry Officials looking considerably perplexed. Moments later, Harry and Ginny were in the back room of the new location of Weasleys Wizard Wheezes. They waited, watching carefully for any sign of the Ministry. After a considerable amount of time had passed, and they were getting bored of ‘rearranging’ Fred and George’s notes on their latest ideas, the appeared back in the middle of the empty street.

“How about we take a room at the Leaky Cauldron?” Harry suggested, coming out of his reverie.

“Nothing could sound more perfect,” Ginny breathed. “I’m not ready to go home yet. There are too many questions I don’t want to answer.”

“I know, my love,” Harry responded tenderly. “Even if I was ready to answer those questions, do you really think I would turn down an opportunity to be alone with you? Think of all the snogging I would miss out on. Not a chance.”

Ginny giggled at Harry’s bluntness. It had been quite a day. Their emotions had been topsy-turvy all day, as if they had been on a Muggle rollercoaster.

“It all started first thing this morning. It fits into a pretty neat pattern. The terror of the attack and the high of a successful defeat. First our N.E.W.T.s, then the passing grades and a trip to Hogsmeade. Then the attack in front of Honeydukes, followed by the satisfaction of victory.” Ginny allowed herself to congratulate the group on a job well done.

Her shield had allowed the others to round up all of the Death Eaters, except for Bellatrix. She had managed to escape in the commotion after Snape’s death. All of the innocent witches and wizards who were caught in the crossfire had all been tended to and released from St. Mungo’s. No one was clear how the fracas originally started. The attack on the village of Hogsmeade was unprovoked.

Harry and Ginny disappeared and reappeared in the alley behind the Leaky Cauldron. They entered through the back door and approached the bar.

“Tom,” Harry called.

“Harry Potter,” Tom grinned. “What are you doing here? I thought you were with the Weasleys.”

“There was a slight change of plans,” Harry informed him. “Might we talk in private?”