Tuesday, July 8th, 2014. 3:00 PM.

  Grimmauld Place, Borough of Islington, London, UK

  "Okay," said Harry, after a short break for tea and scones. "I'd say that brings the Scamanders up, and I am definitely anxious for their debrief. I'm hoping this will tie up a lot of loose ends!"

  Rolf waggled a hand, implying, maybe yes, maybe no.

  "Before we get to that, there is one loose end I need to address with my old friend and trusted companion, Rubeus Hagrid." Harry's smile was patently false. Hagrid shifted uneasily in his seat.

  Just like a kid, Harry thought, using his first name means he's in REAL trouble.

  Hagrid opened his mouth, only for Harry to hold up a hand. "Ron," Harry said. "You know what question I want to ask, and Neville informed me that you, in fact, already asked that question, and asked it in such an eloquent and concise manner, that few could best your performance. If you would be so kind?"

  Hagrid switched his gaze to Ron. Without actually moving, Ron seemed to swell in size and intensity.

  "Hagrid," he said mildly. "WHAT in the NAME of Merlin's Y-front drop-bottom LONG JOHNS did you think you were DOING on top of THAT BLOODY CAGE!?!" Ron's voice grew from a most reasonable tone, gradually and slowly, until he was BELLOWING like an elephant in Musth.

  Hagrid winced, but tried to put up a brave front. "Oi, ah, Oi had... orders. Orders from Harry, loike. Harry sent me... orders," he finished lamely.

  Harry looked at Ron. Ron looked at Harry. They both looked back at Hagrid.

  Harry pushed up his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes. Without opening them, he said, tightly, "Hagrid, do you happen to remember the exact wording of my orders?" When Hagrid hesitated, Harry went on, "If you don't, I'm sure Nienna does, since she took the orders from me, and delivered them to you."

  Nienna gave Hagrid a sympathetic look.

  The big man, stammering slightly, said, "Oi was ter find the highes' place Oi c'd see the whole fight from, an' reveal th' Light." He smiled weakly. "Roight?"

  Harry loosed his nose pinch, and let his glasses drop into place. Opening his eyes, looking at Hagrid, he said, softly, "That's fairly close. Only missing one word. One very little, very important word."

  "SAFE!" Harry shouted. It came out so loud, Harry thought he may have unknowingly cast Sonorous on himself. "The highest SAFE place! Did that place seem safe to you? They were right on top of you. Anything could have happened..." Harry broke off, mid-sentence, at a loss.

  Hagrid's eyes darted shiftily from side to side. "It wuz th' best place, Harry. Ain't nuthin' that lot c'd do that'd really hurt me. I wuz... fine..."

  Hagrid had finally looked up to meet Harry's gaze, only to see tears flowing freely down his cheeks. Without taking his eyes of the bearded face, Harry waved a hopeless, helpless hand.

  "Ron? Hermione? I..., I can't..., Please. Please make him under..." Harry's voice choked off in his throat.

  The pair moved to Hagrid's side. Hermione laid a hand on the giant shoulder, which she could only reach since Hagrid was sitting. Reaching across, she turned his face away from Harry, to look at herself and Ron.

  "Hagrid," she said in the softest voice he had ever heard from her. "You almost died."

  Hagrid shook his head slightly. "N-Nah, I..."

  "You almost DIED, Hagrid!" Ron snarled viciously. "Died! Dead! Gone! We almost lost you forever!" Hagrid sat back a little, eyes going wide.

  Hermione caught his gaze again. "You were kneeling in a pool of your own blood. A literal, three-inch deep pool. And you were still bleeding."

  "A lot," Ron added, slightly deflating. "A whole lot. From everywhere. And we couldn't help you. We couldn't get close to you, get through to you. You would have killed us. You did kill one of the enemy, we saw them carrying his body away. Just... just his body. You backhanded the bloody man's HEAD OFF!"

  Ron looked away, irritably reaching up and wiping tears from his own face. Looking back, he said quietly, "Hagrid, you almost killed Harry." Ignoring the growing look of horror, he pressed on, "He was coming in on his broom, coming in hot, only thinking of getting to you, helping you. He was dazed and spell-sick, ignoring everyone. Everyone but me. He..., I, no. We..." He looked into his wife's eyes as she, too, cried silently. "We trust each other. We trust each other more than we trust ourselves."

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  Looking back at Hagrid, Ron shook his head. "It's insane. But it's true. When I yelled at Harry to 'Pull Up'!" ...He pulled up. Immediately. No hesitation, no questions. Harry didn't even look at me. He. Pulled. Up."

  "And if he hadn't... he'd be dead. Your hand, your arm. Your full strength, which I don't think you even know yourself. Harry would have been blood and bits..."

  Ron leaned closer, raised his hand, and put his thumb and forefinger almost together. "See that space, Hagrid? You couldn't slide a razor blade into that space without cutting me. And that's how close you came to Harry."

  Hermione said, only a little thickly, "And if Harry had died, you would have died as well. Harry was the only one to think of using Direfang's magic to call you out of yourself, to bring you back."

  She slowly leaned forward, resting her cheek against his shoulder. "Hagrid, we love you so much. We don't want to think of losing you. And we almost lost you."

  Harry moved forward to Hagrid's other side, putting an arm across the great shoulder. Ginny tucked in under Harry's other arm.

  "You," she said fondly to Hagrid, "...are a bloody fool." She stared levelly into his beady black eyes. "Don't you ever do that to my husband again."

  Her eyes glittered with unshed tears. "Ever."

  ***

  "Attention to Orders," Harry said formally. "Immediately upon the conclusion of this meeting, you, Associate Auror Rubeus Hagrid, will report to Hannah Abbott Longbottom at The Leaky Cauldron. After no more than three beers...," Ginny scowled at him from beside Hagrid. Ah, "...three Hagrid-sized beers, you shall accompany Hannah to St. Mungo's. Whereupon she will perform, or have performed, every test and evaluation known to modern Magical Healing."

  Hagrid opened his mouth, probably to complain. Ginny backhanded him upside the head, as hard as she could. Hagrid shut his mouth.

  Harry went on. "Upon evaluation of said tests, Hannah will devise a short-term plan to treat your injuries, and a long-term plan to maintain, and, indeed, improve your long-term health."

  Hagrid side-eyed Ginny as he mumbled, "Nivir bin t' th' doctor in m' life."

  "About time, then, eh?" said Ginny.

  "I heard St. Mungo's don' like dealing wi' half-humans," he muttered, still keeping a wary eye out.

  "They will like dealing with me considerably less," snapped Hermoine. "Suck it up, Buttercup!"

  Ron snorted, grinning at his wife.

  ***

  "Well," Harry said to Rolf and Luna. "It's your show from here. What's up first?"

  "There is, of course, paperwork first," Rolf said, pulling a face. "Luna, it's probably better that you brief him. Less chance of, ah, misunderstandings."

  Harry looked quizzically at the pair. "You think Luna is more likely to make me understand?"

  Rolf shrugged. "Let's say I think it is less likely that you will want to punch Luna, once you do understand." Rolf noted the shocked look on Harry's face, and spoke hurriedly," "Welp, I'm off to talk to the pixies some more. Herbert! Bertram! Front and center, lads!"

  Luna placidly let it all slide off her armor of equanimity. "We need to talk somewhere private, Harry. Somewhere that's not inside your wards, but not where we could be observed or heard."

  Harry stopped gaping after Rolf, gave his head a little shake, and processed what Luna said. "Ah, there's the roof, I guess. All that protects it is a privacy spell, and an intruder alarm jinx."

  Luna nodded. "That sounds good. How do we get there?"

  "There's a fairly convoluted way to climb up there, but it's a pain." Harry mused. "Can't Side-Along from inside the wards. Hmm. We could... How's your tolerance for looking a bit undignified in a good cause?"

  Luna simply raised an eyebrow.

  "Yeah, stupid question." Harry dropped the Imperturbable Charm and called out, "Lily, Kreacher, doesn't one of the Passages go pretty directly from the kitchen to the roof? Kreacher, you mentioned using it to bring down my rain cloak, and that never takes you long."

  Kreacher looked at Lily, and they both looked at the clock. "That shouldn't be a problem. There's not any work being done in that section." Lily said. Sternly, she went on, "You'll have to crawl, of course, and you'll have to find another way back down. That passage is one-way until..., Kreacher?"

  "Three o'clock in the tomorrow morning, Mister Harry, Miss Luna."

  "Thanks, guys, we really appreciate it." Harry grinned. "As long as we don't get lost!"

  "Won't be a problem," Lily waved that aside. "Al, could you pass word...?"

  "Already on it!" echoed Al. All Harry could see was his feet, one being pulled on forcefully by Rose at the main hatch, the other sticking out the top, rotating slowly.

  "Great!" Harry said. "Where's the entrance?"

  Both Kreacher and Lily both gave Harry a pitying glance. Kreacher said, "Mister Harry must listen to Terms and magically agree to Disclaimer first."

  Harry was lost. "I... what?"

  "M.O.M. File, could you, please?" Lily smiled at the folder on the table.

  CERTAINLY, KIDS. AHEM... THE-INFORMATION-YOU-ARE-ABOUT-TO-RECEIVE-AND-THE-AREAS-YOU-ARE-ABOUT-TO-TRAVERSE-ARE-BOTH-SECRET-AND-THE-PROPRIETARY-PROPERTY-OF-THE-BRITISH-HOUSE-ELF-MUSEUM-AND-HISTORICAL-SOCIETY-(A-LIMITED-PARTNERSHIP)-AND-AS-SUCH-ARE-PROTECTED-UNDER-BRITISH-AND-WIZENGAMOT-LAW-YAH-DAH-YAH-DAH-YAH-DAH.

  Harry's slowly opening and closing mouth made him look like a not-particularly-bright goldfish.

  "Daddy," Lily said patiently. "You have to agree to the Terms."

  YEAH, said M.O.M. File. INDICATE ACCEPTANCE EITHER VERBALLY, BY DOING THE DANCE OF THE SUGAR PLUM FAIRY, OR BY SPELLING 'MANOEUVRE' THREE DIFFERENT WAYS IN THE SAME HALF-PAGE REPORT.

  "I, uh...gree?" Harry stammered.

  Luna smiled. "I agree also. Harry, you will need to bring M.O.M. File as well."

  "Sure," Harry picked up the folder and started to tuck it in his robe's built-in dimensional pocket."

  HEY, LEAVE A LITTLE OF MY COVER SHOWING. GOTTA SEE THIS, I HAVEN'T ACTUALLY BEEN IN THE PASSAGES YET.

  "This way, Mister Harry, Miss Luna," Kreacher said politely, leading them around to the section of table where Albus was working on the Protean Printer. "If Kreacher may suggest, would be better to bunch work robes behind backs and tie off. Easier to crawl. Maybe even make coat rack stop whinging about too much dirty laundry."

  There was a clattering sound from up in the hall.

  "Oh, bite Kreacher, oak-head," the house-elf said irritably. "Mister Harry, Miss Luna, start here. Close eyes, crawl forward under table for three... Miss Lily, what is unit of progress for crawling?"

  "Just have them count to three slowly," Lily advised. "The Passages aren't that pernickety."

  Obediently, Harry closed his eyes and started crawling. One. Two...