Chapter five: When Harry met Ginny

6714 Words ... Rated ‘R’, for strong sexual innuendo and language

Category: UA or it will be, once book six comes out

Warning: A troll in you bathroom, always leaves a mess

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Authors notes: did I ever mention the debt I owe to (Anya) and (Jeco) for the concept of m-mail, I bow in homage toward their PC’s, I am not worthy. In other words go find and read these great works (hint-hint) and read them. Subtle aren’t I?

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From: Department of legal port-key manufacture, m. o. m.

To: Office of the Minister for Magic UK

Subject: Port-key request (directly into Hogwarts entrance Hall)

Sorry Arthur, no can do. The Headmistress has full wards up (reinforced). We have tried a half dozen times and we can’t get through.

Does Minerva have something special going on at the Castle tonight? You might want to rethink your trip altogether. I have never encountered such strong wards before, not since the war anyway. I doubt you will get through even on foot.

If you declare this an emergency I can get my team up there and we can force a hole in the wards for an assault on Hogwarts, if you fear foul play.

Let me know what you want to do.

Frederic Romulus

Head of port-key department.

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From: Minister for Magic (personal code)

To: Frederic my old school chum

Subject: Re: Port-key request

Never mind getting me in, just send up a general Hogsmeade port-key we will walk from there, and to answer your question Freddie old boy. Yes ‘Min’ has some hush-hush meeting going on up there, and I am late for it.

Chat with you later.

Arthur

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From: N. Tonks

To: De-boss (Kingsley)

Subject: That Skeeter Cow

No luck my chieftain, this old salt, doesn’t know squat about the missing Weasleys. Although a search of her digs, uncovered some major slanderous material on Arthur’s family. Of which 98 percent concerned his son Percy and things he did for old Fudge.

This material I regret to report was accidentally ‘dropped’ into a roaring fire, that just happened to be burning in the middle of the street outside of Ms. Skeeter’s residence (fancy that) destroying the lot (including all original copies and negatives).

All I can say concerning this is regrettable incident is ... oops! Will follow up on other leads after putting out the fire in the street

Tonks.

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From: Kingsley

To: N. Tonks

Subject: bon-fire

Good work with that Skeeter woman, don’t worry about repercussions, I would have done the same in your shoes, and it was a long shot anyway. Are there any leads left? Last I heard they were all dead ends. But keeping working on the Weasley disappearances and let me know at once what you find.

K

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To: Aberforth Dumbledore

Subject: Whom did you tell?

I know your tied up and all, and cannot speak but I need to know who you told about ‘him’ if it was the Weasley girl, nod your head ‘yes’ three times.

(Unsigned)

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From: %$@#*&^** more than a little upset.

To: Aberforth

Subject: Of all people, why her?

She will get sick at the sight of me just like she did before. Are you a sadist like your brother? Getting pleasure from watching her reject me again, run from me in horror like she did that day in hospital.

All right I did give my word on this, but only her understand, and if she reacts, as I fear she will, just so you know, I end it here. I will be modifying her memory so she forgets all about me. She deserves a life, children and happiness Dammit.

(Unsigned)

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"What do you mean, what do I think? I am stunned, it’s a lot to take in at one time" Ginny Weasley said not liking at all being the center of attention.

"Well then, how about first impressions, as for example. Do you believe what the Countess has told you, in other words, was her story convincing or not?"

"If your asking me weather or not I think my old school chum, became one of the biggest tarts in all France after leaving Hogwarts, the answer is a definite ‘Yes.’ As for the rest of it I am honestly not so sure."

"Frankly I found your tale of the history of the necklace more convincing than this junk about an Imperius curse that makes someone renounce their English heritage and the only parents they have ever known. Just to run off and have bad sex, with half the men of Western Europe." Ginny declared with her famous blunt honesty.

"So you don’t believe the Countess when she says that she is still in love with your brother Ronald?" the faceless specter wizard asked.

"I never said that, retorted Ginny. Of that much at least I am certain of, she loves Ron, or thinks she does. I saw it in her eyes. It’s this alleged ‘Imperius curse’ as an excuse for her immorality that I don’t buy. But even that doesn’t matter, I am not the one she needs to convince and believe me when I say, I am a push over, when it comes to convincing compared to my brother Ron."

"Let’s say I buy into this whole curse idea, where does that get us. You cannot prove any of it in court so no legal relief is possible. Besides if the curse is on the necklace, and the necklace cannot come off, there is no way to end the curse, right?" Ginny said trying to be reasonable.

"You are as beautiful as you are wise Ms. Weasley your reputation is well earned, the hooded wizard said with a bow of respect. But let us cut to the chase shall we. For the ultimate purpose of convincing Ron which part is more important to prove, her love for him or the existence of the Imperius curse?"

"If the only purpose of all of this was just an apology for past mistakes, I would say she doesn’t have to prove anything, a sincere expression of regret would be enough. Ginny said reasoning it out. But from what I just heard her say, The Lady d’Ormon appears to have a secret/hidden secondary agenda. That goes way beyond a mere apology and encroaches into the area of a full-blown attempt at reconciliation. If as I suspect getting back her old boyfriend is her real goal then, proving her love for him is what should hold center stage."

"The problem is, and I hope you will forgive me for saying this Hermione. But after being burned and rejected so brutally by the ‘French tart ’... proving the Countess’s undying love now to Ron, a love strong enough to overcome such a large emotional hurt would be a nearly impossible feat, a Herculean labor in scope. That is if you could get him to sit still long enough to listen to such a proof."

"But what if I could prove it, her love for him. Her ‘until death does us part’ kind of love, What then? Would you end your animosity toward your brother’s ‘lady’ and re-accept her into your family. Welcome her back as the best mate of yours that she use to be?" the tall thin specter wizard asked calling Ginny’s bluff.

"There is no way to prove ever lasting love, and you know it!"

"Your side stepping my question, so I will lay my cards on the table. I have the means to prove one way or the other weather or not Ron and the Countess are fated to be together for the rest of their lives. If I can prove that, will you become Claudette’s champion to your own family and act as peace maker to end this vendetta?"

"Yes, but I tell you there is no way to prove such a thing"

"How about you Countess, are you prepared to risk your one chance at Ron and happiness in a single throw of the dice. Is your alleged love for him strong enough to be put to the test, here and now?"

"Yes, my love for Ron is more than strong enough" Claudette said with determination.

"Wager offered and accepted" the wizard declared as if springing a trap on the two women.

"What’s your game then? Ginny said with a leer. Is this some kind of a cruel joke? What good is proving this love, if he who needs convincing of it, isn’t here to see it?"

"Well spotted Ginevra, you are exactly right. For this to work Ronald Bilius Weasley would have to be here in person wouldn’t he!" And then with a flick of his wand, the hooded wizard pointed to an empty space to his right and said "Accio Ron-cape", abruptly an invisibility cape flew in to the specters outstretched hooded hand revealing a bound by ropes into a chair petrified body of the kidnaped Ronald Weasley.

Unlike the others in the room Ron had an actual cloth gag in his mouth. He couldn’t move a muscle, but he had however been able to see and hear everything that had happened. Clear proof of this was the tears pouring down his cheeks as he stared unwavering at his ex-girlfriend sitting on the stool.

Ginny didn’t know what was going on, but the fact that Ron had been in the room, the whole time invisible, spoke volumes of the kinds of magical power the hooded wizard controlled. Clearly this entire gathering had been his doing from the get-go and for now Ginny thought it best to play along.

"Hermione, come over here and remove Mr. Weasleys gag, if you please"

As if walking to the gallows, Claudette slowly rose to her feet and walked over to where her ex-boyfriend sat bound to a chair. With trembling fingers she untied and removed the gag in his mouth her eyes never leaving his. As she did this almost in a trance, she only half heard what her benefactor was saying.

"Mr. Weasley as this test will effect your life as deeply as it will the Countess I cannot proceed without your consent. But I cannot help but wonder if you too would like to know if you and the woman you knew as Hermione Granger are indeed fated to be man and wife for the rest of your lives. Your family believes that you are still in love with this woman, if they are right are you prepared to put your love for Hermione to the ultimate test?"

" I believe that my little test is a win-win for both of you. If it succeeds you will have found again the love you thought you lost. If it fails, then you two where never fated to be together and with that knowledge. You both can final bring closure to this relationship and move on to better lives with others," The specter wizard declared.

"What do I have to do, for a second chance with my Hermione?"

"Nothing really was the reply. Just sit there and when she kisses you, kiss back" this comment made both Ron and Claudette/Hermione finally break eye contact with each other, to turn as one to face the fully hooded wizard.

"That’s right girl, I want you to climb into this young mans lap, wrap your arms around his neck and kiss him, with all the passion that you can muster, with all the love of a bride on her wedding day. You do that, and I will handle the rest

Claudette gave her benefactor one last long look, before turning back to Ron. If this was destined to be their last kiss, Claudette-Hermione, Marie-Jane Granger-d’Ormon was determined to make it memorable. She climbed up into Ron’s lap only realizing now, how much grown up Ron the man was. She wrapped her arms tenderly around his neck and leaned in to give the single most important snog of her life.

There were no flashing colored lights, no bells ringing, no fireworks, the earth didn’t move it was just a kiss. A great one to be sure, but when all was said and done, just a kiss. Everyone in the great hall looked on, spellbound, and we are talking over thirty-two people. Each and every one of them kinda of let down by the lack of fireworks.

As the two people most involved finally came up for air, the kiss ended. With both Ron and Claudette-Hermione more than a little disappointed at the lack of anything-spectacular happening and more than a little fearful of the worse.

"Nothing happened" Ginny said expressing the feelings of everyone who looked on

"Yes it did, wait for it" the hooded wizard replied

And then suddenly, into the utter silence the followed the end of the Kiss, one and all heard a clearly audible "click". The necklace that had been around the Countess d’Ormon’s neck for nearly six non-interrupted years, without another sound, slid down from her neck to land in a pile in Ron’s Lap. And there in the place of the red ruby, was a shining brightly light true-blue sapphire.

Ron and Hermione stared down at the blue gem in stunned disbelief, their minds unable to process the significance of the gem transformation from red to blue. Ron was the first to look up from the enchanted bit of jewelry, but then he had reason to. For a change was underway within the body of the young French noblewoman sitting in his lap.

The straight strawberry blond hair of Claudette began darkening to a bushy dark brown, the same color that Hermione use to wear. Her almost perfect-featured face became a little less perfect, a balanced blending of the best parts of both Hermione and Claudette. As if her body had made the best compromise possible between the French and the English side of her mixed heritage, with a touch more Hermione dominate.

With the necklace gone, so went the lingering parts of the Imperius curse and abruptly Hermione’s middle-class British upbringing and morality hit the twenty-year-old witch head on.

She immediately buried her brightly blushing face into Ron’s shoulder and began to sob

"Oh Ron how can you bear to look at me, after I been such a shameless tart?"

Abruptly to everyone’s surprise (especially Ron) his long lost girlfriends thick French accent was gone, banished for good. And hearing her speak the queens English as she use to, Ronald broke into the first genuine smile he had worn in five years and whispered in ‘his’ girls ear.

"It’s all right luv, your home now, where you belong" he said as tears of pure joy poured down his face.

Looking on from one side, tears of joy mixed with envy on her face. Ginevra Weasley felt the happiness for her brother for having found again his love, as well as the pain for her own lost love. Unbeknown to her she was at that moment being stared at herself by the hooded benefactor of the countess. Who finally, shaking his head as if to break him-self out of a trance he turned to the empty space to his left and said to empty air:

"Can you see what I do, the prefect match charm of the necklace has worked its magic, the Imperius curse is fully broken. Hermione, the one true love of your son’s life has been returned to him.

"It is time to end this vendetta and welcome the mother of your future grandchildren back into your family. What say you Molly Weasley?" The hooded wizard asked as he removed with his wand a second invisibly cloak from the bound and gagged matriarch of the Weasley clan. Who was the first of the prisoners freed from their bounds, Ron being second.

Suddenly everyone was set at liberty, and in the midst of hugs all around, the hooded wizard faded and disappeared unnoticed, except for by the two elderly Dumbledore’s who had in vain been struggling through the mob trying to reach Hermione/Claudette’s mysterious benefactor.

None of the former combatants attempted to re-new the battle. For the young woman sitting on a smiling in delight Ronald Weasley lap staring with such obvious adoration into to the eyes of her beloved. Made any thought of continuing the struggle unnecessary. One and all had heard the story of the necklace and they had all been witnesses to the charm working its magic.

The Countess and her tale had been disbelieved by most in attendance, even by some of her defenders. But the necklace charm doing its magic right in front of them, transform disbelief into belief. Providing all with eyes that see with clear undeniable proof of the love that the Countess had confessed for her old ex-boyfriend. It was only at this point that professor’s Snape and Evander were awakened and released, both of them instantly demanding to know what they had missed.

Into this bedlam the Minister for Magic UK arrived along with the French ambassador and two magical hit squads in tow. He was naturally overjoyed to see both his wife and youngest son alive and well if somewhat bruised from the ropes that had bound them to their chairs. His attempts to discover where they had been were repeatedly frustrated by his spouse, who kept pointing at her youngest son. A crying while smiling young man completely oblivious to his surroundings as was the young woman sitting on his lap.

The ‘Ambassador of magic for France’ with a photo of the Countess Claudette Maria d’Ormon in hand had no more success than the Minister for Magic (UK) in getting the attention of the two young people sitting in the center of the room. For both Ron and Hermione/Claudette were completely oblivious to anyone around them. She just sat on his lap staring into his eyes, smiling in pure delight, while he sat there with his arms around his ladylove smiling back.

An impromptu welcome home Hermione celebration (ignored by Ron and Granger-d’Ormon) got underway at once with only professor Evander excusing him-self from the festivities due to unspecified aliments.

Off to one side behind a pillar one person stood apart from the merry makers. She had come to the castle with only a tiny flicker of a hope. Now that the meeting appeared over so did her hope to hear something, anything. But no one had come forward, and she was left seemingly forgotten in her grief. Unaware that she was being watched, carefully watched and discussed.

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From: Aberforth

To: Hidden in plain sight.

Subject: Can you not see her?

Well, what are you waiting for?

Abie

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From: Name withheld by request

To: Aberforth

Subject: Re: Can you not see her?

Yes I can see her. I know what your thinking you old goat, I promised. But are you sure she wouldn’t be happier remembering me the way I was, instead of the monster I am today?

(Unsigned)

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From: Aberforth, ... I saw how you looked at her.

To: Don’t deny the desire your feeling.

Subject: Re (2): Can you not see her?

Your body is as healed as its going to get; it’s now or never. And besides you promised me I could decided whom I could let in on our little secret. Just knowing your alive won’t be enough for her and you know it.

Look, if she reacts as she did in hospital I will modify her memory myself, I swear it. You have done all of this to give your friends a second chance at love. Don’t you deserve your shot at it too?

If it doesn’t work, I will get royally pissed with you, we will go on a bender, hit all the pubs in Notting Hill I promise, just you and I.

But first, give it one more go, please! She deserves a second chance and so do you.

Now ... logistics, do you want me to approach her first and act as a go between during or what?

The honorable Dumbledore

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Fr om: More scared of this, than I ever was of Voldemort

To: He who will pick up the pieces after she is gone.

Subject: Re (3): Can you not see her?

No it’s best I do it all, to get it over with quick, especially if she gets sick again.

Don’t get too pissed at the welcome home for Hermione, we may have heavy drinking to do later.

God I am scared!

Unsigned

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From: The one you’re looking for

To: The girl I left behind

Subject: Second chances

Warning: This message will self-delete after a single reading

Hello Gin-Gin, I am told your looking for me. I am not sure you will be happy when you see, what little is left of me to see, because I bear little resemblance to your old snogging partner.

To prove to you that this Mmail is no hoax: Do you remember where I left a hickey on your beautiful body our last night together, the spot your knickers couldn’t hide. Does the peak of the crescent moon ring a bell?

If you want to meet me in person, come to our favorite pub in Hogsmeade in an hour. I will be there form ten until eleven in disguise. Just sit a table in the back (our favorite booth) I have reserved it for you. Just wait there and I will approach you.

If you still think this a hoax, or don’t want to meet with me out of fear of a repeat performance of our first post battle chance meeting, in hospital three years ago. I will fully understand, after all you became violently ill and ran to the loo at just the sight of me. If that disgusting sight from three years ago, jogs an unpleasant memory strong enough to make a second encounter unthinkable. Then simply do not show up at the ‘Three Broomsticks’ and I swear I will never bother you again.

(Unsigned)

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From: Name withheld by request IP address untraceable.

To: My protégé.

Bcc: Aberforth D

Subject: One last service to perform.

You will not hear from me again after this, my task is done. In fact only one thing remains. To find the last item on your list take the road that passes by the place which revealed Wormtail’s true form to the three of us. Take this road west, away from the castle, beyond the village of Hogsmeade for half a league. On the right, you will find a small cottage, they that you seek live within.

Go gently with them my old friend, considering what you were only half a year ago, I thought it best not to tell them you still lived. Now that you are restored to both yourself and to Ron, I strongly suggest that you take him with you when you go to find them.

They will remember Ron, after all he saved their lives more than once that night. Their gratitude to him for their lives will allow Ron to vouch for you (who you really are) to them. It will take time for them to accept you again. Be patient, the love for you as their child is still alive within them, but will have to be re-earned.

Farewell my protegee, Ron will take over your protection now

(Unsigned)

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This last Mmail to his protege was the mysterious wizards undoing, for although the Countess wasn’t quick witted enough to read between lines, for Hermione, the smartest witch to attend Hogwarts in two hundred years it was child’s play. With her razor sharp intellect restored to her at last, she put two and two together almost instantly. Her eyes went wide in surprise as she re-read for the third time the first ever Mmail from her benefactor that didn’t contain the self delete after only one reading clause, that he was know for.

Excited, Hermione began to search the room for Ginny and when she caught sight of her best mate standing alone against a pillar softly crying, she began to drag Ron through the mob of merry makers. (She hadn’t let go of his hand since the necklace had dropped off her neck). When Ron gave her a ‘what’s going on?’ look, she turned to glare at him with a special serious expression on her face, that Ron hadn’t seen in six years. It was the "Harry’s in trouble look" that Ron had seen countless times during their school days. A look he thought he would never see again. Any thought of resistance ended abruptly when his Hermione said:

"Ron we have to find Ginny ... NOW"

"Okay ... okay, don’t nag, I am coming" he said making them both smile in memory of past adventures.

"Ginny ... Ginny," Hermione called to her best friend catching up with the young woman as she was just about to slip out of the great hall unnoticed. "We have to talk"

"Not now Claudette. I am in a bit of a hurry," Ginny said glancing at a wall clock that read 9:55 P.M.

"But Ginny, he is alive, I just got proof. Here read this!"

"Who’s alive, what you two ranting about? Ron asked, the whole thing feeling a lot like old times, when Ginny and Hermione would get together to compare notes about. ¼ And that is when it hit him, that’s when he realized in a flash of insight why this felt so familiar to him, all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place.

"Hang on, ... are you two saying what I think your saying? ... Harry is alive"

"Hush Ron" Hermione said to him "people are looking at us."

"Hermione my love, we aren’t school kids anymore"

"That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be careful"

"Honestly, ...Will you two look at your selves," Ginny said chuckling. "You haven’t been back together thirty minutes and your already starting a row. Stop it, right now!"

Deeply embarrassed, both Ron and Hermione, looked down at their feet like two school children caught being naughty.

"By the way HG, welcome back," Ginny said smiling taking the sting out of her words. "Ron, behave and keep your voice down, He doesn’t want people to know he is still among the living."

"Then it is true?" Ron said excited.

"Yes, I think so, I am going to meet him now" Ginny said again looking at the wall clock.

"Not without us your not," Ron declared getting angry.

"Ron, he been hurt, seriously hurt. To the point where I apparently saw him in hospital three years ago and didn’t recognize him at all," Ginny said shaking her head sadly. "The impression I get from the Mmail I just received, is that he is scared to death that I will find his physical appearance disgusting and run away from him ‘again’.

Yes I said ‘again,’ apparently I behaved very badly indeed when I ‘saw’ him in hospital. Although if I am right in my memory of that time, my jogging to the Loo had nothing to do with the patient I saw just prior to losing my lunch. But he doesn’t know that" Ginny said starting to cry.

"We’re coming with you Gin," Ron said determined, "he was ... is our best friend too"

"No, I can’t risk it, stay here. Let me see him first, ... alone. Now let me go I am already late." Ginny said turning and running out of the great hall. Ron started to follow but Mione held him back.

"No love, as much as I want to follow her too, we can’t. Look behind you, everyone one is watching us. If we go, you mum will want to go along with everyone else. Harry isn’t really ready for that, not-yet anyway. Be patient, Ginny will talk him into letting us see him."

"I have to agree with Mademoiselle Granger/ d’Ormon about this" Aberforth Dumbledore said coming around the pillar where he had stood in hiding eavesdropping on the conversation. "He is very unsure of himself right now. It has taken me two years of talking to convince him to let anyone else but me, know that he survived that last battle with Voldemort."

"In fact Mademoiselle, Ginevra wasn’t suppose to have told you about it. But that was my fault not hers, I should have warned her that he didn’t want anyone else to know."

"True be told, I should modify your memories so that you forget the whole thing." the younger of the two Dumbledore brothers said. "But I won’t, provided that you give me your solemn word to tell no-one else what you have learned tonight. He will approach you when he is ready. If tonight goes well and I pray to God that it does. You may see him yourselves sooner rather than later."

"I take it you’re his secret keeper" the young countess said, now once again in full Hermione mode.

"Yes, he approached me after getting out of hospital. And Ginevra was quite correct about his condition. Your friend was in hospital an entire year unrecognized, he was in the ICU ward for almost two months hanging on to life by his finger tips. It is amazing he is alive at all really."

"Unrecognized for a whole year, I don’t believe it?" Ron said clearly upset.

"His injuries were so extensive, he bore no relationship to the young man you two remember from Hogwarts, Dumbledore said. Actually he is quite happy about his current non-entity non-famous status. To him the ‘boy who lived’ is dead, and he wants the "Great Harry Potter" to stay dead too. And frankly I don’t blame him."

"He has a new life of sorts, a new name and a new identity. You’re going to have to get to know him all over again. He is deformed physically you should prepare yourself for that. I won’t go into details its not my place. But believe me when I say his going into hiding had more to do with his injuries than any desire to avoid any of you, especially Ginevra."

"He was my benefactor during the last year wasn’t he? Claudette-Hermione asked, already knowing the answer. Harry was the mysterious wizard who was here, controlling everything, freeing me from the necklace, the Imperius curse, getting Ron to take me back in spite of all I have done. Do you have any concept of how much I owe him."

"We owe him luv," Ron said with a chuckle as he hugged her gently.

"Yes you are correct again, he was the one who became convinced you were under a spell when you left us."

"Excuse me Countess" a voice, said from behind the trio talking at the pillar. Turning around Hermione saw Ron’s dad standing in front of her with a concerned look on his face.

"Oh, hello Mr. Weasley, I mean mister Minister for Magic sir. Its good to see you again" the young woman said in a voice that Arthur recognized at once as the voice of Hermione. He paused and took another hard look at the young woman in front of him.

"I am sorry, but I am afraid that you are going to have to come with me. The Muggle Prime Minister of the UK is under pressure from his French counterpart to have you return to France and to your ‘loving father’ post haste." Arthur said clearly uncomfortable.

"Am I being expelled from England as an undesirable?"

"No of course not" Arthur said exasperated

"Then unless I am under arrest, I must most respectfully refuse to go. I have just discovered where my ‘thought to be dead’ foster parents are living. People I have not seen in five years, I have no intention of going back to France until I have seen them, I think you understand why."

"Impossible, Harry Potter was their secret keeper, and he is dead. There is no way you could know where they are." Arthur said clearly disbelieving the Countess.

"Not true dad" Ron said covering his girlfriends Freudian slip. "Harry told me where they were hidden before he died. After saving their lives twice he thought I could be trusted."

"You never told me this" Arthur said turning on his son

"Well dad, the whole idea of being a secret keeper is to keep something secret, Ron said with a big grin, and you have to admit I have kept this one pretty well."

"Well yes, I see that. But that still leaves the French to deal with."

"Just a suggestion Arthur" Aberforth said entering the conversation smoothly "but you can use a school owl to send a letter to the French government. The ambassador can informing the president of magic for France that you and he have located the Countess and can confirm to his government the lady’s good health. Moreover you can inform the French Republic that you and the ambassador will be happy to arrange a meeting between the Countess and her father the Count. Say in your office tomorrow afternoon around four."

"Good idea Aberforth, I believe that will be acceptable to all parties involved. After all it is rather late in the evening to be thinking of paying a visit to the French consulate now. Look at the time, it’s almost eleven now. Ronald would you be so kind as to escort the Countess to the Dumbledore cottage in Hogsmeade and then come back to the Burrow. We need to have a little talk.

Molly bluntly refuses to tell me how she got here or why her wrists show signs of the same kind of rope burns that you have. As Minister for Magic UK I have learned what not to see, officially. The same rules however don’t apply to my family young man. Goodnight Mademoiselle, Arthur Weasley said, as he formally bowed toward the Countess before turning back to his wife who was giving some kind of impassioned lecture to her assembled family and their friends.

"I will take my leave now as well, by the way, great cover on the Granger secret keeper slip. I never knew you were so quick-witted. As for you Countess goodnight" the old man said bowing before moving off.

"You dad is right, it is getting late. Much too late to drop in on my parents" Hermione said clearly disappointed. "Will you go with me tomorrow and visit them up properly?"

"Sure, I will go with you to my dads office too, if you want me to?" Ron asked suddenly shy for the first time in years.

"I would like nothing better," and without another word she leaned in for their second in six years snog. Much to the cheers and applauds of everyone left in the great hall.

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At six minutes to eleven, an out of breath, Ginevra Molly Weasley burst through the front door of the all but empty Three Broomsticks. There were only a half dozen patrons in the pub at this time of night. For after all, this was a weekday and many in the pub had to work in the mourning. Ginny looked around and was somewhat surprised to see a very familiar set of robes sitting at a table near the fire, Professor Evander.

Ginny shook her head and at once marched back to the booth in the back of the pub, to the corner booth with the tiny ‘reserved’ place card on it. She had barely sat down when professor Evander approached the table. Looking up a very nervous Ginny said:

" I am sorry professor I can’t chat right now I am expecting someone"

"Yes I know, I was just about to give up on you coming at all"

A disembodied voice said inside Ginny’s head, her first experience with telepathy was disturbing to say the least. She looked up into the Faceless full hood of the professor, noticing his gloved hands and mentally shuddered as she thought of what such head to foot covering might be concealing.

"Are you my escort professor, she asked, will you be taking me to him?"

"No Gin-Gin, I am the person you have been looking for all this time. What you see before you now, is all that is left of Harry James Potter."

Ginny’s eyes went wide in surprise and shock, Harry had been expecting this very reaction so he was prepared for it. So without being asked, he sat down in the chair opposite his old girlfriend to wait for her to recover. He had put a lot of thought in to this meeting, having planed it in his mind for the last two years.

He had wanted it to be in a public place, so that Ginny would feel a little inhibited about expressing strong emotion. There were major shocks coming for Ginny that night and he wanted to make sure that a public place would give her a feeling of flexibility to escape, if the horror that he thought himself to be became too much for her to bare.

"Harry, is it really you, under there?" Ginny said regaining a bit of her composure

"No, the Harry you knew died, three years ago. What you see before you, is a blind, speechless, cripple war veteran, covered head to foot with hideous scars. The same blast which ended Voldemort life, also robbed me of my ability to see, speak and all my body hair."

"So, no Gin-Gin, I am not the Harry Potter you remember. His soul is inside of this disfigured horribly burnt shell that sits here with you but that is all that is left of him."

"I sometimes feel that you would be better off remembering your teenage lover and fiancée as I was then, rather than the thing I have become now."

"I remember quite well our first meeting after the battle, it was during rounds and I was in the death ward. You took one look at the fresh raw meat that was my body, then promptly turned bright green and ran from the room."

"I realize that you didn’t know it was me. In fact being blind I couldn’t actually see it was ‘you’ who ran from the room. It was your fellow apprenticed healers who you left behind that verbally identified (*by name*) the healer that had run off. None of your classmates, by the way, have much of a bedside manner. For they openly discussed my revolting physical appearance right in front of me without once checking to see if I could hear what they were saying.

Their lack of caring for a patient is disappointing, but not half as much as the fact that the sight of me sickened you. It is the memory of that which has made this meeting so difficult for me to face."

"Can you ever forgive me for that" Ginny said reaching out for a gloved hand resting on the table.

"Nothing to forgive Ginny, you didn’t know. I just hope that, now that you know how impossible any relationship with what I have become is, you can at last find some closure."

"Hold on, what’s this. Are you dumping me as your fiancée?" Ginny said more than a little worried.

"Ginny, be reasonable" the voice in her head declared. "You have no idea about how I look Starkers."

"If you are as blind as you say you are, you don’t know what you look like in the buff either." Ginny said with a smile trying to lighten the mood

"Answer me this Harry," Ginny asked turning deadly serious. "It’s important to me. Do you or don’t you still love me?" the significance of this simple question was a plain as the concern written all over her face.

Harry had been struggling with this very question for two years now, trying to balance his personal needs and desires with his wish for Ginny’s happiness. Everything depended on his answer. Then gathering his courage to do the right thing he said directly into her mind:

"Ginny ... Ah ... I won’t lie to you. So the truth is ..."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

To be continued comments welcome, flames are not!

Authors’ Notes: I thought I saw a cliffhanger,

I did, ¼ I did see a cliffhanger!