MetaFic

Harry Potter cursed soundly and hung on for dear life.

He would have found the situation funny except for the whole bit about plummeting to his death on the rocks below. He should have known the rusted old railing of the abandoned lighthouse was too weak to hold his weight, but he had leaned up against it anyway.

Gritting his teeth, he swung his left hand up, barely grabbing the broken piece of railing. He took a second to set himself, getting his right foot wedged properly into a crack in the lighthouse's exterior.

Harry actually laughed. All these years of Voldemort trying to kill him, and he was about to die of his own stupidity on his first day of freedom. Harry smiled, closed his eyes, and reached with his left hand while pushing up with his right leg. He got a grip on the ledge. He felt a little more secure now, so reached into his back pocket and withdrew his wand. He looked at the long drop below.

He stepped off.

The levitation spell took effect halfway down the building. Harry guided himself softly to the ground and then collapsed, shaking and shivering, and not just from the cold spray of the North Atlantic Ocean. After nearly ten minutes, he stood and re-entered the Lightkeeper’s cottage, which he had made as snug as possible.

He made the fire up brighter and pulled off his wet clothing, hanging them up to dry near the hearth. Getting into something dry, he rummaged through his supplies, picked out a cold breakfast, and settled down with one of the books he had purchased recently. There were some interesting spells that were powered by various emotions, but so far what Harry sought had eluded him.

He read for several minutes, and then he stood and looked out the grimy window. There was a storm coming. That was why Harry had been on the lighthouse walk to begin with; he had wanted to watch the storm roll in.

Stupid railing, he thought to himself. Harry sat down, picked up his book, and started reading again.

***
"It seems that young Harry has found a way to circumvent the tracking charms we placed on him," Dumbledore told the assembled Order. "I've have always found the boy highly resourceful, but I must admit to surprise at this turn of events."

"Headmaster, I must stress that I have warned you in the past about Potter's attention-seeking ways and his disregard for authority. It is obvious that the boy embodies the absolute worst traits of his father," Severus Snape said, looking both sour and somehow gleeful.

Molly Weasley glared daggers at the Potions Master. "This isn't the time for your stupid animosity. We need to find Harry."

Snape turned to the Weasley matron and opened his mouth, a nasty gleam in his eyes. Before he could speak, his eyes rolled up, and he slumped forward on the table, nose first.

"Was that really necessary, Alastor?" Dumbledore asked Mad-Eye Moody, who was standing behind Snape with his wand out.

"Yes, I think it was. If all he wants to do is mistreat the boy and vent his own bile, then we don't need his input." Moody stumped to a seat across from Snape and kept his wand trained on him.

"Well," Dumbledore said, trying hard not to smile, "I have spoken with his aunt and uncle–"

Molly Weasley hissed under her breath.

"–and Vernon Dursley tells me that Harry found a way to leave, voluntarily, and still keep the blood protection on his Aunt's home. Harry's uncle also expressed his desire to never see Harry again, a desire he claims is also held by Harry himself.”

"I told you he should have come home with us," Molly Weasley ground out between gritted teeth. "Harry needs people who care about him, not those — those– people."

"Molly," Arthur Weasley said softly.

"Indeed, I would have also preferred that Harry be allowed to accompany his friends home for the summer, but there are reasons that he needs to stay in his aunt's home for a few weeks every year."

Remus Lupin shifted in his chair. "Well, it seems that it doesn't matter what we want; Harry has taken matters into his own hands."

"We need to find that boy before the Death Eaters," Moody growled.

"I have to say he's done a good job of hiding out," Kingsley Shacklebolt said. "The underage magic detectors have been quiet. Either he's not doing magic, or he's found a way to mask his spells."

"I'm afraid, Headmaster," Molly said. "I'm afraid he means not to come back. He left Hedwig with Ginny." She let the implication hang in the air.

"Harry loves that owl," Lupin muttered. Nymphadora Tonks, sitting next to him, placed a reassuring hand on his arm.

"Could we send him an owl post and follow the owl?" Bill Weasley asked.

Dumbledore considered for a few minutes. "Perhaps. If the owl were a bit slow and we sent our fastest flyers."

"Errol," all the Weasleys chimed up at once.

Dumbledore looked around the room. "Very well. We shall meet at the Burrow. I would suggest we send Miss Tonks and the two oldest Weasley brothers."

"You think that will be enough?" Moody said, looking at the three flyers in question.

"Yes," Dumbledore said. "This is a mission requiring speed and finesse."

The collected Order of the Phoenix, minus the still unconscious Severus Snape, stood and left for the Burrow.

***
Fleur Delacour peered over her teacup at Ginny Weasley, who was propped up by her pillows on her bed with Hedwig sitting on the headboard, watching intently.

"She is a beautiful owl," Fleur said, looking at Hedwig, who promptly ruffled and preened.

Ginny had showered and changed into muggle jeans and a ratty old tee-shirt she had nicked from her brother Bill years ago. Ginny squirmed under the French girl's gaze. "She belongs to Harry. He asked me to take care of her until he returns."

"If you do not wish to discuss it, I shall not press, but I would suggest that having someone to tell might be a relief."

"I'm just not, you know, comfortable talking about Harry."

Fleur nodded. "Of course not. It is a hard thing, being bonded, especially when one is so young."

Ginny sipped her tea and frowned. "Why do you think I'm bonded to Harry?"

"It is an ability we Veela have, to see magical auras. To me your bond with 'Arry is as plain as the paint on your wall." Fleur smiled tightly. "We do not go around telling others about our gift."

"I can understand why."

"And I know what to look for, having the bond myself," Fleur continued.

Ginny grinned. "Your English does seem very much improved."

Fleur looked at Ginny with a straight face. "William, he is a very good teacher."

Ginny held up a hand, laughing. "Okay, there are some things about my brother I just don't want to know."

Fleur smiled. "Also, I knew 'Arry was for someone special when I met him. He did not, if you will, react as strongly as most males do around me. Even when I exerted my charm."

Ginny giggled, thinking about how most males reacted to Fleur, especially when she exerted herself.

"So," Fleur continued, "when did it happen?"

"He saved my life."

"The Chamber of Secrets?"

Ginny gave Fleur a sharp look.

"William told me a little about it. So Harry saved your life?"

"Yes," Ginny whispered, turning her eyes down. "I have a life debt to Harry."

"Mmm," Fleur said. "I think perhaps that could have strengthened it, but this bond goes deeper than a mere life debt."

Ginny's eyes shot up at Fleur. She had just acted like a life debt was something trivial. Fleur seemed to understand what Ginny was thinking.

"Compared to the bonding, a life debt is as nothing."

"Oh," Ginny said in a small voice. "Are you sure about this?"

"Tell me, have you ever found yourself rushing to his defense? Or feeling what he is feeling? Perhaps you can sense when 'Arry is in danger, or distressed?" Fleur asked softly. She set her teacup down and moved to sit beside Ginny. "Please, I understand how the bond can make you act. I would help you make sense of it, if you will trust me."

Ginny took a deep breath and nodded her head. "From the moment I saw him in person I started feeling something. And then when we were at Flourish and Blotts before my first year, and Malfoy came up to him–"

"You felt the need to defend him." Fleur made it a statement.

Ginny sniffed back a tear and nodded. "After the third task, when he was captured, I knew! I just knew, but no one would listen to me!" Ginny reached for a handkerchief and blew her nose. "I thought I was going mad. I promised myself that I'd stay away from Harry after that. I told myself he didn't need me."

Fleur frowned. "Why?"

"Because he didn't. I don't think he even knows I'm alive sometimes."

"Ah," the half-veela said. "The bond has not yet awoken in him."

Ginny sniffed and shrugged.

There were several soft pops and the muted roar of the fireplace downstairs, followed by many voices.

"You should go down," Ginny said.

Fleur looked down at the petite redhead sitting next to her. Yes, Fleur decided, Ginny would make a wonderful sister-in-law, and Harry would make her a good spouse, someday. "In a moment," she replied. "I think I know why this is, why Harry is not feeling the bond yet. Would you like to hear my thoughts?"

Ginny shrugged.

Fleur took that to be a yes. "I think, from what I have heard from William, that no one has ever shown 'Arry affection, so he does not understand it. I think also that he is so focused on his destiny with the Dark Lord that he fails to notice things right under his nose. But," Fleur continued, putting an arm around Ginny, "I also think he feels the bond on some level. He left you his owl, yes?"

"Yes," Ginny whispered, "and his Quidditch broom."

Fleur's eyebrows arched in surprise. "These are two of the most important things in his life, and he gives them to you."

Ginny stopped sniffling and thought about what Fleur had said. "Do you think it means something?"

"Of course it does."

"This morning, I was so sick, and I just knew something was wrong with Harry. I wanted to tell someone, but mother and father just keep telling me I'm being silly."

"I will talk to them, if you wish."

Before Ginny could answer, there came the sharp tap of an owl on her window. Fleur opened the window and Errol flew in, carrying a letter addressed to Harry. Outside the window, hovering on brooms and looking confused, were Bill, Charlie, and Tonks.