MetaFic

ESCAPE FROM AZKABAN!

Your friendly reporters at the Quibbler have unearthed news that the Ministry of Magic does not want you to know! Last night, as darkness fell on the island prison, the horrific guards known as Dementors turned on the few Ministry guards on the island and released the Death Eaters recently captured, including those captured at the Department of Mysteries. For further information about the battle in the Department of Mysteries, see our article on page six by Luna Lovegood, "Prophecies and Kind Hearts: Why we were there."

When asked to comment about the break out, Minster of Magic Cornelius Fudge told the Quibbler...

***
PROPHECY OF THE FALL OF THE DARK LORD!

The Daily Prophet has learned from a reliable source of a prophecy concerning Harry Potter, the famous Boy-Who-Lived, and He-Who-Must-Not- Be-Named. Could this mysterious prophecy hold the secret to defeating the Dark Lord once and for all? The Daily Prophet joins the entire wizarding community in calling upon Mr. Potter to come forward and reveal the secrets of the prophecy and, if the prophecy's contents are what your reporter believes, to do his duty to wizarding world and rid us once and for all of the menace of the Dark Lord. The Prophet asks; how many more innocent lives will be lost before...

***
THE GIRL WHO STOLE HARRY POTTER'S HEART: SOUL MATE OR EVIL WITCH?

Her name is Ginevra Molly Weasley, or Ginny to her friends. She is the girl who has been seen traveling with Harry Potter. But who is she really? Witch Weekly decided to find out more about Miss Weasley, including dark rumors swirling around her first year in Hogwarts. In this in-depth article we ask: Is she the girl of Harry Potter's dreams, or is she the one responsible for leading young Harry down his current dark path? Our investigative reporters...

***
Ginny mashed the potatoes furiously, muttering under her breath about the stupidity of journalists. Harry thought that she resembled nothing more in the world than her mother at that moment. Not that Harry would ever be stupid enough to tell her that.

Harry turned the copy of Witch Weekly sideways and regarded the picture of Ginny, which was scowling back at him and occasionally scratching the side of her nose. "Colin took this photo," Harry said mildly.

"I swear, I'm going to bat-bogey him right off the top of the astronomy tower. I thought Colin was my friend." Ginny finished the potatoes with a tremendous crash and placed them on the table with the rest of the evening meal.

"I doubt he even realized what was happening," Harry said. "They probably flattered him, and he handed over the photo without thinking about the consequences. You shouldn't be too hard on him."

Ginny sighed. "I know. It's just all so–"

Harry could feel the anger and frustration radiating from her, both as a physical presence and as a high mental hum in the back of his mind. "Frustrating. I know."

The two dished out plates and sat next to each other, trying to enjoy their meal despite the three papers setting on the table. Sometimes, Harry mused, he wished Ron and Hermione would not send them. But Harry and Ginny still wanted to keep contact with the wizarding world in general, and the best way, despite the continual grief it caused them, was to follow the papers.

"So why did you lie to Hermione?" Ginny asked.

"What was I supposed to tell her? Well, Hermione, we'll come back as soon as the Ministry cancels the arrest warrants out for both of us, and after the newspapers decide to leave us alone, and when Dumbledore starts treating me like a person instead of a weapon, and–"

"And you've made your point. I suppose it was better to tell her what she wanted to hear."

"You know, we could leave the country," Harry said suddenly. "We could just go and put this all behind us."

Ginny blinked. "And exactly how would we manage to make a living?"

"That Potter family fortune Snape mentioned to Ron. You know, the one no one bothered to mention to me."

"Which I suspect you can't get at until you're of age."

"Or emancipated."

There was a long moment of silence, and then Ginny Weasley started to laugh. "That's brilliant!"

"Of course, we'll have to make it official."

"Is that a proposal?"

"Would you say yes?"

"Yes."

"Then as soon as I can find a ring, I'll ask."

"It's a date."

Harry chuckled. "Of course, we'll have to find someone to actually perform the ceremony, and we'll have to find people to swear that we've met the requirements."

"Bill and Fleur," Ginny said automatically.

"Do you think they will?"

Ginny nodded. "And then what? We leave the country?"

"If you want to. I think it might be the only way we'll ever be allowed to have the life we want."

"So," Ginny said, ticking the points off on her fingers, "we need to hide out until my birthday."

"Check."

"And then we need to buy rings, find an officiant, and get Bill and Fleur to agree to help us make it legal in the magical world."

"Check, check, and check."

"Then we'll need to get to Gringotts, file your paperwork, and arrange for your money to be transferred."

"Yes to all three."

"And flee the country."

"I was thinking about Canada," Harry admitted.

"All while avoiding the Ministry, the Death Eaters, and the Order of the Phoenix."

"That about sums it up," Harry agreed.

"Sounds like fun," Ginny laughed.

Harry laughed with her, and the two started making plans on how to manage all they wanted to accomplish and to visit Ginny's family one last time in person before they fled the country.

***
"The tracer is set?" Dumbledore asked.

McGonagall nodded. "With the delay. It will lay inert on them for a few days, and then it will go off at midnight, the night after Miss Weasley's birthday. Hopefully they will be too — distracted — to notice the small magical discharge when the spell triggers."

"And you're sure Harry won't be able to discover the tracer before it starts working?" Moody asked.

"With Potter, who knows?" McGonagall said. "But it's the best we can do."

"That was very clever," Moody said, addressing Snape, "laying a delayed spell on Ron and Hermione to let them transfer the tracer without them ever knowing."

"Thank you," Snape said. "Now, assuming Lupin placed the enchantment correctly, we will have Potter's location and be on him before he knows what has happened."

Dumbledore looked at Severus Snape. He was going to have to do something about the Potions Master's animosity toward young Harry.

"Albus, are you sure you need to modify Ginny Weasley's memory?" McGonagall asked.

"Just enough to make her temporarily forget about the bond she shares with Harry. If the knowledge of the bond is left in place, I have no doubt they will manage to use it to affect Harry's escape."

"You realize that once they meet again at Hogwarts, Harry will know something is wrong," McGonagall said.

"Yes, I know. And I know how angry Harry will be with me for interfering in his life again. But their bond will re-manifest when the time is more appropriate, at a time when it will help Harry defeat Voldemort instead of distracting Harry and making him vulnerable."

"You can't actually make her forget about the bond, can you?" Moody asked.

"Not exactly," Dumbledore said. "Miss Weasley will continue to feel the pull of Harry in her soul, but she will not completely understand why. Eventually the pull of the bond will overwhelm the modification of her memory, and these last weeks will come flooding back."

"And the Weasleys?" Snape asked. "You expect them to go along with this plan?"

Dumbledore sighed. "I will attempt to stress to the Weasleys and to Harry how much danger Miss Weasley would be in from Voldemort if her bond to Harry is allowed to continue to grow and strengthen before the appropriate time."

McGonagall looked unconvinced but held her peace.

***
"Do you get the feeling Dumbledore is cutting the family out of important Order business concerning Harry?" Fred asked his twin as he stood counting out the evening receipts.

"Yes, yes I do." George said from where he was stocking the shelves.

Fred looked thoughtful and then smiled. "I need to write Ron and Neville; we need a back up plan, just in case."

"In case of what?" George asked.

"In case Dumbledore tries to neutralize the entire Weasley family while he goes after Harry," Fred said, frowning.