In The Fight To Survive (Golden Trio Era) {4}

The Ginayla Kinship

When Harry returned to the house, he found Fleur and Bill on the sofa in the sitting room, quietly talking amongst themselves while waiting for him. The room was light in colour and lovely, with a tiny fire of driftwood glowing brilliantly in the fireplace. Harry didn't want to get dirt on the carpet, so he stood at the doorway but Fleur immediately spotted him and gestured for him to join them. Harry reluctantly stepped inside, settling down in the armchair near the fire as a chill had settled in his bones from standing in the seaside's biting wind for 30 minutes. "How are you coping, Harry?" Bill asked him as he's never been the type to beat around the bush, you can't solve a problem if you just dance around.

"I've been better." Harry answers snarkily, crossing his arms in front of him and internally reprimanding himself for being so standoffish. "Sorry, you didn't deserve that. I'm doing okay, feeling a little uneasy because of how stationary we are right now, but I'm also relieved to be around friends and family again." Fleur smiled and handed him a cup of tea, saying, "We're delighted to have you all here for as long as you can stay." Harry nodded in appreciation, accepting the tea that soothed the iciness in his bones. "Yeah, once Ollivander and Griphook are well enough, I'll move them to my Aunt Muriel's with the rest of the family since there isn't much room around here. I know Penelope intends to stay with the Smirnovs until she finds her bearings, while Dean and Luna want to return to school after the Easter break. But you, Ron, and Hermione are free to stay here as long as you like."

Harry hesitated for a moment to gather his rushing thoughts; he didn't want to come off as ungrateful or entitled to answers while posing any questions that sprang to mind. "How's the family protected at Muriel's?" Fleur explained that they both moved the family from the Burrow to Muriel's Manor and installed some exceptionally difficult wards before naming Bill the secret keeper. Bill added that they were fortunate that Ginny was on her Easter holidays so that they could reach her before the Death Eaters did. "She'll be safe at Muriel's until she goes back to school, because despite being under Death Eater rule, Hogwarts still has forces working on protecting all those associated with the Order thanks to Dumbledore."

Harry felt a childish spiteful response rise to the forefront of his mind as he considered expressing Dumbledore any form of gratitude or praise. Harry decided to ignore that thought and asked Bill and Fleur when they planned to relocate Griphook and Ollivander with a newfound sense of urgency. "Well I've given Griphook Skele-Gro this morning so his leg should be mended in a couple of hours." Fleur begins, looking across at the clock to mentally calculate when the potion should have finished working its magic: "They'll be ready to move shortly after dinner, so 7, why?" Fleur asked back, she already somewhat knew the answer but it was possible she was wrong. "I need both of them here because I need to talk to them about something important."

Harry's voice adopted an unexpected authoritative tone as he declared his intentions. It had been the first time he had demonstrated conviction and an immense sense of purpose since his arrival. He was puzzled by Bill and Fleur's knowing expressions, but pressed on, "Where are they? I need to see them right now." Harry tried standing up, but Bill was already on his feet, laying a hand on his shoulder to keep him in place as Fleur informed him that he needed to wait. "They are both exhausted and injured, you all need to rest." Harry shook Bill's hand off his shoulder and slowly rose to his feet, attempting to ignore Fleur's remarks because they didn't suit his plans. "I'm sorry, but it can't wait. I need to speak with each of them immediately, privately and without interference. It's urgent."

"No, Harry. We also have questions, like: what the hell is going on? You arrive here with a dead house-elf, a half-conscious goblin, a fragile, ailing elderly man, a missing girl, and two schoolchildren. Hermione has been horribly tortured, Ron hasn't uttered a word since he got here, and none of you will tell Fleur or me anything that might help us understand what's going on." Harry interrupted Bill's heated rant, saying that they can't tell them anything, "You are both Order members, and you heard Dumbledore himself instruct us not to share any information about our mission to anybody other than Mikayla. We cannot share anything, even if we wanted to, so please excuse us for not providing you with all of the gory details of our secret mission."