Chapter Eleven: A Vision in Desperation

 

Harry blinked his eyes open. Although he knew that he’d been sleeping for a while, he really had no idea how much time had passed since Molly had forced him to go to bed. Most of the bone-deep had felt his thin frame. He drew in a deep breath and tried to sit up.

 

“Don’t even think about it, Harry Potter,” the stern voice of Hermione Granger said from the rocking chair, where she was holding his son. “You need to stay in bed. Molly left you some soup. Do you want a cup?”

 

Harry coughed experimentally. His head still hurt and his throat was viciously sore, but he didn’t seem to have any of the nausea that had plagued him during the game. “Yeah, I could eat.”

 

“Good. You’re not going to die, then,” Hermione said teasingly.

 

“How’s James been?” Harry asked, rubbing his arms fiercely to generate some heat. Startled, he realized he didn’t have a shirt on.

 

“He’s such a good baby he hardly gave me a moment’s trouble. And for Merlin’s sake, Harry, don’t be embarrassed. I’ve seen you without your shirt on before.”

“Well, when you put it like that it does seem a little ridiculous,” Harry mumbled, and then turned to look at his wife, who was gently snoring next to him. “Is she really asleep?”

 

“She’s really asleep,” Hermione confirmed. “She woke up a few hours ago, but Molly sent her right back to bed after she’d had some soup.”

 

“I can’t believe she went a whole night without a vision,” Harry said, scratching at his scar. “That lullaby of Molly’s must have done the trick.”

 

“There have been records in the past, of melodies and lyrics that have special power,” Hermione admitted. “That’s ancient magic, though.”

 

Harry drew his knees up to his chest and let his head fall on his kneecaps. “Ancient magic’s good for me. Hermione, my head really hurts.”

 

“I’m sorry, Harry. Let me go get you a potion and that cup of soup, all right?”

 

“Sounds great,” Harry admitted, and slid back underneath the covers, wrapping an arm around Ginny.

 

As Hermione left the room, Harry heard Ginny’s breathing change a bit. “Harry?”

 

“Right here.”

 

Ginny rolled over and studied him through sleepy eyes. “I keep trying to wake up, but I keep falling asleep. Is James okay?”

 

“He’s fine. Hermione’s got him. You’re exhausted, love. You probably need the sleep. I think we’re both pretty sick.”

 

Ginny nodded and closed her eyes, already halfway asleep. “Yeah, I think so too. I’m glad Mum showed up. I was so tired, Harry.”

 

“Me too, love. Me too.”

 

They curled into each other and went back to sleep. When Hermione came back in with the soup, they were already both snoring.

 

**

 

Hermione rocked in the chair, Harry’s soup steaming next to her, and James in his crib. She closed her eyes and tried to think. She couldn’t remember Harry ever being sick. Headaches and colds, yes, but never ill like this. Ginny, too, had always been extremely healthy. These months with the pregnancy and the visions and the lack of rest had quickly dismantled their health, but they both had held on, too stubborn to ask for help. James had clearly not suffered. He was a rosy-cheeked and bouncing baby, who reminded her of her own cheerful Andrew.

 

James yawned and Hermione cooed at him, stroking the side of his cheek. “Jamie-boy, you have the prettiest eyes, yes you do…”

 

A soft knock at the door made Hermione raise her head. Fleur wasn’t due to replace her for another few hours, and she figured any unwelcome visitors wouldn’t have knocked. She was happy to see Ron’s head emerge from the doorway.

 

“Hello,” he said, in the low voice he used when he wanted to be as quiet as possible. It was the voice that curled Hermione’s toes. “Harry and Ginny still asleep?”

 

“Yes,” Hermione said, and laid James back in his crib. “I’m going to change his diaper any minute now and give him another bottle. He’s been a lovely baby. How’s Andrew?”

 

“He’s fine. George and Fred took him to the shop when I got called into work today.”

 

“You got called in? What happened?”

 

Ron sighed. “There’s been a few random attacks on some of the better-known surviving war heroes. Mostly Muggle in style, which has thrown the investigation for a loop.”

 

“Have we figured out what stopped Ginny’s visions?”

 

Ron dropped to the floor at Hermione’s feet and absent-mindedly took her foot in his hand and rubbed the arch gently. “Mum doesn’t think the lullaby has any overt magical qualities. I wrote Remus and asked him what he thought – he knows more about the obscure and ancient magics than anyone else alive. I haven’t heard back from him.”

 

“We need to figure out a way to replicate it, whatever it was. You haven’t seen them, Ron. They look like death. They need to rest.”

 

“Are you sure you just don’t want a few more days to play with the baby?” Ron cocked an eyebrow at her, his eyes twinkling in amusement.

 

Hermione laughed. “I wouldn’t object to it.”

 

“You know, we’re going to have one of our own again. In six months. And then you’ll be begging for someone else to come play with the baby.”

 

“Ronald Weasley, I will not. You know that I love our children!”

 

Ron waved his hands a bit desperately. “You’re misunderstanding what I’m saying, Hermione Jane.”

 

Hermione raised an eyebrow. “I am?”

 

Ron knew he had to completely abandon the subject or suffer the wrath of his very talented and very effective wife. “Let’s not talk about that now. Here’s what I’m thinking. I’m thinking we need to get Harry and Ginny out of the country. In another continent, if at all possible.”

 

“I’m thinking you’re deliberately changing the subject.” Hermione tapped her finger on the arm of the rocking chair.

 

Ron shrugged a shoulder. “I might be. But it is what I’m thinking. So there.”           

 

Hermione laughed. “All right. Let’s talk about it. We can’t just tell Harry and Ginny to pick up and move somewhere else.”

 

“Yes, we can. We’ve been best friends with Harry for ages. Ginny’s my little sister. If they don’t take advice from us, who are they going to take advice from?”

 

“Alternately, we could treat them like adults and let them know that this is an option.”

 

Ron sighed and dropped to the floor. “I just am really worried. We can’t figure out a way to protect Ginny, and this is getting to Harry, I know it is.”

 

Hermione nodded briskly. “Agreed. If sending them across the ocean stops the visions until we can work out what’s behind this, I’m all for it. That being said, where do we send them? America?”

 

“No, I don’t think so. I think we need to send them somewhere that no one would think to look for Harry Potter.”

 

“We need to sneak them out of the country, too. Obviously, someone’s been tracking all of their moves,” Hermione noted, tapping her foot as she worked out the plan in her mind. “Bill and Charlie have done a lot of international traveling – they might have a better idea of where to send them.”

 

Ron swiftly picked up James and rose to his feet. “We can get the whole Weasley family in on this after we get Harry and Ginny to agree to go. I have a feeling it’s going to take all of us.”

 

**

 

Someone was singing, a soft voice in the night as fog swept over England. It was low and male, singing a song that Ginny vaguely remembered from childhood that spoke of the sea lulling a child to sleep. She found herself in her own body for once, in a house she only knew in dreams.

 

Disembodied and light-headed, she walked the well-worn path to the nursery, where she heard the voice coming from. She stopped in the doorway and watched James rock baby Harry in the rocking chair.

 

A hand, suddenly placed on her shoulder, nearly caused her to jump out of her skin.

 

“We’re doing the best we can to help you, child,” Lily’s voice said in her ear. “There’s not much more we can do to help here. Take your brother’s advice.”

 

“My brother’s? Which of my brothers?” Ginny asked incredulously, mind still reeling from the unexpected direct contact with Lily and James Potter.

 

“Ronald, I believe,” James said dryly. “He’s on his way.”

 

“You’re being so strong,” Lily said, and her arm wrapped around Ginny’s waist in a way that felt sisterly. Ginny remembered suddenly that she was older than Lily had been when she died. “I would not wish this on you, daughter-in-law.”

 

“Thank you,” James said suddenly. “For remembering me through my grandson. Tell Harry…” His throat worked and Ginny saw him struggle to swallow. “Tell Harry that we love him, very much. We miss him everyday.”

 

Lily nodded. “It’s almost over, Ginny. One way or another, it’s almost over. In any case, it’s time to wake up now.”

 

**

 

Ginny blinked and felt the reassuring weight of Harry’s arm around her waist center her. For once, she felt able to rise out of the fog of unconsciousness.

 

“Harry, where’s James?”

 

Harry stretched out and arched his back, moving his arm away from Ginny. “Hermione has him. I think I remember that from the last time I woke up.”

 

“Do you think one of us could get up and find out?” Ginny asked, genuinely concerned.

 

“I can try. Give me a minute to gather my energy.”

 

“Stay right where you are, Harry James Potter,” Hermione said firmly from the doorway. “I just put James down for a nap. Besides, Ron and I have something we want to talk to you two about.”

 

Suddenly the dream came rushing back to Ginny. She felt momentarily dizzy and clung to Harry’s arm for a minute.

 

“Ginny, are you okay?”

 

“I had a dream… I…” She shook her head, as though to clear it of cobwebs. “I don’t really want to talk about it now.”

 

Hermione looked at her intensely for a few moments and the nodded. “All right then. We had a Weasley family meeting yesterday. And Ron came up with an idea. The more we talked about it today, the more we thought you two should execute it.”

 

Harry reached for the shirt on the side of the bed and pulled it over his head. “I can’t talk seriously with you two without a shirt on,” he said by way of explanation.

 

Ginny snorted. “You just don’t trust me to keep my hands to myself.”

 

Harry chuckled; the thought of anything sexual at the moment was laughable at best. “Right, Gin.”

 

“We think we need to get you two out of the country,” Ron said bluntly.

 

“Ron, have you ever heard of tact?” Hermione asked crossly.

 

Harry raised his eyebrows. “Out of the country? Why?”

 

“We figured that all of the visions are divination-based,” Ron said. “Large bodies of water disrupt the flow of that particular type of magic.”

 

“So we have to leave England?” Ginny asked, not quite believing what she heard.

 

“Look, if you leave England, we can focus all our attention on tracking whoever this is instead of protecting you two.”

 

Ginny sighed. “You two have talked this over and you really think this is the best idea?”

 

“We do,” Hermione asserted.

 

Ginny looked at Harry and shrugged her shoulders. “What do you think?”

 

“We can’t leave the country without thinking pretty seriously about it. Even if we leave, someone’s going to notice that I’m not around.”

 

“Agreed,” Ginny said with a nod. “The reporters are constantly trying to get one-on-one interviews with Harry. We have to ward our property against them pretty strongly.”

 

“If it gets out that we left the country, then whoever’s doing this could follow us. Then what would the point be?” Harry asked.

 

“The point is, it usually takes time to get permission to leave the country,” Ron began, ticking the items off on his fingers. “It will give you and Ginny time enough to recover mentally to where Ginny could start to fight back. And besides, it’ll be a good experience for James.”

 

Harry raised an eyebrow. “International traveling at a month old will be a good experience?”

 

“Okay, that might have been a bit of a stretch,” Ron admitted, “but the rest are all valid reasons to go.”

 

“Let us do this for you,” Hermione said, reaching for Ginny’s hand. “You two have enough to worry about with the new baby and everything, you shouldn’t have to worry about having another psycho after you.”

 

Harry sighed and looked at Ginny. “What do you think?”

 

Take your brother’s advice.

 

“What harm could it do? We wouldn’t have to leave right away, would we?”

 

“Honestly, the sooner the better,” Hermione said. “It’ll take us a few days to get all the paperwork together and figure out where to send you. Neither one of you is healthy enough to travel comfortably right now, either. Hole up here for a few more days and let the rest of the Weasleys take care of organizing things for you.”

 

“Thank you so much, Hermione, Ron. I’m glad that you’re able

 

“Well, you were so far gone we had debates about sending you to St. Mungo’s,” Hermione said honestly. “It was the least we could do for you, Ginny -- though I really think that he misses his mum.”

 

“That’s good, because I miss him terribly, too.” Ginny sniffed, feeling tears tug at her eyes.

 

“Just a few more days’ rest and recovery and you’ll be back on your feet,” Hermione soothed. “Let me go get you two something to drink and something to eat. Then we’ll see if everyone’s up for a visit from James, yeah?”

 

“Sounds great,” Ginny said weakly, coughing into Harry’s shoulder, being awake quickly draining her energy.

 

“You need to stay awake long enough to eat,” Harry said sternly. “You haven’t been awake as often as I have. You can’t fight this off if you haven’t got any energy.”

 

“Yes, mum,” Ginny teased and pushed herself up more. “So. Where are you thinking of taking us?”

 

**

 

“Japan. That’s the best place for them,” Bill said, looking over his desk at his most wayward brother, Charlie, who was still single and still looked like a genuine bad-ass, dressed in leather with a claw for an earring.

 

“Agreed. I have some contacts there. Their ministry is tolerant to foreign visitors, and they understand better than most how to keep a secret. There’s no place better than Japan to hide Harry Potter in broad daylight.”

 

“We might want to try Firenze’s friend Rhysmana again – see if she has any idea how to track the attacks from a non-astrological point.”

 

“Percy seems to think the best way to do it would be the magical signatures trace Harry worked on perfecting. Harry might be able to tweak it to trace divination traces, as well,” Charlie suggested.

 

“Okay. Here’s what we do,” Bill said, and rose to his feet. “I’ll get in touch with my contacts in Japan, let them know Harry’s on the way and also let them know we’d rather no one know about it. You want to Floo that old man you used to hang out with?”

 

“Takashiro?”

 

“That’s the one. He’s the Asian dragon expert, isn’t he?”

 

“He’s one of them, yes. He does more work with general Defense now, though. Which is a shame. He’s a great dragon clerk. He’s just getting old.”

 

“Yes, yes. If he’s up to it, I think it would be good to send Harry to live with him there.”

 

Charlie raised an eyebrow. “That’s an interesting mix of personalities.”

 

“It’s only for a month while we figure out how to handle tracking this psycho.”

 

“We need to figure out his motivation. That will help us figure out who it is.”

 

“Bill!” A frantic Percy showed up in his office. “You need to come quick!”

 

Bill was on his feet and pulling on his dragon leather jacket in a matter of seconds. “What’s going on, Perce?”

 

“They found Cornelius Fudge,” Percy said. “He’s dead and no one can get to him.”

 

“What do you mean, no one can get to him?”

 

“There’s a cursed ward.”

 

Swearing, Bill barreled down the hallway to the Floo he could use to get the Ministry. “This has just been a lovely day.”

 

As soon as Bill disappeared, Charlie took a handful of Floo powder as well. “I have a feeling it’s only going to get worse.”

 

**

 

A/N: Sorry guys! I know the chapters have been shorter of late. I’m doing the best I can to break the story up so that it flows naturally, though. Thanks to Kat Morning and Daily Prophet Reporting for all their hard work!