Disclaimer:
Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
I own nothing but the original characters I make.
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 105: What is this?
"Let's start with the big one… the Minister of Magic is dead," Charlie said. "Over half of the Auror Department is either dead or has been sent to Azkaban. Those who refused to join You-Know-Who… the Ministry has been completely taken over by him and his Death Eaters."
Fred pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. "They have also started placing these all over the alley."
Harry took the paper and looked at it. It had his name and picture. There was a bounty of five thousand Galleons for his capture.
He was not too surprised by this. Voldemort wanted to finish the job and get rid of him, as he was one of the few people he considered a threat.
"Also, yesterday, a large group of Death Eaters, including Bellatrix Lestrange, came to attack the Burrow," Charlie said.
"What?!" Ginny exclaimed. "Did they…?"
"Everyone is okay," Fred hurried to say, not wanting to worry his sister more than necessary.
"The protections on the house were enough to keep everyone safe. From what I heard, those golems really came in handy when dealing with the Death Eaters. One of them even killed Rabastan Lestrange." Charlie glanced at Harry. "Thank you for that."
Harry sighed. "They must have gone there while looking for me. Did anyone get hurt?"
"Nothing serious. But the Burrow is no longer safe. Our family, as well as Granger, was moved to the House of Black. Along with the Order, everyone is hiding there," Charlie added.
"It's safe for now. But those Death Eaters are desperately looking for their location," Fred said. "They want to eliminate every single piece of resistance while the Dark Lord takes over the country."
"I know of a safer place." Harry made a hand gesture to Ginny. "Do you have the necklace I gave you?"
"Right here." She showed it to him.
"Remember the keyword?" Harry asked.
"Of course," Ginny said. "You want us to hide in the tower?"
"I want you to keep the possibility in mind. If things go bad… use the portkey. Don't hesitate."
Ginny frowned. "You are planning on fighting alone again?"
"No… I have learned from my past mistakes," Harry said in a somber tone. "I am the only one who should be facing Voldemort. But I will need everyone's help. I don't know the extent of his forces or what his next move is going to be."
"Then we should go see the Headmaster," Charlie suggested. "He'll know what to do."
"You go ahead first. There is something else I need to do before that," Harry said.
"What do you need to do?" Ginny asked.
"I'm going to need your assistance… will you come with me?" Harry asked.
"Do you really need to ask?" Ginny raised an eyebrow.
"Hold on, go where?" Fred asked.
"Yes, this is not the best time to be wandering around. There is no safe place outside of here. We should go directly with the others," Charlie suggested.
"I get that," Harry said. "But this is something I need to get done. I wouldn't consider it if it wasn't important."
Fred and Charlie looked at each other.
"And you need to take our sister with you?" Fred asked.
"I require some assistance," was all that Harry said. "It won't take long."
"Fred… I'm not a child anymore. If I want to go help Harry, then I'm going." Ginny crossed her arms, ending the discussion.
Charlie glanced at Harry. "You keep her safe."
Harry nodded. "Promise."
"Are you serious? We are leaving those two alone?" Fred asked.
Charlie pointed at the corner of the shop. "Get our brooms. We are leaving."
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"Say, Ginny…" Harry was still sitting on the couch after Fred and Charlie left. "What is this?"
"Mmm?" She looked down at what he was holding. It was the metallic ring that Lady Rose had given them. "That is…"
"You should put that on." Lady Rose, who had been patiently waiting, finally decided to speak. "The rings create a connection between you and that lady over there. It is thanks to this connection that she was able to delve into your mind and save you."
Harry noted that Ginny was wearing the same ring on her finger. "You gave her this?"
Lady Rose nodded. "It was the easiest way for her to get what she wanted." A smile appeared on her face. "Don't worry about the price… we'll talk about it on another occasion."
Harry was sure that she was going to demand another crazy expedition from him.
He looked down at the ring in his hand. "So that's why." He had been wondering why he felt so much closer to Ginny after waking up. This ring was the reason.
"Did you tell her what these rings truly were?" Harry asked Lady Rose.
The mischievous expression he received in exchange told him everything he needed to know.
"What do you mean?" Ginny sounded confused. "What are they?"
"I told her what she needed to know." Lady Rose shrugged. "And it was the only way, so you can't blame me for this. You would have died otherwise."
"Harry?" Ginny stared at him, waiting for an explanation.
He stood in front of her. "You see… these kinds of magical artifacts create a very powerful connection between two people. It is an unbreakable connection that will last for the rest of our lives… do you know what I mean?"
Ginny chuckled. "Harry, you are making it sound like we just got married."
Harry did not laugh. "Not in the Muggle way but… for wizards and witches who follow the old traditions… well…"
Ginny went pale. "Are you serious?!"
"Yeah…" Harry said.
Ginny passed out.