�Gin... oh! Er... Miss Weasley?�
Ginny heard someone calling to her as she made her way through the crowded halls, heading towards the library. She had lingered talking to her friends for too long, and she was late in starting her Divination study time. Hoping that McGonagall wasn�t about, she turned to see Neville approaching.
�Miss Weasley,� he panted as he reached her, out of breath.
�Neville, please call me Ginny. It sounds weird to hear �Miss Weasley� coming out of your mouth. You�ll have to walk and talk, I�m afraid. I�m awfully late to getting to the library and McGonagall will have me doing lines if I�m not where she wants me to be.�
�That�s just it, McGonagall sent me to find you. She�s says you�re to go to her office immediately.�
Ginny frowned slightly. Now what?
�Oh. Okay. Thanks Neville,� Ginny said absentmindedly as she turned her direction around. She didn�t realize Neville was walking with her until they had reached the 2nd floor staircase.
�Was there something else you wanted, Neville?�
Neville looked embarrassed about something and he glanced around the emptying corridor.
�Er.. well, yeah, there is...�
Ginny waited patiently for Neville to spit it out. Past experience told her he would speak his mind when he was ready.
�I wanted to tell you... I�m sorry about Harry leaving. I know you miss him and I know that�s why you haven�t been eating in the Great Hall this last week. Not that I�ve been looking for you or anything... you know, but I noticed.�
Neville had started to turn a bit pink around the edges.
�Neville, I�m sorry I haven�t been around, I�ve just had a lot to do, what with Quidditch and everything and...�The fact that my heart got stomped on has nothing to do with it, she finished in her head.
She offered Neville a gentle smile and he blushed again.
�I know you like Harry best. I know he was the reason you ate with me, but um... I just wanted to say that you�re welcome to come and talk to me whenever you want to.�
�Neville! Harry is not the only reason I ate with you! Don�t ever think that! And besides, if that were the only reason I ate with you, you shouldn�t worry about me one way or the other. No one who�s not interested in you as a person is worth your time.�
Neville brightened at her then and gave her a genuine smile. Still feeling a bit guilty, she offered to meet him for dinner that night. Neville happily nodded and then followed her all the way to McGonagall�s office, talking about the latest batch of Venomous Tentacula he�d started nursing.
When Ginny finally knocked on the door, she had forgotten to be worried about what this was about. It surprised her when the door opened and she realized McGonagall wasn�t alone.
�Ah yes, Miss Weasley. I would like you to meet your new tutor for Divination. This is Laura Miracroix.�
When McGonagall had told her that Professor Miracroix was an old friend of hers, she had expected someone just like McGonagall- older and just as intimidating. But the sight that greeted her eyes was anything but. Professor Miracroix was short, where McGonagall was tall. She had dark black hair that hung loose in soft waves around her face where as McGonagall always had her hair in bun. The tips of Professor Miracroix�s hair were purple. In fact, almost all of Professor Miracroix was purple- purple robes, purple bangles around her wrists and if Ginny wasn�t mistaken, she could of sworn she saw purple slippers on her feet as she moved across the room to greet her. She had an open and young face, not at all like Professor McGonagall�s. She had vibrant hazel eyes and had one of the most engaging smiles Ginny had ever seen. Ginny liked her immediately.
�My dear! Minerva has told me so much about you. We�ve just been discussing your past achievements. I must say I�m honored to meet the girl that brought down Voldemort.�
Ginny blushed. �Er... well, it was Harry, actually, that did that. I just helped a bit.�
�Yes, dear, but one without the other would have meant a different ending, I�m sure. Sometimes we have to accept what fate throws our way and believe that it knows what it�s doing. But look at you! You�re such a pretty thing!�
If it were possible, Ginny would have vanished right there and then.
�Oh, but look at what I�ve done, I�ve turned you as red as a strawberry. But you are quite lovely dear and by the looks of it, quite modest as well. Good, that will serve you well.�
McGonagall smiled at Professor Miracroix and then nodded at Ginny.
�Well, Miss Weasley, if you don�t mind, I will let the two of you get acquainted. Please stay here with Professor Miracroix and have a cup of tea. I�ll look into getting your rooms set up for you, Laura.�
�Yes! Thank you Minerva.�
Professor Miracroix waited until McGonagall had left and then winked at Ginny.
�I�ve thrown Minerva for a loop, I�m afraid. She didn�t plan on having to accommodate me till next week, but I think surprise is the best form of flattery when it comes to your friends. It lets them know you think they�re capable of fast action. Now, let�s have a bit of tea, shall we?�
Professor Miracroix removed her outer robe to reveal a dark purple dress that was accentuated with a dark green and burgundy motif. Ginny noticed a silver chain around her neck that carried a small stone at the end of it. Sitting down, Miracroix noticed her looking at it.
�Do you like my amulet dear? Are you familiar with the stone at all?�
Ginny shook her head. �No, but it�s lovely. What is it?�
Professor Miracroix smiled and then reached her arms behind her neck, unclasping her necklace. With a smile, she handed it to Ginny.
�That my dear, is a very special stone, given to me by a very special friend. It�s called Tigers Eye and if you notice, it changes with the sunlight.�
Ginny held the small stone in her hand and watched as it flickered in the light from the window. It was smooth and cool in her hands, but Ginny felt a small buzz of power from it, as though it had been enchanted. It was dark yellow in color, almost golden and it was crossed with brown lines. She could see the tiny flecks of gold shifting as she held it. It reminded her of the way a cat�s eyes would blink- changing from moment to moment. It was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen.
�What does it do?�
Miracroix blinked at her. �Do? Well, mostly, it just hangs around my neck, but Tigers Eye is known to promote well being and creativity. It�s used in Protection Potions and Powders. It can do wonders with chasing away negative thoughts or depression. Personally, I think it brings me good luck too.�
Ginny handed the necklace back to Miracroix and watched as she put it back around her neck. The other woman then poured them each a hot cup of tea and conjured up a plate of biscuits to go with it.
Ginny felt an acute shyness and she couldn�t understand why. Maybe it was because she was aware of the fact the Miracroix was studying her.
�Is there something wrong, dear? You seem... extremely quiet... for a Weasley.�
Ginny blinked back in surprise. �Do you know my family?�
Miracroix smiled. �I mostly only know of them. But I�ve met your father once or twice and your brothers... the twins? Yes. George and Fred. They were rather a robust pair of young boys when I saw them, I dare say they�ve grown up into the type of men that can keep you entertained?�
Ginny nodded. �Yes. They own and operate their own joke shop now. You might say entertaining people is their specialty. But when did you meet my father? Professor McGonagall had told me you were in America.�
�Ah yes. I was. But I haven�t always been. I was born in England, but my family traveled a great deal. I was a tree without roots, as it were, for most of my young life. Of course, this was many, many years ago,� Miracroix again winked at Ginny and Ginny had to wonder exactly how old her new tutor was.
�But I believe I met your father at a Ministry function once... he was giving a speech on a Muggle invention... what was it.. yes... plugs. He went on and on about plugs. It was frightfully interesting. I have to say I was quite pleased to hear he�d been named Minister of Magic, he�s the dearest man. I believe he was called away from the function early, due to his sons managing to get one of the Ministry lifts to shout insults at people as they got on and off. Quite scandalous.�
Ginny had a slight recollection of George and Fred going with Dad into work and coming back punished for two weeks because they had �caused an problem� at the Ministry. She had been three at the time and the twins had been six. She remembered they had been quite pleased with themselves.
�They�ve matured some since then,� Ginny said, with a smile. �But only some.�
Miracroix laughed and refilled her teacup. Ginny had to ask the question that was bothering her the most.
�You�ll have to pardon me Professor, but when Professor McGonagall told me you were an old friend of hers I just assumed-�
�That I was an old fuddy-duddy with fake teeth and sallow looking skin, with one foot in the grave and one foot lost on the stairs somewhere?�
�Well, no,� Ginny said blushing, �But you�re not what I expected at all.�
�Well, Miss Weasley, I�ve come to realize in my later years of life and no you will not be getting that particular tidbit out of me, that if you want to feel old, you feel old and before you know it, you�ll start to look it. But if you want to feel young, well, then you are young and no one can prove you wrong as long as you believe it in your heart. That�s a common sense idea that applies to other things in life as well.�
�Even in things like Divination? That doesn�t seem the place for... common sense.�
�It is the most important in Divination! The things that keep us tethered to the ground can also be the things that let us fly above it. Divination is the same as Transfiguration, despite what Minerva may think otherwise. It�s just using your talents in a different direction. It�s manifesting your energies in a more spiritual sense.�
Ginny looked at her doubtfully.
Miracroix chuckled. �Oh, I admit, there are, for the most part, an overabundance of... ahem... flakes that come with the territory of Divination. Much more so than any other branch of magic and that is its cross to bear. But Divination has been around for thousands of years, my dear girl, and it�s not going anywhere for a thousand more. At one time, almost every Muggle and Wizard religion alike taught some form of Divination. There are practices of Divination that are the same today as they were back a millennia ago. Why is that? It�s because humankind, in their quest for knowledge and power, always fall back to the old superstitions because there is an ounce of truth to be found within them. Like the saying goes, you don�t get rid of what works. Even if it does only work now and then and through imperfect vehicles.�
�But it just seems to be so imprecise, to me. Staring at crystal orbs, looking at shadows... how valid a use of time can that be? I feel as though I�m wasting my time on something that may or may not ever happen again!� Ginny stated in earnest.
Miracroix�s eyes sparkled at her. �My dear, do you remember when you first learned... let�s say, how to float an object in mid-air? When you first learned how to say 'Wingardium Leviosa' and you suddenly had the ability to float a feather or a cream puff in front of you? Do you remember being excited that you could finally do �official magic�?�
Ginny had never thought of it before, but she supposed she was right. Ginny nodded her head.
�Do you remember thinking, well what�s the point of this, then? Why am I bothering? Floating a feather, big deal. Give me something I can really use- like a Cheering Charm or a Locomotion Charm?�
�I remember being excited that I could suddenly make more things levitate now, I remember that.�
�Exactly! You had been given the building blocks upon which to learn more things. Without �Wingardium Leviosa� you wouldn�t have the foundation to do trickier spells, like a Banishing Spell or even more complicated Hover spells, to a certain degree.�
�Okay... but... how does this pertain to Divination?�
�You have been given a huge building block, Ginny Weasley. You have within you the power to understand that which will happen before it happens. Without things like crystal gazing, or tea leaves reading, you don�t have the background to move onto other things, like augury or water scrying. But to understand where you�re going, you have to understand where you�ve been. And Divination, in all its forms and guises, helps you and the world in general, understand this.�
Ginny must have still looked doubtful, because Professor Miracroix leaned in and patted her arm.
�Think of it this way for now, my dear. What magic aims to do? Divination aims to know.�
One week later and Harry had barely slept since that first night. Of course, sleeping on Lupin�s couch, no matter how comfortable the cushions, probably added to that. He seriously needed to find himself a place to stay, with a proper bed.
Remus had pulled a string or two and gotten him back into the Auror Training program almost immediately. Which was where he was now. Getting the stuffing knocked out of him by his sparring partner, Terrence Boot.
�What�s the matter, Potter? Feeling a bit distracted?� Terry asked him as he hit him with a Stunning Spell.
Harry grimaced and reflected the spell easily. �Not on your life, Boot. You know I�m the one that taught you how to do-�
Harry was cut off when Terrence hit him again, this time using a surprise Silencio command to render him speechless. Terry smiled as Harry tried to mouth the words to block his second Stupefy.
�Time!�
The wizard overseeing that evening�s practice was none other than Nymphadora Tonks, who had metamorphed into a very formidable looking woman for the evening�s session. The other parties in the training room stopped, but Terry somehow managed to still hit Harry with his spell. Harry fell back and rubbed his head in anger. Terry smiled toothily down at him.
�Boot, when I yell time, that means to stop, is that understood?�
Terrence sobered and nodded his head. �Yes, Miss Tonks. My apologies.�
�Don�t apologize to me, apologize to your sparring partner for not following the rules of engagement,� Tonks said angrily as she passed them by to chastise their neighbors for attempting the Disillusionment Charm against orders.
Terry made a face behind Tonk�s back, but offered his hand down to Harry.
�Sorry, Harry. Reckon I got carried away.�
Harry shook off Boot�s hand and forced himself to stand. His body felt as though it had been slammed into a wall.
�Okay, good work tonight everyone. I�ll let Kingsley know what to work on for next time. Stop by the department to get your reading assignments. Oh and Potter? Stay after, I want to speak with you.�
Harry watched as Terry and the others left to go to the changing rooms. He could really do with a hot shower right about now... he hoped Tonks didn�t keep him long.
�What�s up, Tonks?�
Tonks, who had morphed back into her self again, frowned at him.
�Is there something wrong Harry? Is there something going on that I should know about?�
�No. Why do you ask? If it�s about Terry getting that Silencing spell by me-�
�This is the third time this week that Boot has got the upper hand on you and I think it�s starting to make him feel a bit plucky. I don�t need him going out of training feeling as though he could take on the whole world just because he could get one by the Boy that Lived.�
Harry frowned. �I�ve been a bit distracted trying to get used to training again, and maybe I�ve been a little off, but I hardly think-�
�Harry, I�ve been watching you. Even when you�re in class, you tend to not be in the here and now. You daydream, you half-heartedly block spells and quite frankly, if it were anyone but you, I doubt the powers that be would keep you in the program. Remus did a lot to get you out of the program to begin with and now he�s done even more to get you back in, yet you don�t seem to care so much about that.�
Harry felt as though he had been slapped. �Look, I know what Remus has done for me, you don�t have to tell me that. And I�m sorry if I haven�t been performing like you think the savior of the world should perform, but that doesn�t give you the right to-�
�Actually, Harry I do have the right. I have to evaluate each and every member of this team, to make sure everyone is pulling their weight in training and that includes even you... the savior of the world, as you so delicately put it.�
�So what are you saying Tonks?�
Tonks looked at him and her gaze softened a bit. �Harry, I�m not trying to goad you into a fight. But it�s disappointing to me to see you throw away this chance. Especially since Remus has such faith in you. It just seems to me as though your heart isn�t in it lately. Ever since you came back from Hogwarts, you�ve been late to classes, late to training and when you�re here, you act miserable.�
Harry stared at her in stony silence.
Tonks sighed. �Maybe being an Auror isn�t for you, Harry. I know you�ve wanted it for awhile, but maybe you should try something else.�
�I see. Well, is that all Miss Tonks?�
Tonks frowned at him and nodded. He was almost at the door when she spoke again.
�I�m giving you one week, Harry, to straighten up. Otherwise I�m going to suggest to the Department Heads that you be let go from the program.�
Harry didn�t bother to catch the door before it slammed shut.
One week to straighten up. Who was she kidding? As though the Department would kick him out of the program. Ha! Harry angrily made his way home from the Ministry of Magic. He could see the headline of the Daily Prophet now... �Harry Potter, Victor Over Voldemort Kicked out of Ministry of Magic Auror Program�.
Truth of the matter was, somewhere inside he knew that Tonks was right. He had been slacking off. He couldn�t seem to get his mind to focus on anything. Before it had always been about Voldemort, but now... now it was his own voice he heard in his head and he didn�t like it at all.
It kept telling him he was a prat for having left Hogwarts. For having left Ginny.
The fact that no one had dropped by to see Harry and tell him this out loud just made it worse. He had been more than ready for Ron to drop by, indignant at some letter Hermione had sent. But his friend had proved elusive. Harry had tried to call on him twice now and Ron had either not been home or had not been answering. Harry reckoned part of him didn�t really want to see Ron anyway, so he didn�t go out of his way to find him.
When he reached Remus�s flat he found a piece of parchment stuck to the door. As he pulled at it, it rolled open and he read Lupin�s neat scrawl:
Harry-
Tomorrow is the start of the three days before the Full Moon. I�ll be gone until next week. Ron stopped by and wants to see you, he�ll be at The Leaky Cauldron. Hope training is going well. See you soon-
R
Harry folded the note and let himself into the flat. Well, at least he could get a good night�s sleep tonight in the bed. Dropping his robe over the chair he headed towards the bath to take a quick shower. If he hurried, he�d probably be able to find Ron before the dinner crowd showed up.
After showering and leaving the flat, Harry headed out, his still damp hair was cold in the night air. He should have used a Drying Spell before leaving, but hadn�t thought of it. When he saw the Leaky Cauldron come into view he could see that it was already crowded. When the door opened, the light spilled out onto the street and the aroma of butterbeer and Firewhiskey hit his nose. It was a sickeningly sweet smell.
He hadn�t been inside more than a second before he heard someone calling his name. Looking around he saw that Ron had managed to nab a table in the back. His friend�s bright red hair was like a beacon guiding him through the crowd. He smiled when he reached the table.
Ron, who had finally stopped growing, was an impressive 6�2 now. His skin had also changed- going from freckled spotted to what looked like a light tan. If you didn�t know any better, you�d swear it was a tan. It was only when you got up close that you noticed it was all freckles and not coloring. His bright eyes smiled back at Harry in greeting and he clamped a hand on his back.
Well, thought Harry, this isn�t the welcome I expected.
Harry scooted into the booth and noticed that a group of women at the bar were looking at him and Ron.
Ron followed his gaze and winked at the girls. They giggled and turned back around.
Harry raised his eyebrow.
Ron blushed. �They�ve been goggling over here all night. I wish I�d known I had this much animal magnetism during school. I would have had a different experience altogether.�
Harry laughed. �I�m not sure Hermione would like to hear that, mate.�
�Well, what Hermione doesn�t know...� Ron let his voice trail off, looking at the girls again. �Ah well. None of them compare to her anyway.�
Harry and Ron ordered their dinner and then silence fell between them. Harry wondered if he should bring up what Hermione had no doubt told him. Ron suddenly broke the silence.
�So, how�s training?�
�Er... okay. It�s going as well as expected I reckon.�
�How's Tonks? I heard she�s a tough taskmaster down there in the trenches. She cut you any slack since you�re her favorite?�
Harry rolled his eyes. �Hardly. No... Tonks is-� Harry paused trying to think of the best way to put it. �Tonks is doing her job.�
Ron raised an eyebrow but didn�t press the matter. The girls at the bar had drifted closer now and Harry thought he recognized one of them, but before he could get a good look, another one would stand in his way.
�So, how about you? How is work at the Ministry?�
Ron sighed. �Fascinating. Unbelievably exciting and challenging. Actually, it�s dead boring, Harry. Before, when Hermione was in the office I could at least torment her, but now since she�s at Hogwarts teaching, all I do is paperwork.�
At the mention of Hogwarts, Harry took his eyes off the giggling women and looked at his friend. He didn�t hear any reproach in Ron�s voice about Hermione being gone and it puzzled him.
�Sorry �bout that. Reckon that it�s my fault she�s gone.�
Ron looked at him and met his eyes. �Well, technically she could have said no to you. You�re not that irresistible. But she really wanted to do it, I could tell. I couldn�t whine about her not being around in the Muggle Liaison office, now could I? It�s not as though we�re doing life-saving stuff.�
�I thought Hermione was working on the House-Elf Independence Act?�
�She is. In her spare time. The Ministry is dragging their feet on it, as is expected. Actually, Hermione just owl�d me and told me to talk to Dad about it again. She sends her best by the way.�
Harry nodded and wondered if Hermione had mentioned Ginny. He wondered why it bothered him that Ron hadn�t mentioned her.
�Pardon me, but you�re Harry Potter, right?�
One of the girls had pulled away from the flock and had come over to the table.
Harry nodded his head and Ron smiled and coughed into his hand.
�We were wondering if it was you. One of our friends claims she had a date with you once, but we didn�t believe her. She said to ask you if you remembered Madam Puddifoot�s?�
Harry�s mouth dropped open. �Cho? Cho Chang is one of your friends?�
The girl giggled and then turned her head. From the middle of the pack emerged a small, black haired woman. She had a pretty face and it was she that Harry had seen moving in and out of focus.
�Hi Harry. I was hoping you�d remember. Mind if I join you?�