Cramming stomachs with food was no effective method for filling holes that had been bombed into hearts and souls. So naturally, seventy percent of the prepared meal went into the waste, although everyone had done their best to eat as much of the extremely delicious small turkey they had had and Mrs Weasley offered to take one home for the next day. Still wondering why someone would have turkey for a funeral, but actually not complaining because it had tasted better than any of those he had ever had at Hogwarts, Harry gazed around.
They had now packed into groups in the grand hall. The smell of incense was still in the air, making him alarmingly dizzy – or perhaps it was also due to the massive amount of turkey and vegetables he had eaten. Even though the midday sun was shining through the front of windows, the hall was so big and dusty that the sunlight got lost. Therefore the three chandeliers were lit and the fire burnt in the chimney. Around it, in black leather armchairs, sat Mr and Mrs Weasley, having a sad conversation about loss with Mrs Malfoy. Hermione and Ginevra filled a windowsill. After a while, Harry had given up on trying to understand anything they were talking about. It was all just coded words and phrases and the fact that Slughorn yakked on him and Luna while he attempted to grasp a single meaning, was no help either.
Every now and then Harry’s look would drift from the corner they sat in to the long table at which they had eaten. The arrangement of branches was still placed at its door-side end, building a half circle around the photograph. Though the peacock feathers were missing. Each of them had thrown three feathers along with a shovelful of earth into the grave before Jeremy had closed it magically. The priest now sat with Draco, Hannah and Kingsley at the table, working over piles of folders and plans of the Manor.
Due to Slughorn’s exaggerated talking, Harry couldn’t really hear what they were discussing either. But the word `children´ fell quite a number of times. Harry’s stomach wrenched at the topic he was confronted with once again.
“Ya know,”, sang Slughorn hollow and teary, “He dinn’ want me ter drink. But how? How? How could I posssibly not? An’ how could he stop me anyway? He’s gone, isn’ he?”
“Yeah.”, Harry said absent. “With a nice blast.”
“Wha’s ’at, m’boy?”, he gave him his famous, crunched face with a raised eyebrow.
“Nothing, Sir.”
“However. Ya know, I admired ’em, ’im an’ Lily.”, Harry winced. “They were so talented in everythin’ ’ey did. An’ highly talented in brewin’ potions, of course. Mathemmmatical brains. Such a shame. So much talent – an’ it dinn’ help ’em. They’re gone.”
“It helped them a lot.”, grumbled Harry. “I won’t say I knew them, but Severus Snape knew how to use his talents. And so, I suppose, had my Mum. It was only Voldemort.”, it was Slughorn who twitched now. “Once he wanted someone dead, they were dead already at the consideration.”
“True, true, m’boy. Tom Riddle was a very disturbed child.”
“No. He only happened to never have been loved. That was his biggest flaw. And that’s just sad, to be honest.”
“Oh yes. He had a sad, sad life, dear Tom. So much talent – all in vain – all gone – wasted – oh I wish I understood ’im – them – they both were very special, very talented.”
“Yes, they were. But it’s mainly been what they chose to do in the end, wasn’t it?”, Luna pointed out.
“Where’s Neville, by the way?”, Harry needed a change in topic and was glad the thought of his friend who had chosen to take his formerly pitiful life in his own hands, had popped into his mind.
“He’s with his parents, I suppose. He’s there a lot, lately. They’re getting better, you see? Not much; they still don’t seem to recognise him; but it looks like they know that Voldemort’s dead.”, Slughorn slightly jerked again at the name.
“Yeah. S’ppose so. Er – you excuse me,”, he attempted to raise.
“Of course, Harry.”, Luna smiled gently, Slughorn hadn’t even noticed as he was back in his own world of thoughts, with tears Harry didn’t want to see.
Harry stretched a little when he stood up, feeling the need for a relief of his body after having sat for what must have been two hours. So he shuffled over to the lonesome photograph. But the thick knot growing in his throat when he arrived at it, made him regret it eventually. That happy laugh. Harry’s inwards crumpled. He wanted to take the bush and throw it through the room – or kick something – set the table on fire – anything. He could already feel his wand react in his pocket, even though he didn’t touch it, and expected red sparks emitting from it any second, burning his clothes. Muffled by the huge carpet the table stood on, he didn’t hear any sound from her bare feet as she had taken off her high heels when she had decided to walk over. Therefore he startled when Hermione suddenly stood to his right.
“Are you alright?”, she said concerned, but Harry just gave her a casual nod. “You’re such an awful liar.”
“I know.”, huffed Harry. “What was he like to you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Look, I know you spent some private time with him, not only back then in the Hospital Wing, but also – last year. You know which. I’m not stupid, Hermione. So? What was he like to you? Away from public?”, she remained indifferent. “Goddamned – I know he didn’t want anyone to know his intentions, but I don’t think he’ll bother now! He’s dead!”, Harry hissed, but felt horrible the moment he saw her wince at the line and her face turn to an image of misery, reflecting nothing but – his own emotions. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s alright. After all, one would think I should have gotten used to the fact that you tend to speak your mind right away.”
“Yeah. You should. So?”
“He – oh my god – where to start – ”, Hermione brushed a hand through her brown mane. “He was – special – I – I don’t know – ”, she blushed and looked away.
“You mean, with all the talents and such?”, his eyes shortly flicked at Slughorn, who failed to stop salty waterfalls from flowing into his quivering walrus moustache.
“That too – oh Harry, please don’t make me – I – I swore not to tell you anything – ”
“May I repeat,”
“No.”, she shook her head. “He kept secrets about your mother after her death as well.”
“Wait – and you think you can just keep secrets too?”, Harry murmured, trying to talk his way around. “Hermione! I want to know more about that man! He saved my life all the ti- oh come on. Don’t give me that `I-told-you´-look.”, Hermione’s eyes popped out on the description. “Okay, I admit, you got it right. And well, I still want to know why he really stole the Monday post and pretended to be the real postman for years just to see how I’m doing or how anyone could have possibly tolerated that he sang me into sleep once they had known he carried the Dark Mark – ”
“What?”, she gasped, swallowing down her point of view.
“Don’t tell me – ”, he chuckled, “You didn’t know? Well, he spied on me, disguised as postman. I thought you’d figured out by now who `Blackbeard´ was; and Luna was wrong. I was wrong. Remember, when we caught her singing on the Astronomy Tower?”, Hermione nodded. “Well, it wasn’t Dad who sang that song.”
“Um – what makes you think?”
“You know, when I retrieved the memory from Slughorn, Felix Felicis made me take a detour to the common room. A rather long one actually.”
The more Harry told her about that evening, the wetter her eyes became and when he was trying to explain everything he felt in those moments as well as in that class Severus had saved Remus, her cheeks were as washed with tears as Slughorn’s. Yet he was careful not to mention a thing about a certain number of conversations they had shared. Harry’s last sentence however drained her breath instantly.
“So, what’s in that locket?”, he nodded to the silver piece of jewellery on her chest.
“Sorry?”, she sniffed.
“Probably you can recall that I caught him almost naked. I’ve seen that thing close and long enough, Hermione. I don’t want to know when or why he gave it to you – or if you took it from him before you set the shack on fire, I only want to know what’s in it.”
“It’s just a locket, Harry.”
“You are a good liar, Hermione, but I don’t believe you now.”, he said grim.
“Think.”, she countered equally dark, turned on her heels and marched back to Ginevra.
He just watched her sitting back down and Ginevra asking, receiving some answer with a shaking head. Harry took a deep breath and continued studying the photo on the table. Though this time, due to the angle, he did see that again someone wished to join him. He raised his head from the photo and looked at the ghostly figure.
“What did she want?”, Draco staggered along the table, holding on to it.
“What’s that your business?”
“It’s my house.”, Harry gave a snort.
“It’s been me who wanted something.”
“And what?”
“Damn, you can ask. Well, answers, actually. So? What’s that you’re doing there with Kingsley? Planning to renew the house on Ministry costs?”, Harry chuckled.
“Oh no, not at all. It’s all gonna be my Dad’s money, or at least, most of it. He had plenty, you see? But yeah, we’re renewing it. Been planning that for quite a while. My parents didn’t know. But he was in the plan.”, Draco nodded to the photo and Harry understood. “Said, it’s the best idea I could have ever come up with. You know, when it’s finished, it’s gonna be much brighter here. Not too bright though. Don’t want it to look like a hospital. But cosy. Very cosy. We got enough rooms for beds; the garden will get a complete work-over. I want every track of that scum out that’s been wandering this house for a year. And there’ll be a pond. Just deep enough for swimming, so the kids won’t drown too easily. And pebbles and plants around it.”
“Kids? You’re planning on children already?”
“Oh no – sorry you got that wrong. Hannah and I aren’t that daft. You know, it’s been war and – many families died – and there’s a whole lot of little witches and wizards out there who need a home.”
“Second – you’re making it an orphanage?”
“Exactly.”, beamed Draco, placing his hands on his hips, which made him sway for a second and his smirk instantly was back to miserable. “It’ll be wonderful. I mean, there’s like – two wizarding orphanages in the entire world? Really? They can’t just all grow up among Muggles and be called freaks all their childhood long,”, he laughed, but Harry’s look trailed wearily on the photo, remembering how his mother had been treated by her sister.
“But there’s been – so much death – in this house – ”, he smelled the incense again.
“Well, Hogwarts doesn’t close either, does it? Sure, it has seen too much death. But that’s exactly the point, isn’t it? It needs more life.”
“And you? Where will you live?”, curious, he directed his look back on Draco.
“He arranged us a nice little house in the north. Not too far away from Hogwarts, actually. By a lake. We’ve been using it as a safe house over the time Voldemort’s abused the manor as his headquarters.”
“Voldemort let you – stay away?”, Harry frowned. “I thought, he locked you in – ”
“Oh no, no. If there was an influence, it was big. He put a lot of value in his `most loyal servant’s´ wishes, when he wanted. And to our luck, in this case, he accepted it. There were stunningly awkward arguments, you see? Didn’t get all of them, but they usually did the trick.”
“S’ppose so. Hannah will be with you?”
“Yeah. I mean, she can’t stay in the Leaky Cauldron forever, can she?”
“Hang on, what?”, Harry murmured.
“Don’t you know? Her Dad threw her out.”
“What? Why?”
“Well, because of me.”, sighed Draco. “He never really liked the lot of us. Nor did I, but how to tell him, you see? He’s thrown her out two weeks ago. She didn’t want to tell me. Didn’t want to worry me. But at least she wasn’t alone.”
“Yeah. Neville’s there too. Unbelievable that he moved out from his Gran’s.”
“Hannah said that he got tired of her and he wanted his own life now – and luckily she supports him. I mean, that old hag’s fought some great duels at Hogwarts, but honestly? She’s a little – ”, he gave a whistle and a brief demonstration that made Harry laugh, mostly due to the fact that it was him to do it and with a kind of grin he hadn’t seen on him before either.
“It’s really strange, you know?”, Harry continued after an awkward pause.
“Whataya mean?”
“You’re actually a nice bloke, to be honest.”
“Nah.”, Draco waved him off. “Not really. I can be a great arsehole. You know, with my family background and all. Though maybe – maybe I changed a little. But only since he hit me with a bird, I think.”
“Er – second – Severus?”, Draco gave a quick confirming nod. “And he hit you? With what?”
“Yeah. Threw a dead bird at me. Guess, he got the right spot then.”, he shrugged.
“Great. Another thing I failed to ask.”, Harry grunted. “If I’d known that I’d only needed to throw a dead bird at you, we might’ve even become friends.”
“S’ppose. Just think about it – all the great humour down in our common room you missed.”, he winked.
“Especially Crabbe and Goyle.”, Harry chuckled.
“Oh those, especially.”, Draco laughed as well. “Great fun, the two. Yeah. A great – pain in the arse.”, his grin faded and he gazed at the windows. “I reported Goyle to the Ministry.”
“Er – ”
“Killed a visibly wandless Ravenclaw boy in the battle. I didn’t even know he could do the Killing Curse. Seems, Amycus’s given the two some – extra – lessons – ”, Draco wiped his right hand over his mouth, not willing to look at Harry as if he feared, he might have become a better Legilimens than Severus.
“Everything alright?”
“Yeah – it’s – ”, lowering his head and arms, blinking in thoughts, he took a deep, stagnating breath and curled his lips.
“Draco?”, Hannah had come to him, making him startle.
“Yes?”, he aspirated, gazing at her while she fondled his right cheek from slightly behind, the other hand on his back.
Standing on the opposite side of the table, Harry felt powerless. Like the visitor of a zoo, being on the secure side of the fence while a deadly wounded animal died a most painful death on the other. Hannah had moved her arm around Draco’s neck and pulled him to her. He quietly sobbed into her shoulder, hiding his face. Just slow and flaccid his hands wandered up her back and dug into her long blond hair.
“Hey Harry,”, that one jumped at the airy addressing.
“Huh?”, he spun around, finding a warm smile topping a white wavy, snowy slope, framed by a light, fair waterfall.
“You’d like to go for a walk?”
“Um – ”, Harry scratched his tickling neck, turning his head back to the couple and then to Luna. “Please, yes.”
The angelic girl’s smile widened slightly and they left the hall side by side. He hadn’t paid attention to the massive staircase or the noble lobby or the delicately decorated doors yet, but he could understand that Draco wanted to give it all a completely new look. In such big gloomy rooms one couldn’t become anything but depressed. Even the Dungeon office had looked more comfortable, if he thought about it. With the bluish shine coming through the underwater window and the fire in the chimney or the candles in the old chandelier above, mirroring in all the glasses in shelves around the walls, glistening like fairies, if it hadn’t been for their content. Or the books in the other shelves – he had never dared to check the labels – or those of the jars –
Never had he asked what they were used for. And when he had taken a walk in the destroyed castle before they had headed for The Burrow; all those memories from the past years surfacing, at every corner, every crack that still had existed; he had found the office completely empty. Even the piano hadn’t been there anymore. And upon searching the Headmaster office and private chambers with permission, he had realised that Severus Snape’s possessions simply had gone. It had been as though the man had never lived in the castle. Not a single hair left. The only real proof he had existed at all, were the extracted memories he, Harry, had re-bottled in the phial that now rested in his Mokeskin Pouch, the photograph up in the hall and the locket around Hermione’s neck, probably. He just realised that two rather strange people, carrying peculiar memories with them, took a walk the very moment.
“One’s how my mother died.”, Luna said dreamily when they walked past the drawn arrow on the parchment, as if she had read his mind.
Harry couldn’t find any word to add however. So he just strolled by her right, gazing up into the clear blue sky every few seconds. That made his walking rather clumsy and he turned way too late, almost running into the hedges every time they changed direction. After an endless walk, they reached the oak behind the manor again, the family grave now sealed and looking like nothing had ever happened. It solely showed one name more, the light falling through the leaves of the ancient tree, directly onto the golden letters. But Luna led him past, closer to the oddly manicured, plain meadow that ended at the high boundary wall. They however only walked about fifteen feet, then, surprising him much, Luna simply sat down on the green grass in the shadow of the tree.
“Er – ”
“We cannot go further.”, she smiled softly; Harry let his look travel over the wide, empty area, confused. “It would be like crossing the shield they had conjured around Hogwarts. We’d die, Harry.”
“Oh – okay?”, he sat down as well, still staring into distance.
“I don’t know what they are hiding there. Maybe you should ask Draco’s mother, if you really want to find out. But she hasn’t told Draco either. A rather tense situation, don’t you think?”
“You mean, she doesn’t want him to know? Let alone, see it?”
“That as well. Though I meant that it’s going to be complicated to create a pond here if there is something hidden he isn’t supposed to unveil.”
“Seems logical. Er – ”, he decided it would be more polite if he looked at her, “Got any idea where the peacocks went? All the world was just speaking about the white peacocks Lucius Malfoy bred, but other than the feathers, there hasn’t been any of those around since we arrived.”
“Oh there is one.”, Luna giggled and pointed on the silver hair-slide she wore above her right ear that had the shape of a peacock.
“Funny.”, Harry snorted.
“Oh, I think, it is, yes. I also expected some. But it seems, they’re hiding and just not attracted by it.”
“Is that also why you wear a white dress? To decoy the peacocks?”, by the moment he had said it, he realised that it had been nothing but rude, though she seemed not to bother, or even have noticed.
“Oh no. That’s meant symbolic.”
“And what does it mean?”
“You know,”, now she dreamily gazed into the field, “They might just have left the property with their master. Yes, I think they accompanied him to Heaven to ask for mercy.”
Probably he had seen too much in his short live, but he didn’t feel the need to question her words. It sounded replicable, somehow. Though if not that, he thought, it was at least a wonderful idea. That made him remember the black dog. The Grim. The omen of death. A guard that helped one to greet death, rather. Yes, his dog had been Sirius, but also that made sense, even more, reconsidered now that he had been ready to face it. And thinking about it, sitting under that tree, alive, Sirius death made sense. Sirius had died so he could tell him through the Resurrection Stone that dying was indeed nothing to be afraid of. To an even greater degree, he had been there through the beginning of the end. At the start of his most difficult path, Sirius had been the one kind of person he had needed: a parent.
Luna reached into her small bag and took out an exceptionally big box for the size. Was that the new fashion among girls? He swallowed down a chuckle; not for avoiding to look as though he was meaning to make fun of her, but because of what she took from the metal box: a flat, round, snow-white biscuit with chocolate chips, red jam in the middle and an almond on top.
“You’d like one?”, she asked.
“N-no thanks – ”, Harry gargled but she held it towards him so demanding that he saw no chance to talk himself out of it. “Okay. Thank you.”
“Any time.”
The girl smiled and took one for herself, watching him study the biscuit and he wondered whether she was waiting for him to burst into a flood tears. By now he understood that Luna was that kind of person one wouldn’t want to mess with at any matter and if it was trying to hide some truth. She always knew. Somehow she always knew. That was scary, but on the other hand soothing as she handled everything absolutely discreet, if in her very own, special way though, Harry considered.
“I’ve got something for you.”
He startled up, the biscuit still in hand, and frowned at her when she rummaged for another thing in her glitter-bag. It took her longer than she herself must have expected. Without noticing it, he ate the biscuit in whole, the absolutely delicious taste filling the entire cavern as he chewed, and that above with memories he tried hard to push back into their corner. Finally she held the big paper in hand. When he turned it over, not only the taste owned his mouth. Choking heavily, he tried to breathe. Luna was so quick he just realised after he drank the rescuing gulp, that she had drawn her wand from the bag, summoned a single oak leaf, transfigured it into a crystal glass and filled it with clear water, all with one fluent wave.
Able to think again, he began to examine the details of the old moving photograph that showed the school choir of Hogwarts, undoubtedly recognisable by Professor Flitwick standing in the first row of a group, neck and neck with the smallest students in terms of size. But as though he had known where to look at, he had choked because of the two people; from the photographer’s view left to Flitwick; his eyes had actually first fallen onto. The girl had long, wavy, dark ginger hair and the boy at her left, his hands on the shoulders of a much younger Hufflepuff girl with blond, curly pigtails, wore his own – unusually tousled and bushy black hair falling a little past his shoulders. Not enough, apart from the clearly hooked nose, he already resembled much the man who was laughing from the photo in the hall up in the manor. He was even smiling there, as bright as Lily and the small girl in front of him did.
“I nicked it from Professor Flitwick.”
“You – what?”, Harry gasped.
“You know, I don’t think he has the right to have it. He was always a little too obsessed with the choir. I like him, but I can gladly say, it serves him well to live on without the photograph. You can make more use of it anyway. He would just be showing off with it, but to you, it has a real meaning.”, Harry somehow hated how she said almost everything with a smile, but another part of him couldn’t complain that much.
“Er – thanks – yeah – erm – where have you got those biscuits from?”
“You like them?”
“I – ”
“Here.”, she gave him the entire box.
“Luna – I – no – ”
“Sure. I don’t think, he really meant me to have them.”
“He?”
“He gave them to me for Easter, thanking me for – ”, finding her break off with the loss of her smile, was actually unusual for him to see, and if he was more honest, painful. “That is for you as well.”, she continued and took off the phial that hung on the white string. “He asked me not to give it to you before the end of the war, and only if he was gone by that moment. He said, I should wait until you are ready to understand. I think, you are now.”
Harry’s throat knotted itself when he received the flask with his empty hand and he felt his eyes become teary. She said he was ready, but that was the last he believed to be. How could she expect him to be ready when he knew it might take him years to be able to look at those memories she had just given him? How could he look at them, with all the emotions swamping him since he had seen him die? He had had no clue what it had been that he had felt at that moment, not even after finding out the believed final truth, but in the weeks after, some more truth had tried to infest his brain, a truth he fought desperately ever since he had seen him crash into the choir practice, or when he had come to acknowledge that he had taken watch on him far beyond Dumbledore’s requests – how did Luna expect him to be –
“Easter?”, Harry startled up from his thoughts, something having rang an alarm bell. “But you didn’t return until – when the heck did he give them to you?”, Luna looked embarrassed and there was indeed a faint hint of pink on her pale cheeks when she gazed at the oak’s huge trunk.
“He came to Shell Cottage.”, she whispered.
“What?”, Harry straightened.
“Disguised, of course. As Scrimgeour’s cousin.”
“Er – cousin?”
“Yes. He’s in the order too, so no one suspected a thing. But he wore his locket openly, knowing I was the only one present to ever have seen it, and he gave me the box before he left.”
It downright stunned him, what kind of nerve that man had had, walking straight into a safe house under Polyjuice Potion, for; assumingly; solely delivering a box with biscuits. But after all, he, Ron and Hermione had entered the Ministry of Magic even, and might have left it unrecognised if they had caught Umbridge differently. Though something Ginevra had told him little than a week ago popped into his mind. Cresswell had offered his hair voluntarily. Maybe Scrimgeour’s cousin had done so as well. The moment he meant to ask Luna more about this man however, the voice of an elderly woman prevented his purpose and his eyes left Luna’s face for searching for the speaker. She had obviously muttered to herself, in a language that sounded insanely familiar to Harry, yet he had never heard her making use of it.
“Professor McGonagall!”, Luna waved to her, making her jump a little.
“Ah Miss Lovegood! Now what are you doing here? And where are the – Potter? Is that you?”, she approached them, supporting herself on a walking stick. “Goodness, I might never get used to this new length of your hair.”
“Seems so,”, Harry smirked, having wiped his still teary eyes dry in last second with the back of his right hand. “Er – what happened to your leg, Ma’am?”
“That is nothing, Potter.”, she assuaged him with a smile. “I was only idiotic enough to try repairing a bewitched cupboard and my spell rebounded a little. In addition, that made me stumble over a number of mice that fled from it. Nothing too serious. Poppy said, I can walk completely normally in a few days.”
“So you’re rebuilding?”
“Yes, we are.”
“How does it go?”
“Quite fine, to be honest. But we would be a lot faster if we had an additional hand. Unfortunately Horace escaped us for the funeral. Why ever he did that, I wonder. Have you seen him?”
“Everyone’s upstairs.”, said Harry and stood up, and Luna with him. “Believe me, Professor, he’s too drunk to cast a spell that wouldn’t kill him or everyone else.”
“That is definitely not the news I was hoping to hear.”, McGonagall snorted, giving him a concerned frown when he tried to somehow hold the big, unfolded photograph, the open box and its lid, as well as the phial and the empty crystal glass, but behaved stupidly on the attempt.
“Let me help you.”, Luna giggled and took the phial which she hung around his neck, closed the box and pushed it firmly back into his hands, before she re-folded the photograph, which she laid on top – the glass became a leaf again and flew up into the branches where it attached itself to where it had come from as though it had never left.
“Er – thanks!”, Harry chuckled.
“Any time.”, smiled the girl, with a faint wink.
“Could you two please lead me to the others?”, asked McGonagall. “I would like to ask them some questions.”
“Of course, Professor.”
When they arrived in the hall, Draco and Hannah had taken a seat where Luna and Harry had left them. The other groups had remained the same, in the same places. For decency’s sake, McGonagall first went to Draco’s mother to express her condolences, then said the words to Draco, looking a little more worried when she found him nodding them off.
“It’s alright.”
“No, it is not all right, Mr Malfoy. If you should need anything – ”
“I’m fine.”
“Mr Malfoy,”
“I still have my mother, I have friends – and a wonderful girlfriend,”, he added with a scarce smile at Hannah, “I’m fine, Ma’am. Really.”
“Very well, Mr Malfoy.”, she shortly laid her free left hand on his shoulder. “But if you need something, you can always come to me. The chance that I am not too drunk for listening is a little higher than with our walrus over there.”
“I know.”, Draco chuckled limply; Slughorn hadn’t even heard that, though she had spoken loud enough for Ginevra and Hermione to grasp it, which they confirmed with a fit of giggles.
“Now, Miss Granger, Miss Weasley, would you mind joining us here?”, she waved them to her and they slid off their windowsill at last. “Good.”, McGonagall said and leant against the table when all of them had built a circle, Hannah and Draco still sitting. “What I am here for, is the question of your further education at Hogwarts. We are on the best ways to have the castle rebuilt completely by the end of August and wish to continue as good as possible. Of course I don’t expect students swarming the Great Hall in the evening of the first of September, but at least it would be wonderful to have a slow start, rather than none. I didn’t consider I would see so many of you here, but that makes matters a lot easier. Various people from my staff will try to reach those who fought in the battle before the beginning of term, but I can see us having to send tons of letters and merely hope for students’ return.”
“Hello, Minerva. Back at business?”, Kingsley had risen and placed himself between Harry and Hermione.
“I daresay, I never refrained from it ever since Severus made me Headmistress.”, McGonagall sighed, not noticing that several of the teenagers were a bit uncomfortable by the mention. “So? Who of you wants to continue their education? Or do you ask for some weeks to consider proper–”
“I’d love to continue!”, Hermione gasped eagerly, making them all laugh – and herself blush with a snort.
“Of course, Miss Granger.”, McGonagall smirked. “None of us doubted that. What about you, Potter?”
“Er – actually – ”, he cut Kingsley off, who had attempted to have his word on the case, “Kingsley has offered all of us a post in the Auror office without the need of NEWTs. Ron, Neville and I said yes.”
“Is that so? And I believed that to have been a newspaper hoax. Well, thinking about it, naturally you did that.”, none but him noticed the slight disappointment in her voice. “Miss Weasley?”
“But – ”
“I’m not sure yet, but why not? I mean, right – I could go on until I have something in mind. Maybe I’ll even do NEWTs.”, Ginevra shrugged. “Neville said he’s definitely finishing Herbology and Defence along the job.”
“Fine. Miss – ”
“I will continue as well.”, smiled Luna. “Better Hogwarts than Dad.”, she added subdued; Harry, Ginevra and Hermione exchanged knowing looks.
“And you, Mr Malfoy?”
“We’ll both go back.”, he answered, arm in arm with Hannah. “But only if Mum doesn’t stay alone. I don’t think, she’ll stand that.”
“If it is your wish to continue,”, Narcissa made them all startle, since nobody had noticed that she had stood up and joined the group, “I will not say no, Draco.”
“Your mother can stay with us.”, said Arthur Weasley, he and his wife having followed her. “We have discussed that already.”
“Okay.”, Draco nodded. “I’m definitely in.”
“Perfect.”, McGonagall gave them a smile, which steadily faded. “Then I think, I should be going back. If any of you happens to know worthy persons for the posts of Defence Against the – Dark – Arts – and – and Muggle – Studies – oh and – Ancient – Runes – ”, she needed a pause for swallowing, “You – you know where to find me.”, having added that very fast, she turned to flee, rather than go.
“Ma’am?”, both Harry and Draco stopped her, but she must have only heard the latter.
“Yes, Mr Malfoy?”, she said hasty and thin lipped.
“There are – several people I could think of. I mean, some of the Order.”
“I’m afraid, there is hardly anyone left from the Order of the Phoenix, Mr Malfoy. And those who are, have other important business to do, as far as I am concerned.”, McGonagall moaned. “I don’t think it will be easy finding someone who wants to teach how Muggles might be compared to us, while everybody is trying to rebuild their lives; same can be said for the other subject. And decrypting texts from the past is barely interesting, I think, when the present needs to be restored. If you expect some Auror to do the – the other job, you should ask Kingsley. He will be telling you only that all of them are busy finding stray Death Eaters before that psychopath does. So, who do you think – ”
“Me?”
“Should be doing it? Nearly every student who fought in the battle is not even of age yet; the ones who are, I believe, have no interest in teaching something they had done in the darkest hours of their lives. I would not dare to ask them in my weirdest dreams. Give me a single person who could and I swear, I will do everything you ever request of me and if you tell me to jump off a cliff or – ”
“Then jump off a cliff, Ma’am. I said, me.”, he threw in coldly again.
“I beg your pardon?”, McGonagall frowned, not being the only one to eyeball him.
“I’ll do it. I mean, if it’s required to have a NEWT, I’ll do my exam as a sideline. Shouldn’t be too difficult, should it?”
“I don’t think, that’s a good – ”, Hannah whispered to him, McGonagall drowned her words.
“Are you serious, Mr Malfoy? Didn’t you hear what I said? I wouldn’t ask – ”
“Well, you didn’t exactly ask me, did you?”, Draco noticed. “I suggested myself.”
“Are you sure, you can handle that?”
“I’ve handled my drunken Dad, survived Occlumency lessons with my aunt, survived the war, I know what it’s like to actually be there. I’ve been sitting at a table with him. I’ve been torturing people on his command because he would’ve killed me otherwise. I’ve been wandering under his – nosy nose – for months, working against him. There’s only one who survived that – even – longer – but – but unfortunately it’s – been too long – er – what I mean – is – if – if anyone could – if anyone else could be better for the job than me,”
“Mr Malfoy – ”
“Okay – probably Harry.”, he flaccidly pointed at him. “But he’s an Auror now, isn’t he?”
“Technically,”, Harry noted, “Not fully yet, but so to say, yes. And I definitely don’t want to teach anymore. At least not at the moment. Yet I’d like – ”
“See? And Ron’s absolutely not in for teaching either.”
“Absolutely not.”, Harry confirmed. “But – ”
“And Hermione here won’t do it as long as she hasn’t got more Outstanding NEWTs than – ”
“That’d be true.”, Hermione laughed. “I have no intention of teaching at all, to be honest. That one day had been enough for me. Never again, I swear.”
“Well, it’s settled then. I’ll be doing the job.”, Draco said definite and crossed his arms, but it was obvious he just did it to prevent his body from starting to tremble – he visibly pressed his teeth together behind his closed lips with a lot of force.
“If you really insist,”, McGonagall sighed.
“I do, Ma’am.”
“It would be `Minerva´ now.”, she limped back over and offered him her hand.
“Alright. Draco.”, he threw a chuckle and shortly raised for accepting it before he sank back down onto his chair and Hannah stroked his back with worry.
“Very well, hundreds of letters less and only – two more teachers to look for.”
“What about Hestia Jones?”, Harry considered. “She’s got nothing to do since she brought back my uncle and aunt and cousin, does she? She’s spent enough time with – oh. Probably she’s not the best for Muggle Studies. The Dursleys are sort of the worst among Muggles who never killed anyone. Well, Dudley actually got better, but he’s still not a saint,”
“Hmm. I didn’t think about her, but I will take her into account nevertheless, thank you, Potter. Perhaps she accepts.”, McGonagall muttered and turned to leave another time.
“Professor,”, Harry grunted.
“Yes, Potter?”
“What I was meaning to tell you, Kingsley might be fine with it, but I would indeed like to take the NEWT exams.”
“I beg your pardon?”, she was not the only to blink heavily at him.
“I mean, sure, none of us can avoid the actual training while already working in the investigation team; it’s ancient law; but personally, I’d feel better if people weren’t saying I simply got the job because of my name.”
“Harry,”
“No, Kingsley, I’ve had that for years. And really, what have I done to deserve the job?”
“Oh I don’t know, Potter, perhaps you only managed to finish off – ”
“Exactly.”, Harry said curt. “I may have used some logic, but in the end I did nothing but disarm him. The rest’s been just his own stupidity. And besides,”
“Harry,”, Kingsley started again, “I believe my reasons are very legit. I believe you, of all, are able enough for the job. No one is going to question this.”
“Ask those who’ve been questioning me in years.”, he huffed. “Honestly, all I ask for is taking the exams. I don’t want to sit in school for another year, but I’d like to say I’ve actually achieved something.”
“You brought us peace!”, McGonagall moaned. “Is that nothing?”
“You don’t understand, Professor. You don’t know what it’s like to hear people say you’ve just become an idol by chance and that you’re actually incapable of anything. And they’re right. Most things I’ve just gotten away with. Just so. And even though I’ve found myself in combat many times, I still don’t feel it’s enough to keep up that peace you believe me to have brought. I want to be sure I can do it, and you also know the many obstacles of bureaucracy, Professor. I just have the feeling that there will come the time when I will actually need some paper telling people I’m not just bragging with my name.”
“Bragging with your name?”, Ginevra chuckled.
“I mean, it’s not like I got any talent, any skill,”
“Sorry?”
“Apart from stirring a broom, I mean,”
“Oh and of course it means nothing that you can create proper shields. Or conjure a full corporeal Patronus that can fight off a hundred Dementors. Or that you can manipulate a lot of people, magically and not. Or – ”
“But being an Auror means much more. It’s not just a handful of spells. You need to be an allrounder, in case. And you told me so too, Professor, if you remember. It’s not just sitting in the office, working over papers. There’s always the possibility to face any given situation out there. And none of you figured it, I did indeed acknowledge that Hermione won’t be there all the time to help me out.”, that one snorted.
“Still, Harry,”, she then said, “You should rather be grateful that you were granted to jump right in. I mean, you’ve missed an entire year and if you recall, you haven’t been particularly focused on practising for exams the previous two years either. How do you think there’s any chance you – ”
“But that’s exactly the point!”, he hissed. “If I’m currently incapable of finishing educational training, how am I supposed to – ”
“Harry, not even I am going to take NEWTs without a year of preparation.”
“Miss Weasley, I am certain, Potter meant that he would study all year.”
“You think so, Ma’am?”, she chuckled, her hands on her hips. “I’m not dumb. You’ve been planning that all along, haven’t you?”, Harry said nothing, but the looks they exchanged were quite clear.
“What?”, Hermione gasped.
“What. You haven’t noticed?”
“Noticed what, Ginny?”
“Why he’s been locking himself in, at any free hour? Or why he’s been up way before us, hectically making papers and books vanish before any of us would spot it?”
“I – I though that was – office work – ”, she stared at him, flabbergasted.
“Office work stays at the office.”, Harry only meant. “For now. After all I’ve sworn the Confidentiality already.”
“Still I don’t see how Arithmancy would help you,”, Ginevra said.
“It’s a good training and distraction.”, he replied blank.
“What?”, it was Hermione again, shaking her head now.
“So if it’s okay, I’ll be taking the exams in September.”
“What?”
“Potter.”, McGonagall said softly. “Maybe you haven’t understood Miss Granger. But it – ”
“Is not on her to decide, is it? It’s on the Hogwarts teachers, and on the Ministry. They say whether I’m allowed. And Kingsley, if we’re already at it, if that’s possible, I’d like to have Marchbanks testing me. Tofty’s a little too easily impressed, if you know what I mean and Coveridge is getting a little too demented. If I were you, I’d have her capability checked.”
“Certainly. I’ll see what I can do.”, the Minister nodded.
“Very well then.”, McGonagall sighed. “It seems to be clarified then. Look for my owl, Potter. I will send you the requirements. If you have any questions, you know how to contact me.”, she meant another time to leave, but stopped in turn, speaking to the lot. “And go outside. It’s a bright day. You shouldn’t be sitting in such a dire room. Personally, I have to say, you all had far enough of that incense. Unless you don’t want to die from intoxication, you should – ”, a window jumped open, making Slughorn startle up from sleep and looking around utmost dizzy and dazzled from the light falling in where he sat. “Well, that is a start.”, she sighed as she went, loading her weight on her stick. “And for Heaven’s sake, Horace, stop drinking! We still need you at Hogwarts, sober, you hear me? Sober!”, but Slughorn just brandished her off before she was gone, squinting like a mole and giving her a face quite close to what an annoyed Vernon Dursley would look like.
“Who opened the window, by the way?”, Mrs Weasley asked.
“Which is it?”, Draco distorted his neck to get a glimpse past her. “Oh. That one. That’s our cat-window.”
“Cat-window?”
“Does whatever it likes to. Used to strain Voldemort’s nerves to a breaking point on occasions. If I didn’t have a girlfriend already, I’d marry it straight away.”
~~#~~