Order of the Phoenix meeting - 4

Harry looked towards Remus. "Sirius once gave me a mirror. He said he used to use it to talk with my dad when they were in detention. D'you know what I'm talking about?"

A grin appeared on Remus's face. "I do."

"I – er...I broke the one I had. D'you think you could charm another couple of mirrors to act the same way? We'll keep one, and you can keep another here," Harry said.

Remus nodded. "Yes, I can do that. I think that will work nicely."

"That seems to indicate that you think Ron and Ginny will be going with you again," Bill said, frowning.

"Damn straight, we will," Ron said hotly.

"We're not letting Harry do this alone," Hermione said, speaking for the first time.

"Ginny is not going anywhere," Mrs. Weasley shouted, her face very red. "I won't have it."

"Oh yes I am," Ginny said, firing right back at her mum. "The others never would have got out of there if it weren't for me. They need me."

"You're underage," Mrs. Weasley cried.

"It's because I'm underage that my magic was undetected. Professor Dumbledore discovered it last year when Harry went with him. Voldemort is too arrogant to believe that anyone underage could be a threat to him. Don't make the same mistake, Mum." Ginny said, her eyes flashing.

"That's enough, Ginny," Mr. Weasley said firmly.

"Ginny is your baby sister," Bill said, glaring at Ron. "You never should have allowed her to go along with you."

"She's not a baby anymore, Bill," Ron said, raising his chin.

Ginny flushed with pleasure and cast a grateful smile at Ron.

"'E usually 'az much more common sense except when eet comes to ''iz leetle sister," Fleur said, patting Bill on the back.

Fred, George and even Charlie had to cover their snickers. Bill whirled on them.

"You can't tell me you're all right with Ginny traipsing across the countryside and living with Harry," he said incredulously.

Anger flooded Harry's cheeks. How could they be worried about the impropriety of where Ginny might be sleeping when Voldemort had Inferi on the loose killing people? It was just too much.

"I don't believe this," Harry roared. "I wish the biggest concern in my life was hiding what Ginny and I got up to from all of you, but that's just not the way it is. We're fighting this war, the same as you."

"We know that, Harry," Mrs. Weasley said, placating him. She again rested her hand on his arm, and this time he didn't pull it away. "But you have to understand that she's our child. We won't stop being parents simply because there is a war raging."

Harry nodded, chastised. "I understand. You really have nothing to worry about; I'd protect Ginny with my life."

"We know you would, dear. That's partly what we're afraid of," Mrs. Weasley said tearfully.

"Look," Harry said. "You all know the prophecy, or basically what it says. You know what I'm up against. I might not have a lot of time to give her–"

Shouts of disagreement and dismay met this statement, but Harry held his hands in the air, silencing them.

"Let's be realistic, all right? There are no guarantees – for any of us. That's been made painfully clear. This little bit of time might be all I have go give her, so I'm going to take it while it's there," Harry said, amazed by his own cheek.

"And what happens afterwards?" Bill asked. "When the war is finished, and you have managed to survive? What happens between you and Ginny then?"