Departing
Piper wondered aimlessly through the halls of the Xavier Institute, feeling completely lost. She didn�t know how this could be a school. The students must have an awful time getting to classes on time with all these twisting hallways that made it feels as if one was walking in circles.
But Piper had nothing better to do with her day. She had spoken with Storm and they decided that it would be best if Wyatt spent this time getting used to his appointed babysitter. They wanted to make sure he would feel safe enough that he wouldn�t put up a force field when Piper wasn�t there to calm him down.
�Piper?� Phoebe�s voice, sounding just as lost as Piper, drifted faintly down the hallway.
�I�m down here!� Piper called back, stopping and turning around in the direction of the voice. �This place is huge!�
�Tell me about it,� Phoebe came around a corner down the hallway and stood there, shouting back.
�Oh this is ridiculous,� Piper said, crossing the hallway to stand with her sister so they wouldn�t have to yell anymore. �Where�s Paige?�
�Off goggling at the selection,� Phoebe said, smiling. �She�s taken a particular fancy to Logan.�
�Does she know about the claws?� Piper asked as they started walking down the hallway.
�Apparently she sees it as an added bonus,� Phoebe said, shaking her head. �I don�t think I want to know why.�
�Ew,� Piper said simply, trying to drive away the bad images that entered her mind. �I�m going to go check on Wyatt.�
�I was just in there,� Phoebe said, pointing back down the hallway in the direction from which she�d come. �It seems my little nephew is adjusting better than we are. I can�t believe he hasn�t put up one force field since we got here.�
�Yeah, I know,� Piper shook her head and sighed. �I�ve just got a bad feeling about all of this. I mean, what happens if that Kurt guy teleports into the room and scares him? If none of the family is here, he might put up a force field and not take it down.�
�Yeah, but what choice do we have?� Phoebe asked. �Like you said before, we can�t leave him with Chris. Even if we can trust him, he�s no babysitter. Last time we left him alone with Wyatt, he orbed out for a beer!�
�I don�t even think he�s old enough to be drinking,� Piper muttered.
�I asked him last month,� Phoebe said. �He is now, but he wasn�t then. He just turned 21 last week.�
�Okay, I find that even more strange,� Piper said. �We just celebrated Wyatt�s birthday last week. Why didn�t he mention that his birthday was that week too? It couldn�t have slipped his mind.�
�Hmm�� Phoebe thought about this for a while before shaking her head. �I don�t wanna think about that right now. We�re leaving in a couple hours and I want to enjoy the time we have. So�� they entered the front room and she whirled around, �I�m going to find Kurt.�
�Whoa, whoa, wait a minute,� Piper grabbed Phoebe�s arm to stop her. �Kurt, the blue fuzzy demon, Kurt?�
�He�s not a demon,� Phoebe pointed out. �Besides, once you get past the blue fur and the tail, he�s not a bad guy.�
Piper was silent for a moment before shrugging. �I guess you have a point,� she said. �I�ve gotta say, he�s a better choice than Cole was.�
�Please don�t talk about him,� Phoebe groaned. �If there�s a chance that I�m gonna have to face him again, I need to focus on something else for as much time as possible before then.�
�You�re right,� Piper said, nodding. �Go on and talk to Kurt. He�s probably a better gentleman than half the men in San Francisco.�
�You know, you should find yourself a guy too,� Phoebe said, scanning the room. �The men here aren�t half bad.�
�Phoebe!� Piper scolded. �I�m married!�
�To a man you haven�t seen in over seven months,� Phoebe said. �Honey, you need to move on with your life.�
�It�s not Leo�s fault,� Piper said, shaking her head. �He�s an Elder now. He isn�t allowed on Earth anymore, Chris told us that.�
�Chris told us a lot of things,� Phoebe said, a look of disgust on her face, �that doesn�t mean they�re true. But hey, it�s your decision. Now, if you�ll excuse me, I am off to find my mutant.� She walked off without another word and was soon seen wandering the halls of the Xavier institute with Kurt.
Piper smiled when she saw this. She�d been worried about Phoebe a lot in the year since they�d vanquished Cole, but she seemed to be dealing with it quite well. But Phoebe was wrong to tell her that she needed to move on with her life. Leo wasn�t dead, and Piper knew that he would come back someday.
At the moment though, she had other things to do. First on her list was to go check on Wyatt. So, she set off again, still feeling a little lost, but knowing at least that she was going in the right direction.
~~~~~~~~~~
Rogue giggled as she watched baby Wyatt being passed between several people. They�d never had a baby at the Institute before, so everyone was eager to see him. Even Logan held him for a moment, though Wyatt�s mother seemed a bit upset about this. It took quite a while for Logan to reassure her that his claws wouldn�t come out involuntarily and hurt Wyatt.
�So,� Rogue jumped as Bobby spoke from where he sat on the couch next to her, �what do you think of the witches?�
Rogue thought for a moment before shrugging. �I don�t know,� she said truthfully. �They kinda sprung this on us. I�m still trying to get over the shock.� She giggled again. �The red head seems to have taken a liking to Logan though.�
�It�s kind of strange though, isn�t it?� Bobby asked, lowering his voice. �I mean, we�ve never known there to be anyone besides mutants to have powers. Plus how can the baby have powers? I thought powers usually didn�t develop until someone becomes a teenager.�
Rogue shrugged again. �Well, if Xavier trusts them, then they must be all right,� she said. �I just wonder who he�s calling in Scotland.�
�And you will know soon enough.� Rogue turned quickly to see Xavier come into the room. �It�s time to go.�
~~~~~~~~~~
�Wow, nice wings!� These were Paige�s first words when she first saw the X-jet. It seemed that everyone from the institute had gathered to see them leave.
�Yes,� Xavier said, smiling, �we had to make some adjustments after the last time it was flown.� At these words, both Logan and Scott looked away for a moment and there was a tense silence.
�Yes, well,� Xavier said after a while, �I suppose you should start boarding now. One of our newer features is an autopilot setting, which I�ve programmed to take you to where you need to go. You are to keep a low profile until the others arrive. They will have instructions for what you are to do next.�
Rogue asked the question that was on everyone�s mind. �How will we know when they�ve arrived?�
�You will receive a message from one of them,� Xavier said, closing his eyes as though in deep thought. �I do not know the exact nature of the ones who are being sent, but they will be traveling in secret so as to avoid detection by their enemies. Now, I want you to be careful about meeting them, as it is possible that someone may try to trick you. Make sure to meet in a public place, as I know that though Mystique and Magneto might risk exposing their powers, the demons and the�other will not.�
�The other?� Piper asked. �Who�s the other?�
�I am not at liberty to explain that,� Xavier said. �My old friend has told me some details, but not enough for me to tell. The others will explain when they arrive.�
�Um�exactly how many of these �others� can we expect?� Phoebe asked, looking a bit uneasy.
Xavier bent his head forward slightly, closed his eyes, and touched his fingertips to his temples for several moments. Then, he looked back up at them and answered. �It is not certain,� he said. �Four have been recruited, but personal conflicts may affect their decisions. There will be no more than five. Now, I must ask that you say your goodbyes and board the jet. You should arrive there by tomorrow afternoon. I will see you off and then I will be contacting my old friend who is gathering together the others.�
Everyone still had questions, but one look at Xavier�s expression told them that they wouldn�t receive any answers. Instead, they did what he said and started saying goodbye. Even the Charmed ones, who had only been there for a day, had people to say farewell to.
�Take good care of Wyatt,� Piper said, handing her baby over to Storm after having said goodbye to him.
�He�ll be all right,� Storm said reassuringly. �Just be careful. I don�t want him losing his mother.�
Phoebe said goodbye to just about everyone, taking more time with Kurt, of course. When she finally boarded the plane, Kurt came over to where Paige stood and spoke to her.
�My appearance still troubles you,� he said. When Paige shook her head, he continued. �You don�t have to lie on my behalf. I can see it in your eyes.�
�Well,� Paige said, �I have to admit, the blue fur kinda creeps me out, but I know you�re not a demon now.�
Kurt gave a small smile and held out his hand. �If it is God�s will that we shall meet again, I shall await that day, but in case we do not, I hope that you will remember this day and remember that there is hope for the future as long as you have faith.�
Paige smiled too and shook Kurt�s hand. She hoped that they would meet again, more for Phoebe than for herself. If Cole really was back and they had to vanquish him again, she felt that Kurt might be able to help Phoebe to forget that dreadful demon.
After Rogue and Bobby said their goodbyes to their classmates and everyone had boarded the X-jet, Xavier set the autopilot and they were off, looking through the windows as the people watching became smaller and smaller until they disappeared from sight. As she watched this, Paige couldn�t help but wonder if she would ever see the Xavier Institute again.
~~~~~~~~~~
Harry�s eyes snapped open and he blinked a few times before realizing that his vision was blurry because he didn�t have his glasses on. He reached over to the bedside table and felt around until he found them. There was a loud tapping sound coming from somewhere above his head. When he sat up, he had to rub his eyes to make sure he was seeing right.
For the first time since his Hogwarts days, he was being woken up by an owl delivering a letter. He quickly got up, ignoring the stiffness in his knee, and opened the window. The owl hooted accusingly and dropped a letter in Harry�s outstretched hand. Harry immediately opened it and read its contents.
It is very important that you follow my next instructions carefully. You are to leave quickly and quietly. Tell no one where you are going. If they ask, say you are taking a trip and don�t expect to be back for a while. It is very possible that you may never be able to go back, so bring with you the things you do not wish to part with, but do not bring more than you can carry on your own. You are to go directly to the shop right next to Olivanders. Minerva will be waiting there to give you further instruction. Before she tells you anything, you are to ask her to prove she is Minerva. If it is indeed Minerva, you will know. Do exactly as she says. Now, you are to burn this letter immediately after reading it and go make your preparations. Leave as soon as possible.
Albus Dumbledore
Harry folded the letter back up, trying to process what he�d just read. He�d nearly forgotten about what he�d agreed to just the day before. Now, he started to feel the same sinking feeling in his stomach that he�d made a big mistake. But it seemed that it was too late to back out now. From the urgency of Dumbledore�s letter, it seemed as if there would be dark wizards crashing through his door at any moment.
Harry thought for a moment about how exactly to dispose of the letter. He finally went to his old school trunk, which stood in the corner collecting dust, and dug through it until he found his wand, buried among books and robes. He said a quick spell and the letter crinkled in his hand, burning until it was reduced to ashes, which he dusted off his hands onto the floor. He�d clean it up when he got home, if he got home.
He went to his closet and got out a duffle bag, stuffing some Muggle clothes into it. He thought for a moment, then went to his trunk and packed some robes too. After all, he was going to Diagon Alley, so wizarding clothes might be less conspicuous. Although, he supposed he was going to receive some funny looks anyway. Everyone would recognize the Boy Who Lived.
While Harry was searching his trunk for things he might need, his heart gave a little jolt as his eyes fell on a broken mirror at the bottom. He quickly turned away, dropping the lid of his trunk and shutting his stinging eyes. He still couldn�t believe what had happened, even though it had been nearly eight years. But he couldn�t be thinking about that now. It would only make him more likely to change his mind about going.
He heard a fluttering of wings and looked up in time to see the owl that had delivered the letter take off. Harry quickly moved across the room to close the window. All of a sudden, he was feeling very paranoid.
~~~~~~~~~~
Hermione hadn�t slept at all the night after receiving her first letter from Dumbledore. She had always had a habit of worrying about things. She wandered if she was making a mistake by agreeing to help.
Finally, she heard a tapping at the window and jumped to her feet. There was an owl perched outside, carrying a letter in its beak. This was what she�d been waiting for. It was certainly a reply from Dumbledore.
Hermione opened the window and took the letter from the owl, reading it quickly. She nodded to herself and immediately grabbed her wand to burn the letter. Then, she went to wake Helen.
�Mommy, what is it?� Helen asked, rubbing her eyes.
�We�re going on a trip,� Hermione said, her voice shaking slightly as she pulled a duffle bag out of Helen closet and started packing some of her clothes. Then, she zipped it up and dropped it on the end of Helen�s bed. �Get dressed quickly. We�ll eat breakfast and then we�ll leave.�
�Where are we going?� Helen asked as Hermione was heading out the door.
Hermione stopped and looked back, her eyes shining with tears. �I don�t know,� she whispered, more to herself than to Helen. �I just don�t know.�
~~~~~~~~~~
�Ginny?�
�What do you want?� Ginny growled as she heard Fred�s voice outside her door.
�You have a letter. Now come on, open up!� Fred yelled.
Ginny sighed and got up, taking her time as she went to open the door. She did not want visitors.
�Finally,� Fred said. Then, his eyes filled with concern. �Were you crying?�
�No,� Ginny lied, snatching the letter from him and slamming the door in his face. She went back to sit on her bed and unfolded the letter, scanning it quickly.
Ginny blinked a couple of times then covered her face with her hands. �I can�t deal with this right now,� she muttered under her breath. But even as she said it, she knew she would have to. The letter was warning her to leave, which meant that staying here might be even more dangerous than not going at all.
Her mind made up, Ginny ran the back of her hand across her eyes and stood up. She packed some clothes in a suitcase and went downstairs.
When she walked into the kitchen, there was a loud crash as her mother dropped the glass she�d been holding, followed by tense silence.
�Ginny,� Mrs. Weasley said finally, looking ready to faint, �it�s good to see you up.�
�Who was the letter from?� Bill asked, gesturing toward the parchment still clutched in Ginny�s hand. She immediately tossed it into the fireplace.
�No one,� she said, shaking her head. �I�m leaving.�
�Ginny,� Mrs. Weasley walked over, grabbing her shoulders, �you know you�re welcome to stay as long as you like.�
�It�s not that,� Ginny said, pulling out of her mother�s grasp and walking toward the door. �I just need to get out for a while, clear my head.�
�Oh,� Mrs. Weasley said, �when will you be back?�
Ginny stopped, her hand on the door, and looked down at the ground. She knew the answer to this question, even if she didn�t know exactly what she was getting herself into.
�I won�t be back,� she said in a shaky voice and left before anyone could stop her.
~~~~~~~~~~
Ron opened his eyes and immediately shut them again, groaning loudly. He had a splitting headache. He was lying on his stomach on a very hard surface and someone was hitting him in the back of the head�
�Cut it out,� Ron muttered, waving his arm. He heard a loud hoot from right above his head and felt something digging into his back. He sat up immediately and forced his eyes open.
He had fallen asleep on the ground of an alley of some sort. An owl with slightly ruffled feathers was glaring up at him, a letter in its beak.
�That hurt,� Ron said, rubbing the back of his head. The owl almost seemed to smirk as it dropped its letter and took off again. Ron muttered darkly to himself as he opened the letter and read it.
He was really confused for a moment. Where was all this coming from? He hadn�t had any contact with Dumbledore since he left Hogwarts. Had he?
Then the events of the night before started coming back in a rush. The bar�the man telling him to leave�wandering down the alley�the letter�
Ron smacked himself in the forehead, immediately regretting having done so as pain laced through his head, making him double over and throw-up on the street. It was just his luck that he�d received such an important letter when he was drunk and didn�t know what he was agreeing to. Now it seemed that he had no choice but to go along with it.
�I�m screwed,� Ron muttered and stood up, crumpling up the letter and tossing it down the alley. Then, he stumbled out into the street and started off toward his apartment.
When he stepped in, he moved quickly to his bedroom and packed some clothes in a suitcase he found in the bottom of his closet. All of his robes were in bad condition, as he didn�t really have the money to buy new ones. He�d never been able to keep a steady job, and most of the money he did have was spent at the Three Broomsticks, trying to drown out his misery.
As Ron walked past the bathroom, he spotted his reflection in the mirror and stopped. His appearance got him quite a few fearful looks on the street. His eyes were sunken and had an almost dead look to them. He ran a hand over the side of his face. He needed to shave, as his beard was starting to grow back. He also needed a haircut, his hair falling well past his shoulders. When he was younger, his hair had been bright red, but now it seemed to have dulled until it was almost brown. Ron tore his eyes away from this horrible image and started toward the door again.
When he opened the door to leave, Ron stopped and looked back at his pathetic excuse for an apartment. He wasn�t the least bit sorry that he was leaving it. The landlord had been threatening to evict him, as he was a few months behind on his rent. Then, he thought for a moment before stepping back inside. He went to the cabinet and grabbed a bottle of firewhiskey, walking back out the door in a slightly better mood.
~~~~~~~~~~
A man leaned over the side of a balcony of an empty apartment, watching the Weasley boy stumble away. He smirked. This was exactly what he�d been waiting for. He was part of the elite chosen to tail the people Dumbledore had been most likely to contact. It had seemed inevitable that he would find out the Dark Lords plans and send for reinforcements, but the Dark Lord was staying one step ahead of him.
The man had been outraged to be assigned to the drunk. Even though he�d been assured that he�d been given the task most likely to end in success, he strongly suspected that he�d been given this job because he was the youngest and least experienced of those chosen. But now he would prove them wrong. Weasley�s slip up would be his first step towards greatness.
The man put his hand on the railing that surrounded the balcony, pushing himself up over the edge, and dropped to the ground, landing lightly on his feet. It had taken him years of practice (and several broken bones) to master this ability, now able to land safely from up to a three-story drop.
He strode off down the alley, scanning the ground until he spotted what he was looking for. He bent to pick up a crumpled piece of parchment and smoothed it out, reading over its contents a couple of times before pocketing it. Dumbledore was smart, but he needed to learn to pick his associates better. The man pulled the hood of his cloak so that his face was hidden and started toward the street, determined to be the one who taught that old fool his lesson the hard way.
~~~~~~~~~~
As Harry came nearer to Diagon Alley, he put his cloak on over his Muggle clothes, pulling up the hood to hide his face. The last thing he needed was for someone to recognize him and start asking questions.
When he got there however, he was surprised to see that it was a lot different than it had been. The street, normally crowded with people, was almost empty. The few people who were there were standing in a huddle along the side of the street, talking in low voices and casting wary glances around them as though to check for eavesdroppers. They spotted Harry and immediately fell silent for a moment before continuing in whispers. As he walked past, Harry caught some of the conversation.
�I�d bet all of my galleons it�s another one of his kind,� a short, balding wizard muttered. �Probably gonna meet up with those other ones we saw.�
�We don�t know that,� said a black haired witch. �One of them had a child.�
�That makes no difference,� the wizard said in an angry whisper. �Do you think they don�t have children? If they were decent wizards, why do they hide their faces?�
Harry walked faster, holding his hood firmly in place to keep it from blowing off. They thought he was one of Voldemort�s deatheaters. He had the urge to turn around and prove them wrong, but he resisted. He was supposed to be keeping a low profile, and if they saw him, they were sure to start spreading word that he was there.
Harry heard pounding footsteps behind him and turned to see a cloaked man running past him, also clutching his hood to keep it from falling off. The man didn�t seem to even notice him and soon turned down an alley, disappearing behind a building. When Harry walked past this point, he looked down the alley, but the man was gone.
~~~~~~~~~~
The man leaned against the wall, breathing heavily. If he hoped to be able to follow Weasley any further, he had to get to that shop first. He�d seen another cloaked figure on his way, but he thought it was too short to have been Weasley. Finally breathing normally again. The man pulled an Invisibility cloak out of his pocket and draped it over his normal cloak, concealing himself before he started off for the shop.
~~~~~~~~~~
�Mommy, where are we going?�
�Shh, honey,� Hermione whispered Helen. �Be quiet, and keep your hood up.� She tightened her hold on Helen�s hand and led her down Diagon Alley. There were very few people out though, and the ones who were seemed to be steering clear of them.
When they reached the shop next to Olivanders, Hermione opened the door and they stepped in. She shut the door quickly behind her and turned around, lowering her hood. The shop was very dark, the only windows covered with heavy, coal black curtains. The only light came from a single candle on the front desk, which illuminated the face of Professor McGonagall.
�I was wondering when you would arrive,� Professor McGonagall said. �Please, come on in. I see you brought Helen, that�s good.�
Before anymore could be said however, the door creaked open again behind Hermione and she whirled around to see someone she had not spoken to in almost five years.
~~~~~~~~~~
Harry entered the shop and lowered his hood, moving to close the door, but then he stopped. A woman who had been standing a little ways inside the shop, turned around to face him and he recognized her immediately.
�Hermione?� he said, his eyes widening in disbelief. He thought he felt something brush up against his shoulder, but when he looked there was nothing there.
�Shut the door boy,� a voice hissed from behind the front desk, �before somebody sees you.�
Harry snapped out of his shock and finished closing the door, throwing the room into almost complete darkness. He and Hermione exchanged a look that said they would talk later. At the moment, they stepped up to the desk, where Professor McGonagall sat, observing them with a look of interest.
�I trust you got here all right?� she asked. �Nobody followed you?�
�Not that I know of,� Hermione said, and Harry shook his head.
�All right,� Professor McGonagall said, �first, is there anything you would like to ask of me?�
�Can you prove that you are Professor McGonagall?� she asked.
Professor McGonagall smiled. �Certainly,� she said, and the next moment she seemed to literally shrink from sight. A few moments later, a tabby cat with square shaped markings around its eyes jumped up onto the desk, peering at them curiously. Then, the cat jumped back to the floor and Professor McGonagall was soon standing in front of them again. �Is that good?� she asked.
�Yeah, I suppose,� Harry said, shrugging. �Professor Dumbledore told us to ask.�
�I know,� Professor McGonagall said.
�So, what�s going on?� Hermione asked. Then, she took a step to her left suddenly. �Helen, don�t touch anything.� For the first time, Harry noticed a little girl standing next to Hermione, looking up at her innocently.
�Professor Dumbledore hasn�t told me much,� Professor McGonagall said, shifting her feet nervously. �He�s only given me the instructions to give to you and the other two. You are to go straight to the Leaky Cauldron. There shouldn�t be anyone staying there, not with all the recent murders. Just talk to Tom, he�s already been informed of the situation. He�ll lead you to your rooms. You are to wait there until Professor Dumbledore sends further information. Do not let anyone know where you are staying, and only leave when you have to. Do you understand?�
�Yeah,� Harry and Hermione said at the same time.
�You may go,� Professor McGonagall said. Harry and Hermione turned and walked to the door. They went out into the street and quickly closed the door behind them.
When they were outside, the little girl opened her mouth to speak, but Hermione shushed her. �Not here honey,� she whispered. Then, she turned to Harry. �We�ll talk when we get there?�
�Yeah,� Harry nodded and they started off toward the Leaky Cauldron.
~~~~~~~~~~
The man stood in the corner of the shop, listening to every word they spoke and smirking to himself. He�d slipped in while Potter had been holding the door open like an idiot. Now he�d heard everything he needed to know. He saw the door opening again and went to stand by it to wait for his chance to get out.
~~~~~~~~~~
As Ron walked down the street, he threw the empty bottle of firewhiskey into a trash bin. When he reached the shop, he stepped in quickly and shut the door. He thought he heard a growling sound coming from his right, but when he looked, there was nothing there.
�Come in,� Professor McGonagall said as Ron lowered his hood. �I��
She was interrupted by the sound of the door creaking open again. The cloaked figure who now stood in the doorway gasped and lowered their hood.
�Ron, is that you?�
~~~~~~~~~~
Ginny stood in the doorway, too shocked to say anything more. The man who stood in front of her turned around and she was sure it was him. They stood in silence for a moment. Ginny thought she felt something brush up against her shoulder, but when she saw that there was nothing there, she figured it must have just been the wind.
�Close the door,� a voice hissed from farther inside the shop. Ginny suddenly remembered why she was here and shut the door.
�We�ll talk later,� Ron said, and Ginny nodded. They went further into the shop, stopping by the front desk where Professor McGonagall stood.
�Well,� she said, fixing them with a piercing gaze that almost made Ginny wish she would look away, �this is unexpected, but I think I rather like you coming in pairs. This way I don�t have to explain as many times. Firstly, is there anything you would like to ask me?�
Ginny thought this a strange question at first, but then she remembered. �Can you prove that you�re Professor McGonagall?�
Professor McGonagall smiled and nodded. The next moment, she had disappeared and a tabby cat jumped up on the desk from where she�d been standing. She sat there for a few moments before jumping back down and becoming herself again.
�That good?� she asked. After Ginny nodded, she continued. �Now, Professor Dumbledore has given me specific instructions, which I will now give to you. You are to go directly to the Leaky Cauldron and speak to Tom. He knows the situation and will lead you to your rooms. You are to wait for word from Albus. Only leave the Leaky Cauldron when you have to. He should be contacting you within the next few days. Do you have any questions?�
�Yeah,� Ron said, �what�s going on?�
Professor McGonagall shook her head, looking down at the desk. �I don�t know any more than you do Mr. Weasley. Now, you two should be going. I�m sure you have much to talk about.� She sat down in a chair behind the desk and gestured toward the door.
Ginny exchanged a look of bewilderment with Ron before they started for the door. They seemed to have come to a silent agreement that they would talk when they got to the Leaky Cauldron.
~~~~~~~~~~
Harry, Hermione, and Helen stepped into the Leaky Cauldron. After looking around to make sure there was no one else there, they pulled down their hoods and walked up to the front desk, where a man sat with his chin resting on his chest, snoring loudly.
�Tom?� Hermione said. The man jerked awake and blinked at them.
�Huh?� he groaned, rubbing his eyes. �Oh, it�s you two. Albus said you�d be coming. I�ll bring you to your rooms.� He yawned and stood up, walking toward the stairs. Hermione looked at Harry who looked just as confused as she was. She shrugged and they followed Tom up the stairs.
�Okay,� Tom said, �Harry, you�re in room 9, and Hermione, I�ll put you in room 8 right across the hall. I gave you a room with two beds so your daughter will have a place to sleep.�
They thanked him and he gave a sweeping bow before going back downstairs. Harry and Hermione stood awkwardly for a moment, neither knowing exactly what to say. They were saved from having to think of anything though, as Tom soon came back up the stairs with two more people.
~~~~~~~~~~
�Ron, you�re in room 7 and Ginny, you�re in room 6.�
Ginny barely heard Tom�s words as she stared at Harry and Hermione in amazement. Nobody noticed that Tom had gone back downstairs. They all stared at each other in tense silence for a few moments.
�Mommy,� a little girl standing next to Hermione said, �can I talk now?�
Hermione smiled down at the girl. �Of course you can,� she said. This seemed to break the tension a little bit as Harry crouched down so that he was looking up at the girl.
�Hello Helen,� he said. �I suppose you don�t remember me.�
�Uncle Harry!� Helen said, throwing her arms around him in a tight hug. Then she let him go and ran to wrap her arms around Ginny�s legs. �Aunt Ginny!�
�I can�t believe you remembered,� Ginny said as Helen grinned up at her. �I haven�t seen you since you were a little baby.�
�I�ve been showing her your pictures,� Hermione said. �Come on Helen, you�re going to knock Aunt Ginny over if you don�t let go of her legs.�
Helen pulled back and ran back to her mother. �Who�s he?� she asked, pointing at Ron.
Hermione was quiet for a moment, gazing down at her daughter sadly before turning to look at Ron. �He�s no one,� she said coldly.
�Hermione�� Ron started.
�Helen,� Harry interrupted, �what do you say we go downstairs and get you some lunch?�
�Okay!� Helen said, going back to Harry. Harry picked Helen up and balanced her on his hip, wincing slightly. �Gosh you�ve gotten heavy.�
�I�ll come with you,� Ginny said, catching on. She followed Harry downstairs and they sat down at a table.
�Can I help you?� Tom asked, walking over to their table.
�Yeah,� Harry said, turning to Helen, �what would you like?�
Helen shrugged and Tom smiled. �How about some soup?� he suggested. Helen nodded, so Tom went off to get it for her.
Harry and Ginny were silent for a moment, both lost for words. Ginny finally looked towards the staircase and spoke. �Well, we know they aren�t yelling, or we�d be able to hear them,� she said.
�Yeah,� Harry agreed, �so, how are things with Seamus?� When Ginny didn�t speak for a moment, his eyes filled with concern. �What�s the matter?�
Ginny knew she couldn�t avoid the question, so she turned to Helen. �Why don�t you go see if Tom has your soup yet while I talk to Uncle Harry?�
�Okay!� Helen said cheerfully, jumping off her chair and running off to find Tom.
�You haven�t heard?� Ginny asked quietly, looking down at the table to avoid Harry�s questioning gaze.
�Heard what?� Harry asked. �Ginny, what is it?�
�Seamus�died,� Ginny said, her voice breaking on the last word.
�Oh,� Harry looked uncomfortable, �I�m sorry. When did it happen?�
�Six days ago,� Ginny said, unconsciously placing a hand on her stomach. �I got home and there was already a Ministry official in the apartment. I wasn�t allowed in because they didn�t want anyone tampering with evidence.�
�Tampering?� Harry asked. �You mean he was��
�Murdered,� Ginny finished, nodding, �yeah. Can we talk about something else? Last I heard you were playing Seeker for the Tutshill Tornados?�
�Yeah,� Harry said bitterly, �until last year. Then I blew out my knee and had to leave the team.�
�Oh, I�m so sorry,� Ginny gasped. �That must have been awful. I know how much you love Quidditch.�
�Yeah,� Harry said, looking back toward the staircase. �So, what�s Ron been up to?�
Ginny shook her head. �No good, I�m afraid. After that bit with Hermione, he kinda took a bad turn. He�s been having some drinking problems. The whole family�s been trying to reach him, but he won�t listen to anyone.�
�Wow,� Harry said quietly, �what about Hermione?�
Ginny shrugged. �Dad says she got a job at the Ministry as manager of the department that deals in Muggle affairs. You know what�s strange? After she had Helen, everyone was so worried about her future, but it seems out of all of us, her life is the only one that turned out all right.�
�Yeah,� Harry said, �I just hope she�s still all right now that Ron�s back.�
~~~~~~~~~~
Hermione turned away from Ron and walked a few steps down the hallway, folding her arms. �I don�t want Helen to know who you are,� she said quietly.
�Hermione�� Ron started, but Hermione whirled around, cutting him off.
�Don�t you �Hermione� me,� she hissed. �I had to raise Helen all alone because of you. It�s taken me this long to get my life back together, and I won�t let you take that away from me.�
�I�m not trying to,� Ron said. �I just don�t think I�d make a good father. I would never be able to support her. I haven�t got a Knut to my name.�
Hermione gave a dry laugh that sounded a bit like a sob. �You think that�s what it�s all about, don�t you? Money? Ron, I wouldn�t care if you were richer than the Malfoys, it doesn�t change anything. You lost your right to call yourself her father before she was born, when you turned your back on her.�
�Hermione, I didn�t know what to do,� Ron said. �I was only sixteen years old. I was scared.�
�And you think I wasn�t?� Hermione asked, her voice shaking. �I was sixteen too. I had my whole life ahead of me, and in one night you took that away from me.�
�There hasn�t been a day when I didn�t regret leaving,� Ron said, stepping forward and touching her arm. �Please, let me make up for my mistakes. I�ll stick around this time. I�ll try to be a good father.�
�You don�t understand,� Hermione whispered, pulling away from him. �I gave myself to you because you promised you would never leave me, and I believed you. How do I know this isn�t another one of your lies? You would only get Helen�s hopes up and then as soon as things got tough, you�d be gone again.�
�I wouldn�t do that,� Ron said.
�I know you don�t think you will,� Hermione said, wiping furiously at the tears that fell from her eyes, �but I know better. I love my daughter too much to let you disappoint her.� Before Ron could say another word, she started down the stairs to find Harry, Ginny, and Helen.
~~~~~~~~~~
�Hermione,� Harry said tentatively when she came down the stairs, �are you okay?�
�I�m fine,� she said, shaking her head to show that she didn�t want to talk about it. �Where�s Helen?�
�She�s up there with Tom,� Ginny pointed to the front desk where Tom was just handing Helen her bowl of soup.
Hermione seemed to just notice Ginny. �I heard about Seamus,� she said. �I�m sorry.�
�It�s okay,� Ginny said unconvincingly, glancing at Helen briefly and wiping her eyes.
�Listen Ginny,� Hermione lowered her voice, �we�ve been investigating some strange murders at the Ministry. There have been other murders like Seamus�, both of Muggles and wizards.� She looked like she was going to say more, but at that moment, the door creaked open and a cloaked figure walked in, surveying them briefly before walking up toward the front desk.
When Helen saw them, she leapt down from the chair she�d been sitting on and ran back to Hermione. The figure said something to Tom who nodded, looking rather terrified and he pointed up toward the staircase.
�Room 28,� he said in a shaky voice. The cloaked figure threw a bag on the table, turned, and went to the staircase, climbing up the second floor and disappearing from sight.
�Mommy, who was that?� Helen asked, tugging at Hermione�s robe.
Hermione looked up at Tom, who was looking rather pale. �Tom?�
�I don�t know,� he said. �Voice sounded familiar, but I couldn�t see his face. He asked for a room, so I had to give him one, store policy. Please don�t tell Dumbledore, he�d have my head.� He seized the bag that the cloaked figure had left and tipped it over. A rush of galleons and sickles poured onto the desk, some rolling onto the floor.
Hermione turned to her daughter once again. �Helen, that cloaked man you just saw,� she said urgently, �I want you to stay away from him. Do you understand?�
Helen nodded. �He�s scary.�
Hermione turned to look at the staircase again. �Yeah,� she whispered. Harry�s eyes moved to the staircase too. He wasn�t sure who that cloaked figure was, but he had a sinking feeling that he knew them.
__________________________________________________________
Author's note: If you haven't figured out who the man in the cloak is, don't worry, you'll find out next chapter. Also, as I'm sure some people raised an eyebrow at me, the reason Helen refered to Harry as her uncle is because Hermione thinks of Harry like a brother. Oh, and Ginny is actually Helen's aunt, that's a given. It's an insult to Ron that Helen knows who Harry and Ginny are but doesn't know who he is.
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