Chapter Nine: Stunned and Confounded

Kreacher had become a significantly more open-minded elf since the Battle of Hogwarts. While he remained nominally faithful to the Noble House of Black, especially to the memory of his beloved Master Regulus, he had begun to realise that despite his late mistresses predilection towards pure-bloods, kindness was kindness and he would take it where he found it.

He was delighted to hear Harry's voice calling him from the living room and apparated there immediately to welcome his master, hoping that this was not another one of his well-intentioned but painfully awkward social calls. House elves were not in the business of having a cup of tea with their masters.

"Master Harry," Kreacher croaked, bowing low to the ground and scraping Regulus' locket on the wooden floor. "How can Kreacher serve you?"

"Hi Kreacher," Harry responded. "I'm actually just here to check that it's alright if four more people arrive, three of them to stay here indefinitely. How would you feel about that?"

Kreacher's eyes widened in joyful anticipation of something to do. He had begun to suspect that he was over-cleaning – if such a thing were possible.

"Kreacher longs to serve Master Harry and his friends. They are very welcome here!"

"Fantastic, thanks Kreacher! I'm only sorry that I couldn't give you more warning."

Kreacher seemed slightly miffed at the suggestion that he could be unprepared for any eventuality.

"All the bedrooms are ready for guests, Master Harry, and Kreacher can easily cook for five with no warning at all."

"Of course, Kreacher. I know that you're more than capable of handling anything. I just wanted to make sure that you knew that you could say no if you needed to."

Kreacher was incredulous. "Say no? To Master Harry? What kind of house elf does Master Harry take Kreacher for?"

"Oh, Kreacher, I'm sorry. This is coming out all wrong," Harry said in exasperation willing Hermione to appear and dig him out of his hole. "I just want you to know that I respect your rights. I'm trying to be considerate of you but I seem to just be offending you."

The old house elf looked intently into the face of the young wizard who had inherited him. "Master Harry, Kreacher is honoured to be the house elf of such a fine wizard. Kreacher did not hesitate to fight at Master Harry's side in battle, and Kreacher will never refuse to assist Master Harry in any other way. Kreacher is used to taking orders. House elves are not accustomed to being treated with kindness and consideration. Kreacher hopes that Master Harry will forgive Kreacher if Kreacher sometimes fails to understand."

Harry smiled. "I am also honoured to be served by such a noble and brave elf. I'm bound to get it wrong again, Kreacher, but I want you to know that I am so grateful for all of the things you do for me and my friends."

Kreacher looked like an embarrassed schoolgirl, the white hair sprouting from his bat-like ears notwithstanding. His eyes were downcast and one knee and toe had turned inwards. Harry decided to make a quick escape before the wizened elf burst into the tears that he could see were imminent.

"Well, I'll go and fetch the others. We'll be back in about half an hour."

Kreacher once more folded his ancient frame into a low bow. "Certainly, Master Harry."

****

After Harry had kissed Ginny goodbye and rounded up Ron and the Grangers to help them settle in at Grimmauld Place, Arthur and Percy went back to work and George left to run a mysterious errand. Ginny was glad that she finally had a quiet couple of hours to spend with her mum.

Percy, George, Harry and Ron had insisted on cleaning everything up before they left and Harry had pleaded with Molly to let him see if Kreacher would mind helping out with the catering for his birthday dinner that night. Essentially, Ginny had been entrusted with the task of trying to help her mum rest rather than fretting about her difficulties with magic.

Ginny had one sure-fire trick up her sleeve, something that could keep Molly sitting still and focused for hours. She was going to ask her mother for some advice.

"Mum? Can I ask you about something?"

"Of course, Ginny, dear," Molly replied, settling into her favourite armchair and taking up her knitting. "What do you want to know?"

"You and Dad were in love while you were still at Hogwarts, weren't you?"

Molly smiled wistfully. "Oh yes," she replied. "Your father was lovely to me at school. He really sustained me after Gideon and Fabian were killed."

"How did you and Dad manage your relationship? I mean, wasn't it hard for you?"

Molly looked up from her knitting and off into space as if trying to remember what it was like. "Well, as I recall, I loved being together with your father while we were at school. Our dormitories both connected to the Gryffindor common room, we could eat every meal together, we were in a lot of classes together, we had a lot of the same friends and," she paused, going a little pink, "there were always opportunities for us to find some time alone when we needed it."

Ginny giggled. "Harry told me that you and Dad once got caught by the caretaker coming back into the castle at four o'clock in the morning after a night-time stroll around the lake!"

Molly tried to retain a dignified expression over her knitting as she spoke in her own defense. "Well, occasionally a couple needs some time to themselves!"

"Mum, you know that Harry and I are back together don't you?"

Molly looked up from the green vest she was knitting and beamed at her daughter. "Oh, I had hoped that you would work things out soon. That's wonderful news, Ginny, you know that your father and I love Harry dearly."

"So do I," Ginny admitted, colouring a little as she shared such intimate information with her mother.

Molly sought her eyes, smiling but intent. "Do you, dear? Have you told him so?"

Ginny nodded and looked distressed. "I told him today. Mum, it was the first time he'd ever heard anyone say 'I love you'. He doesn't remember hearing it from his parents, he was too little, and nobody had said it to him again until now."

Tears welled in Molly's eyes and her voice was fierce as she reached across to grasp her daughter's hand. "Make sure you look after him, won't you, Ginny." She looked down at her lap. "Where would we be if that wonderful boy hadn't befriended Ron on the Hogwarts Express? I don't even like to think about it."

"So Mum," Ginny had a mischievous grin on her face, "I can tell Harry that we have your blessing to spend all of next year sequestered in secluded broom cupboards and out around the lake after curfew? After all, it sounds like we'd just be following the example set for us by you and Dad!"

Molly looked sharply at her daughter. "You wouldn't!"

Ginny laughed and ducked away from Molly's grasp, blowing her a kiss from the doorway before she disappeared from sight.

"Don't worry, Mum, we won't do anything you didn't do!"

****

After Ron and Hermione had helped Mr and Mrs Granger levitate their luggage up to the bedroom in which they'd be sleeping, they began to move all Hermione's belongings into the room she'd stayed in during the early stages of their search for the Horcruxes. Harry had gone home to spend some time with Teddy and to make sure that Isla was settling into her new home.

The couple sat opposite one another, each perched on one of the single beds, their knees almost touching.

"Can you believe that the last time we were here everything was still up in the air?" Hermione mused quietly.

"You mean with the Horcruxes and Voldemort and everything?" Ron asked gently.

She looked up to meet his eyes, smiling slightly. "And with us."

Ron grinned and Hermione melted, she loved the way his enormous smile completely transformed his face.

"Glad we got that sorted out," he said, reaching across the gap between them to take her hand.

"Remember our first night here after Bill and Fleur's wedding?" Hermione asked. "I was so terrified."

"So was I," Ron admitted easily. "I was so relieved when you suggested we all spend the night in the lounge room together."

Hermione smiled. "It wasn't until you ever so shyly took my hand that I thought I might be able to get some sleep that night."

Ron leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and hung his head. "We could have already had ages together, Hermione. I'm sorry I was such a little prat."

She smiled, mimicking his posture, "Well, it seems that in the absence of a certain seriously vanquished Dark Lord, I've got no pressing plans for the immediate future."

Feeling her breath on his forehead, Ron raised his head to find Hermione's face delightfully close to his own.

"Mmm," he responded as their lips met.

****

Verity Spencer had been pacing back and forth behind the counter of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes until she heard the sound of whistling and recognised the unmistakable tune of Celestina Warbeck's You've Got Me Stunned and Confounded. Lee was finally home. But why on earth was he whistling? Last she'd seen him she feared she was in danger of being on the receiving end of a nasty and creative hex, but now he sounded positively cheery!

She rushed over to the nearest pile of stocktaking and feigned impenetrable concentration. Verity felt like a silly schoolgirl again having vanished from the WWN studio to find herself processing what Kenneth, the caller before her, had said. Lee, George's decidedly cute but potentially flighty and insubstantial new flat mate, was actually River from Potterwatch.

Verity and her parents had made sure that they were tuned in for every broadcast of Potterwatch while they worried about the safety of Verity's beloved Uncle Penfold and his wife, Daphne, equally beloved by the family, but definitely a Muggle. The couple had been forced to flee with their two little girls and hide with Daphne's parents in Devon.

The Spencer family knew that not all of the Death Eater attacks on Muggles had been as random as they seemed. They had been desperately fearful for the safety of their relatives and unable to contact them for fear of alerting the Death Eaters to their whereabouts. The one comfort they had found week by week was the crackling of the radio which heralded the beginning of Potterwatch. Verity had, truth be told, fallen in love with River during those times, as much as it were possible to fall in love with a disembodied voice.

River and the other presenters had risked their lives in such regular acts of defiance against Voldemort and his supporters. They had reminded her that there was hope yet, that Harry, Ron and Hermione might prevail.

When Potterwatch had finished due to the triumphant result of the Battle of Hogwarts, and her aunt and uncle had safely returned, Verity had no longer felt inclined to listen to the radio, only hearing it as background noise while at work. It was one of those occasions when she'd felt inspired to call in to Lee's program that morning.

Now that she had put two and two together, all of the cheek she'd been intending to give Lee had dried up. She was in new territory all of a sudden. Plenty of boys had pursued her before and she'd always kept them more or less at arm's length by being friendly, mischievous and sometimes even flirty, but never genuinely warm.

River, or Lee, was now in a new category. A boy was set on pursuing her and suddenly, for the first time in her life, she found herself unopposed to being caught. She was terrified.

****

Karina Trilby sat in her office trying to stop her tears from falling onto the desk. In front of her, neatly bound together by magic, were nine separate nominations for Molly Weasley to win Witch Weekly's Most Marvelous Magical Mum Competition. George had requested that copies of all of these nominations be presented to his mother along with the prize money, in fact that was the only reason why each of them had written so personally, and she knew with certainty that Molly would prize the letters high above the gold that would transform her family's existence.

Arthur had written memories of the things she'd done for her children as babies, the ways that she'd cared for them and raised them each as good-hearted Gryffindors, and he'd written of her unconditional love for him as her husband.

Bill and Fleur each wrote of Molly's loving provision for them as they planned their wedding and Fleur provided the unique perspective of a daughter-in-law, initially unwelcome, but later warmly embraced as her love for Bill was proven to be deep and true.

Charlie mentioned all the packages of wooly clothing that she continually mailed him in her attempt to protect him from the freezing temperatures of Romania and the fiery breath of his enormous scaly charges. He also wrote of his regret at the worry his line of work regularly caused his poor mum.

Percy wrote the tragic tale of his own betrayal but dwelt on the all-encompassing mercy and forgiveness that his mother had shown him, even when the rest of the family had given up any hope for him.

George's hilarious anecdotes couldn't conceal the deep love and affection he had for his mother, and as his tone grew more serious and she read about her care of him in the wake of their horrific loss, Karina felt her eyes fill with tears.

Ron's letter mainly told of all the ways that Molly had firmly but lovingly stepped in to save him from his brothers as a young boy, but also spoke of his awe at seeing her take on and defeat Bellatrix Lestrange during the Battle of Hogwarts.

Ginny's long account of Molly's amazing love, kind generosity, indefatigable hospitality and sage advice caused the tears to well again in Karina's eyes. She too was an only daughter amongst a crowd of brothers and many of Ginny's comments could equally have applied to her feelings about her own mother.

However, it was Harry Potter's contribution that finally caused Karina's tears to overflow.

Molly Weasley has been an amazing mother to her seven children, and continues to be to her six surviving children, but she is only an honorary mother to me, the orphan that her family has taken in and loved as if I belong.

I first met Mrs Weasley at Kings Cross Station on 1st September, 1991 when I was alone with my trolley, an eleven year old, raised by uncaring Muggle relatives, trying to work out how on earth to find my way through to Platform Nine and Three Quarters. She was immediately kind to me and, after I befriended her son, Ron, on the Hogwarts Express, she seemed to set herself the responsibility of caring for me like a parent.

She was one of the very first people to give me a real Christmas present since the death of my parents, some hand-made fudge and a hand-knitted jumper, the present she traditionally made each year for her children. She has made me many a birthday cake, my seventeenth birthday cake was even shaped in the form of an enormous golden snitch. As the Weasleys had a lot of people to care for and a limited income with which to do it, when I came of age, Mrs Weasley presented me with the gold watch of her beloved late brother, Fabian. She apologised to me that it wasn't a new one, but it will always remain one of my most treasured possessions and that generous gift, of far more sentimental value that it could ever be worth in gold, really made clear to me in the most tangible way that Mr and Mrs Weasley thought of themselves as my parents and thought of me as their son.

She took me into her home for as much of each school holiday as she could, and I fondly remember the realisation that in contrast to the home in which I'd grown up, at The Burrow everyone seemed to like me. Mrs Weasley particularly fed me and fussed over me in a way that every teenage boy needs but most have the luxury of pretending they don't want. I'd never known anyone to worry about my safety before and seeing her in a panic after I got lost during my first encounter with Floo Powder communicated a lot to me that I probably wasn't even able to fully appreciate, such a contrast was it to the apathy I'd experienced growing up.

The first month I spent at The Burrow was the happiest of my life up to that point and in every other encounter I had with Mrs Weasley her first priority was my comfort and safety, even if sometimes she tried to protect me more than I could handle.

It never really occurred to me that I had been starved of affection growing up with my guardians. I remember being embarrassed but also secretly pleased when she lavished her abundant affection on me. Never once did my guardians greet me warmly as I stepped off the Hogwarts Express, but without fail, Mrs Weasley would be there to embrace me along with her own children as if I were one of them. During the third test of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, when the competitors' parents were invited along in support, it was Mrs Weasley and her eldest son, Bill, who came in place of my relatives. Spending time with the Weasleys has always been my greatest source of comfort.

My deepest regret is the pain that we caused her when Ron, Hermione and I left the safety of The Burrow to do what we could against Voldemort. If I could have had my way, I would have stayed in that house with her and my friends indefinitely. I certainly would never have chosen to lead her into more suffering.

My wardrobe still contains the assortment of hand-knitted jumpers made for me by Mrs Weasley, though I suspect that the smallest couple have recently been poached by a certain red-headed beauty who is thankfully quite often in my company.

I know that I'm probably not in a position to legitimately nominate Molly Weasley for this competition as she isn't technically my mother. However, I had no one else to mother me and if I'd ever had a chance to choose a family, it would have been the Weasleys. Thankfully, as a wise woman pointed out to me only recently, they chose me.

Yours Sincerely,

Harry Potter

Karina smiled through her tears. She was astounded that someone who often appeared so uncertain could have so confidently overpowered Voldemort and so eloquently written about his love for Molly Weasley.

She set to work organising how the prize would be packaged according to George and Harry's instructions. A lump sum of five thousand galleons would be presented with the letters along with a statement detailing the way the rest of the money would be paid to the Weasleys. Five hundred galleons would then be paid into their Gringotts account every week. The most important part of her instructions was to ensure that Molly never learnt that the real source of her winnings was Harry's dividends from his outrageously successful shares in Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.

Karina heard a distinct pop outside her office door and someone knocked gently.

"Come in," she called, surreptitiously trying to wipe away her tears.

An unmistakable red-head peered around the door frame and Karina felt her heartbeat speed up.

"Hi Karina," George said as he ambled across the room to where she sat.

"Hi George," she responded, reddening under his enquiring gaze. "You're not working today?"

"It's Harry's birthday!" he responded with a grin. "Someone has to take the lead in getting a public holiday declared!"

She managed a little laugh but mustn't have been very convincing. Concern darkened George's features and he stepped behind her desk to kneel in front of her.

"Have you been crying, Karina? Is everything alright?"

She smiled warmly, moved by this display of compassion from one who'd suffered so much. "I'm fine, George. I've just been reading your family's letters."

He grinned. "Spelling and punctuation that bad, eh?"

The joke took her by surprise and she laughed out loud causing a broad grin to break across George's face also.

"You hungry?" he asked, getting to his feet and returning to the other side of her desk to sit opposite her.

Was he asking her out? "Erm, yeah, I guess so."

"Good," he responded, performing a quick Engorgio charm on a packet he'd shrunken to fit in his pocket. "I brought you some pastries. Turns out that my recently reformed git of a brother, Percy, is a pretty good cook!"

She laughed inwardly at herself for daring to hope that George had changed his mind about being ready to go out with her. However, his thoughtfulness this morning had more than made up for his lack of enthusiasm for dating.

"Is everything going ok with the competition?" he asked, picking up a pastry and biting into it.

Karina smiled apologetically at George and finished her mouthful, before responding. "If it were up to me to actually choose a winner, your Mum would be winning it anyway. Your family's nominations stand out so much. She must be a pretty extraordinary woman!"

George smiled. "She's the best! But I was also wondering about all the other nominations. There must be plenty of pretty fantastic mums out there, right?"

Karina indicated her over-flowing in-tray. "By the looks of it, there are about three hundred at least!"

George looked contemplatively at her for a moment before his jaw set decisively. "I want to give them a prize too. I've been working on a new Wonder Witch product for the store but we could put a Witch Weekly label on it so that Mum doesn't suspect Harry or me. Would that be possible?"

She stared at him. How was this kind-hearted man sitting opposite her the instigator of the pranks at Hogwarts that were legendary all over the country?

****

The evening rolled around quickly and Kreacher began appearing in the kitchen at The Burrow, laden down with platters and platters of wonderful food, and then popping out again for another load.

The family members and Harry's closest friends began to arrive and make themselves comfortable in the Weasley's garden, which Kreacher had somehow found time to festoon with twinkling lights.

Ginny walked out into the garden having put quite a bit of effort into her appearance. She was wearing a knee length turquoise dress and her fiery hair fell in soft waves around her face. She located Ron and Hermione chatting with Hermione's parents but, as yet, there was no sign of Harry.

She greeted Bill and Fleur who were catching up with Hagrid and Charlie and then spent some time speaking with George who had apparated right into the centre of the garden and nearly squashed Arthur when he arrived.

Time went by, Kreacher produced even more food, and still there was no sign of Harry. She was growing impatient to see him.

"Mum," she called over her shoulder as she headed for the fireplace, "I'm just going to see what Harry's up to. He should have been here by now."

"Alright, dear, don't be long! It's going to take us all night to get through this food!" Molly called after her.

Ginny knew that something was wrong as soon as she peered into Harry's lounge room. She could hear Harry laughing in an almost maniacal fashion. A few large golden bubbles floated out the door of his bedroom.

She ran in to find out what was happening and nearly slipped in an inch of water that soaked the carpet. It was hard to see what was in front of her because of the number of bubbles.

"Harry?"

He laughed uproariously at the sight of her and she could just see him through the golden haze of bubbles, half-dressed and doubled over on his bed.

Suddenly she felt her leg being doused with water and looked down to see a little emerald green Teddy sitting in the growing puddle on the floor. He was holding Harry's wand and somehow performing a kind of Aguamenti charm in between creating magical bubbles.

She quickly pointed her own wand towards Harry and cried "Finite!", feeling the immediate relief of hearing his laughter subside to a snicker and then to a giggle and then to a delirious kind of sighing.

Before Teddy could do anymore damage she picked him up and grabbed Harry's wand out of his little fist.

"Oh, Gin, I'm so glad that you came," Harry said, holding his aching stomach.

"That'll teach you to leave your wand lying around!" she chuckled. "How long have you been in this state?"

"I think he must have hit me with the Rictusempra about forty-five minutes ago. It was a pretty strong one for such a little person. I haven't been able to move all this time for laughing!"

Ginny quickly set about casting a Drought Charm on the carpet and then employed the complicated wand motion that a Hot-Air Charm required, with which she dried off Teddy's clothes and her own dress and shoes.

She popped most of the bubbles with the end of her wand, to Teddy's great delight, and laughed at Harry as he gingerly pulled on his shirt, trying not to use his aching muscles.

"You look like you're in fine form for your party." Ginny moved closer to him and snaked her free arm around his neck, kissing him gently.

Harry smiled, "I am now."

"I'll take Teddy with me through the Floo, ok?" Ginny said. "Why don't you just apparate over when you're ready?" She grinned cheekily, "At least if he's with me I'll know that The Saviour Of The World isn't be being overpowered by a toddler."

****

Harry was amazed by all of the presents he had received. Apart from Ginny, everyone had waited for the evening's little gathering to give him his gifts and now he felt completely overwhelmed.

From Andromeda and Teddy he had received an enormous navy-and-white striped hammock, magically charmed to hang up anywhere. He was already making plans to fall asleep in it in the garden the next day.

Ron and Hermione had brought him back a Thundelarra Thunderers Quidditch jersey from Australia which he immediately took a liking to and Bill and Fleur had given him a really interesting looking book on curse-breaking.

Bill laughed, looking at Ginny who was seated next to him. "You never know when you might need it with my little sister hanging around!" She rewarded him with a sweet smile and a deft elbow to the ribs.

Mr and Mrs Weasley presented him with an enormous hand-made quilt which he planned to take straight home and throw over his bed and Hagrid had given him all of the accessories he would need to look after Isla, he and Ginny must have been in communication. Percy had found him an ancient leather-bound copy of The Tales of Beedle The Bard for his very own and Charlie had given him a dragon-hide satchel saying it might come in handy for his last year of school. Neville gave him a dittany plant hoping that Harry would never need to use its essence quite so frequently as he had in the previous year. Ginny also presented Harry with a present than Luna had sent from her travels in Africa, a t-shirt emblazoned with the words Angry Quidditch Players Fly Off The Handle.

His stomach muscles hurt too much for him to really laugh, and he wasn't quite sure if the t-shirt deserved much more than a snicker anyway. Mr and Mrs Granger gave him a selection of chocolates from the newly reopened Honeydukes for which he thanked them gratefully, winking at Hermione whom he suspected was their adviser.

George loitered until last, presenting Harry with a season pass to see all the Chuddleigh Cannons and Puddlemere United home games.

"I know your allegiance is to the Cannons, Harry," George said resignedly, "But they're utter rubbish and this way you can support Oliver and see some half-decent Quidditch at the same time!"

After the presents had been given and the food had mostly been consumed, and after Andromeda had apparated home with a gently snoring Teddy, Harry rose from his seat as if he was about to make a speech. His friends and family turned to him with interest.

"I was wondering if we could… if it's ok with everyone that is, if we could go for a walk to Fred's grave tonight. He should be here with us tonight."

George nodded vigorously, a muscle jumping in his jaw, and all of Harry's guests got up silently to follow him out towards the spot in the near-by field where Fred's body lay.

Bill levitated a bottle of Odgen's Old Firewhisky and a number of glasses ahead of him and the small party trooped out of the Weasley's garden into the darkness.

"Lumos," somebody said, and it was echoed by somebody else until thirteen wands glowed in the night to light the path to their fallen brother.

****

It was dark on the shop floor of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes except for a small light that illuminated the area around the counter. Verity laughed as Lee regaled her with the tale of his mother's visit to the WWN studio that morning. She had a wicked sense of humour and a contagious giggle, which absolutely delighted him, he felt like his chest was in danger of bursting in her presence.

"So I worked something out after I got back to the store this morning," she was saying, smiling sheepishly.

"Oh, yeah? What was that?" Lee asked, unable to wipe the silly grin from his face.

"I feel like an idiot, I hadn't made the connection before."

Lee looked mildly shocked. "There's a lot of things I could say about you, Verity, and 'idiot' wouldn't even make the top one hundred."

She giggled in her fascinating way and Lee couldn't help laughing with her. "You only met me yesterday, give it time!"

"Well, what's the connection that you worked out?"

"You're River from Potterwatch."

"Oh, yeah." Lee suddenly looked a little bit melancholy. "I'd say that'll turn out to be the highest point of my career. It's all down hill from there I think."

Verity sought his eyes with her own. "Your show sustained my family and I through that whole time, Lee, I used to love listening to you and the others whenever you were on air."

Lee smiled sadly, glancing up at the photo of Fred and George that rested on the mantelpiece.

"You must really miss him," she whispered, sliding her hand across the counter to grasp his.

He nodded but slowly a smile began to break on his face, revealing his dazzling white teeth.

"What?" Verity asked, his infectious grin beginning to show on her face also.

Lee laughed out loud, he couldn't help himself.

"What, Lee? What is it?" She was grinning broadly now, but her brow was still knit in confusion.

"Fred would love this," he chuckled. "Here I am with an amazingly beautiful witch treating me to the sweetest display of sympathy because of him." He looked up towards the ceiling smiling. "If he's watching us now, ten galleons he's cursing me because I can't return the favour."

Author's Note: I know, I know, my chapters are getting heaps longer, but I'm pretty determined to finish this in ten chapters! So, I guess this is nearly the end. What on earth will I do with myself once I've finished?