Albus Potter, Friends and Foes

Ch 32 Problems with Charlie's Funeral

Sunday right after lunch Harry worked with Arthur and a few of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement managers to arrange for security for Charlie's funeral. Later that afternoon Arthur and Molly contacted the family to let them know that Charlie's funeral was going to be held at the cemetery at three Monday afternoon. There would be an announcement in the morning Daily Prophet, and after the funeral everyone would be meeting in the large ballroom at the Ministry.

About nine in the evening Harry and Ginny were together sitting in the drawing room. Minerva was in bed.

"Are the girls still meeting in Lily and Ivana's rooms?" Harry wondered.

"Yes, arranging Ivana's room and just being teen-age girls," Ginny replied. "My old dollhouse, well the replacement for my old dollhouse, is usually in my office up there, but I've given the girls permission to move it into Ivana's room, and with Rose's help they are redecorating it. There is a fair amount of giggling, which is healing. I did let Rose and Cleo know that they needed to leave in about an hour, and sleep in Rose's room next door."

"I cannot ever remember you being a giggly teen-age girl," Harry reflected.

Ginny put her tongue out and made a face. "I'm not even much of a housewife, if I am honest. I'm perfectly happy to delegate most of the household tasks to the Elves. I was never very patient listening to some of the giggly witches at Hogwarts."

"You never read any of those teen-age romances?"

"I looked at some of them, but they were terrible. I usually tried to go right to the sex part, but they didn't tell you how to do it." Ginny gave Harry a rueful smile. "That is what is so strange about being a mother or mother figure to all those teen-age girls. In many ways they are more normal than I was, not fighting battles. Well, except for Cleo."

"When they went into the Chamber of Secrets it was Albus, Cleo and Scorpius, but not Rose," Harry remembered. "Rose did fight when the four were attacked in Hogsmeade, but other than that she seems to have missed some of the struggles the other three have had to go through."

"Rose has had her own struggles," Ginny remarked. "Some of her struggles are more female struggles, trying to find her place in the world."

Before they could say anything else, Harry received a Patronus from Nausicaa Scheria, the prophet in Switzerland. "We need you here As Soon As Possible," the Patronus said.

Kyle Lewis was still the second Auror in charge of guarding Harry, usually the one with second shift duties or available when Jim Shook was off duty. Harry called both Kyle and Dobedo and had them meet him at the Floo in the kitchen of twelve Grimmauld Place. They took the Floo to the Ministry, and then an International Floo to Switzerland, where a pair of Swiss Aurors were waiting for them. Harry was taken to a meeting room in the Regent's quarters, where Raphael Vaud, head of the Swiss Aurors, was waiting for him. They sat down at a moderate sized conference table.

Raphael told Harry, "The prophets are upset with some of the signs they are seeing, and we are aware of a significant number of suspicious beings, including Guts the Goblin and several beings from around K-2, the mountain where we think the Lord of the Dementors resides."

"Where are these beings?" Harry wondered.

"They seem to be heading towards England," Raphael replied. "They have not arrived yet, but they seem to be assembling. The prophets see a potential event happening tomorrow afternoon, focusing on your family, well, you and the Weasley family, plus Cleopatra. Are you doing anything special tomorrow afternoon?"

"Burying my brother-in-law, Charlie. We are worried about security, so we are having the gathering after the funeral at the Ministry and not at the Weasley home."