The Greatest Love, The Highest Sacrifice

Chapter 1 -- Return to Hogwarts

Draco Malfoy stood on Platform 9¾, desperately attempting to conceal his astonishment at the transformation before him. Ginny Weasley had undoubtedly benefited from the warm sun of the summer break; as had Elsie Norr. Draco's eyes darted between the two girls, who were excitedly exchanging holiday histories. His eyes glittered and his mouth thinned out in a bitter smile. Pity one was a Weasley and the other a Mudblood.

Strolling up to the two girls, he drawled out his own welcome. “Hello, Weasley. Still hanging around for Potter to leave Cho and notice you're alive?”

Ginny's eyes darted up to meet his in muted shock, and her face began to flame until it was the colour of the famous Weasley hair. Then, to Draco's surprise, her eyes hardened, and anger replaced the hurt that had been there. Fists clenched, she started towards Malfoy, only to be quickly grabbed by her companion.

“C'mon Ginny, let it go. You're just wasting your time if you think fighting will change anything”.

“Someday Malfoy, someday”, Ginny muttered rebelliously, although she let her friend restrain her.

“What, Weasley?” Malfoy sneered at her elegantly.

“Someday she's going to be pleased and surprised that you treat other people like human beings, Draco,” Elsie rejoined quietly. And totally unexpectedly.

Draco started back, caught between shock that she was being totally serious, and amazement that she had spoken without the slightest trace of dislike in her voice. If anything, she had sounded mildly disappointed in him. This was a phenomenon Draco was totally unused to. And he didn't like it at all. Taking refuge in the certainty of snidery, he quickly replied, “I don't think either of you could ever classify as humans. At least of the wizarding kind”. He looked at the impassive Elsie and wondered how to stir her as successfully as he had Ginny. He smiled as a sudden thought crossed his mind.

“Or is it that you're carrying a flame for Potter yourself” he sneered at Elsie.

Even Ginny was totally taken aback at the peals of laughter that erupted from Elsie at this moment. Draco's scowl darkened as she continued to laugh helplessly, and stalked away in disgust as tears started to flow from her face. Try as she might, it appeared that Elsie could not stop laughing -- though Ginny could not understand why Draco's jibe was quite so funny as her friend considered it to be.

Elsie was still calming down when Ron, Harry and Hermione came through to the Hogwarts platform from Kings Cross Station. The three of them were chatting happily together, the head girl badge shining brightly on Hermione's uniform and Ron's red hair glinting in the light as Ginny's did, but as they saw the still-fuming Ginny and Elsie with the evidence of tears on her face, their conversation ceased and they came running up.

“Ginny, whatever is the matter?” Ron cried as he reached the couple. His eyes sharpened as Ginny made an incoherent mumble, obviously speechless from a combination of rage and bewilderment. “It was Draco, wasn't it?” he asked shrewdly. “What did he say?”

Ginny glanced at Harry and reddened again. Although Ron and Harry were oblivious to this, Hermione was not, and made to say something, but before she was able, Elise began to laugh again.

“He said...”, she chuckled weakly, “he said I was carrying a flame for Harry,” and dissolved again into fits of laughter.

Harry chuckled himself, but couldn't help looking a little disappointed that Elsie found such a prospect so amusing. Like Draco, he had quickly noticed the change that had taken place in his classmate over the summer. Unlike Malfoy, however, Harry noticed that more had altered than just Elsie's looks. She seemed...different, somehow.

Ron was by this stage looking as furious as Ginny. “Why that inconsiderate prat! What right does he think he has to...” He fell off as a sudden thought occurred to him, and he brightened noticeably. He even started chuckling to himself.

Hermione rolled her eyes, wondering if Elsie was under the influence of a laughing spell that was somehow contagious. “What is it, Ron? Why are you laughing?”

“I was just thinking that he won't be able to push us around too much, what with there being an extra Weasley around this year.”

They all turned to him curiously, Elsie still shaking from her laughing fits, and Ginny's brow wrinkled with uncertainty.

“I just heard the news from Mum and Dad”, continued Ron, glancing apologetically to his little sister, who merely grimaced and motioned for him to keep going. “You know how we needed a new professor for Care of Magical Creatures? Well, we have one”. Here he paused, and swelled up with pride. “It's going to be Charlie”.

Ginny squealed with joy, Harry leapt up with a whoop of excitement and Hermione's eyes shone with anticipation. Only Elsie did not react as expected. Her laughing stopped completely, and she turned a pale shade of white. Going up to Ron she asked very slowly, in a low and shaking voice, “Did you just say that Charlie was teaching us Care of Magical Creatures?”

Ron nodded, puzzled.

“Your brother Charlie? I mean, the dragon-worker?” she insisted, and there was a terrible desperation in her voice.

Ron nodded again, and at this Elsie turned and boarded the train without another word, in a wretched kind of silence, leaving the other four deflated and confused.

“Now what's with her?” thought Harry aloud.

“No idea,” replied Ginny absently, looking after Elsie.

“Does she know Charlie?” asked Hermione, who obviously thought this was the cause of Elsie's unusual reaction, but could not determine why knowledge of the carefree Charlie could possible bother anyone.

“No idea,” said Ginny again. Then, shaking herself, she elaborated. “She's never met him as far as I know. I mean, she's never come over to our place, and Charlie's been living in Rumania for the last few years.” Ginny's eyes twinkled with mischief as she glanced over at her older brother. “You never invited her over, did you Ron?” she asked innocently.

Ron spluttered with shock, and then chuckled wryly -- until he met Hermione's warning eyes. “No, of course not,” he said hastily. He looked at the others, who were all watching him speculatively. “I mean, why would I have,” he asked plaintively.

Harry's eyes wandered to the carriage doors Elsie had just passed through. “I don't know”, he mused, almost to himself. “She has really changed this summer, don't you think?”

Hermione raised an eyebrow at Harry, which he reddened at the sight of. Ron pursed his lips in a silent whistle, and Ginny tried desperately not to look forlorn, at which she failed dismally. As per usual.

Harry, still red under the intent gaze of Hermione, ran his finger along his shirt collar in obvious discomfort. “Come on, we'd better get on the train,” he said quickly, scooping up his bags in a rapid action. “It's almost time to leave”. Noticing Elsie, it seemed, was not going to go unnoticed.

*

The four friends quickly found an empty carriage, and dumped their things on selected seats. As Hermione sat down, she looked at Harry, clearly still waiting for an explanation of his earlier statement. But it was not forthcoming, and after several moments she gave up, and turned the conversation to a discussion of what their classes would consist of this year. However, Ron and Harry wanted to delay a return to schoolwork for as long as possible, so the three began discussing Hogsmeade, and the trips they would be making throughout the year. Ginny, after placing her things in a seat close to her brother's, headed off to the other carriages to look for Elsie. Ron made sure she was gone before he turned and interrupted Harry and Hermione's conversation.

“I've got a funny feeling about this, you know,” he said darkly, jerking his thumb in the direction Ginny had departed. Harry looked at him blankly, uncertain of what his best friend meant. “Elsie,” Ron stated, with conscious emphasis. “You know, why she reacted the way she did.” He leaned back in his seat. “I've always thought there was a bit more to her than meets the eye. Especially,” and here he paused, leaning forward until the other two did the same, and a tight little circle was formed. “Especially since that incident with Sirius.”

Harry squirmed at this, but Hermione was not so easily convinced.

“Come on, Ron,” she said in an exasperated tone. “There was a perfectly good explanation for that. And she gave it to us. Sirius was a friend of her mother's and he was writing to see how she was at a new school where she knew hardly anyone, and had no friends at all. It was his error, not hers, that the letters were switched, remember?”

Harry's mind flew back to the morning in question. It had been half way through fifth year, and he had not received a letter from Sirius for several months. For the whole of the long and extremely frustrating holidays after his close shave with Voldemort, Harry had been confined to the Dursley's home. No Ron, no Hermione, and definitely no Sirius. He had been itching to spend time with his godfather all holidays, but it was not safe -- for either of them. Sirius had promised that when school went back he would write to Harry to arrange a meeting in Hogsmeade, when the fifth years had a free day. Even upon his return to Hogwarts, however, this had not been possible. Sirius was contact people for Dumbledore, and there had simply been too many things to be organised.

Finally, just after term break, he had received a letter bearing Sirius' distinctive seal. Tearing it open eagerly, positive that it contained the news he had been expecting for months on end, Harry had been stunned to see that it was not actually for him. It was addressed to Elsie, a quiet Gryffindor girl who had joined his grade at the beginning of the year. He could have sworn she had never even heard of Sirius Black before.

Sirius' letter to her had been short. Abrupt, and almost cryptic in its style, it was obviously designed to put anyone who noticed the signature off the idea that it was the famous Sirius Black who was the author. But Harry had received too many letters from his godfather to be fooled.

Norri (it had run),

Sorry about the delay. I did my best, but you know what things have been like. I'm meeting Harry at the next trip to Hogsmeade -- perhaps I could see you beforehand? Same place. We can continue the last discussion if you want, but I'm warning you that I haven't changed my opinion that mine is the greater claim.

Regards to your grandfather,

Sirius

Harry had barely had time to peruse the letter -- he had ignored the passing pang of guilt he had felt at reading Elsie's mail, allowing his indignation at her secrecy to override his nobler sentiments -- when she had appeared at his side, her eyes dark with worry and an identical letter in her hand. Sirius, it appeared, had crossed wires.

She had looked at him searchingly, her heart in her eyes as he passed her the letter he had mistakenly received. It was obvious he had read it, but she made no comment, and after handing over his own letter -- which was unopened, and bore his name on the front -- had actually made to leave without further explanation, until his words had stopped her in her tracks.

“It appears that you have certain...attachments that most of us were unaware of, Elsie,” he had said cuttingly, and Draco Malfoy's best sneer could not compare with his tone.

She had whirled around, her face white. “It's not what you think,” she had said in a low monotone. “He is, I mean he was, a friend of my family.”

Harry's mind flicked to the end of Sirius' letter. That much, at least, appeared to be true. But he noted her choice of tense....

“Was?” he had asked, and there was a terrible intensity in his voice.

At this, she had looked up, her eyes briefly meeting his own for the first time before they dropped back down again. She said nothing, and appeared to be contemplating his hands, which were idly toying with the letter she had given him.

“If I thought, for one moment, that you were doing anything to hurt Sirius. Anything to endanger him” -- here the hands clenched convulsively on the letter, and Elise flinched -- “I would make sure that every waking moment you spent at Hogwarts from this day to your last would be...unpleasant.” He had looked at her carefully, heard her denials and reassurances, seen the unshed tears and watched her tear out of the Great Hall without changing the unforgiving expression on his face, or allowing his iron determination to soften.

Ron and Hermione had watched the entire exchange without comment; Ron's face with the same icy visage as Harry's, Hermione with a trace of shock on hers. Neither of them had said anything after Elsie had disappeared, not even when Harry deigned to explain his actions.

“I've seen too many people who were important to me hurt,” he had said softly, his hands still clenching Sirius' letter. “I'm not going to let anyone hurt Sirius”.

He had spun around as the clapping had started, disconcerted by the obvious mockery contained within the solitary applause, but stunned when he was confronted with the sight of Ginny Weasley, a bitter smile on her lips and her eyes glinting with rage.

“Beautiful performance, Harry,” she had said, and the venom in her words cut like a knife. “Quite the avenging angel, aren't you? Only, you didn't give her a chance to explain herself”.

Here Ron had attempted to intervene, but his little sister had whirled on him. “Shut up, Ron,” she had hissed, her rage fairly flashing from her eyes. “He needs to hear this”. She had turned back to Harry, who was clearly already having second thoughts about his actions.

“Did it ever occur to you”, she asked, “that it was Sirius who wrote Norri that letter? That it was Sirius who wanted to meet with her? Did you ever stop to think that if anyone was careful about who they knew, or what they did, it would be Sirius? Did you ever consider,” and here her voice grew heavy with scorn, “that you might not be the only one without a family, that its not just you who needs the support Sirius can give?”

Harry's head shot up at this, his eyes filled with pain, but if Ginny noticed at all, she paid no attention whatsoever.

“I had thought you would be able to see past yourself more than this. But the way you treated Norri was no better than the way Draco Malfoy acts”. As Ginny stopped for breath, Harry could not help by open his mouth in protest, but she would have none of it. “In fact, it was worse than Draco -- because we all know that you know better”.

Here her gaze extended to Hermione and Ron. “You all know better. And you all -- all -- owe her an apology”. With that, she had stormed out of the Hall, leaving a thoroughly chastised trio behind her.

Ginny had never told any of them that she had been unable to find Norri in the Gryffindor common room, or in the library, or anywhere in Hogwarts. Nor had she mentioned that on her way to Hogsmeade -- still on the lookout for her best friend -- she had noticed Sirius comforting an extremely pretty but rather distraught young woman, a young woman who seemed strangely familiar. She had not alerted them to her presence, interested only in finding Elsie, but she had not been able to resist watching them for a few moments; long enough for it to be perfectly clear to her that although Harry's godfather desperately wanted to present him with a godmother, the lady in question was either unwilling and/or totally oblivious to his feelings for her.

It had taken Ginny the better part of two hours to finally find Elsie, buried in the depths of the bookshop. Her best friend looked tired, and had obviously been crying, but she had smiled warmly at Ginny, and clearly had no grudges against Harry or the others. When Ginny had told her of her own confrontation, Elsie had smiled gratefully and hugged her, but she had made it clear that was not really offended by Harry's reaction. “If I was in his position”, she had said quietly, “I would be exactly the same”.

And when Harry had come up, while the two of them were choosing sweets in Weasleys' Weirds and Wonders, it was evident that no hard feelings were kept. She had laughed at his red-faced apology, brushed off Ron and Hermione's attempts to do the same, and smoothed over the general reconciliation process with such tact that all of them felt they were years younger than she was. And that, so far, had been the end of it.

At Ron's veiled suggestion, it was therefore not surprising that both Harry and Hermione reacted with disgust.

“Honestly, Ron,” Hermione had said, “he's like family to her. We've already been through all this. Get it through that thick carrot-top of yours once and for all, OK?”

Ron had bristled at this. “I never said I thought she was shady,” he said defensively. “I just think that its clear she obviously lost her family in extremely painful circumstances, and it still hurts”.

“And?” Hermione had retorted, obviously becoming more and more frustrated with the spiraling direction of the conversation.

“And maybe it has something to do with dragons,” Ron shot back. “Look,” he argued as she rolled her eyes, “we know she has no family except her grandfather, right?” They both nodded. “And we know she went white when I mentioned Charlie was the new professor of Magical Creatures”. They nodded again. “So, it stands to reason that, considering Charlie's background, we'll probably be studying dragons this year, and...”

“Considering her reaction,” Harry concluded, “maybe her families death had something to do with dragons Ron, I think that's perfect reasoning”. Ron sat back, nodding in a satisfied manner.

“So do I,” added Hermione unexpectedly. “But it means that we'll have to be very careful in class, make sure that Charlie doesn't ask her too much or anything”.

Harry agreed. “And we can't make her uncomfortable around us, either. So we can't let on that we know about it...”

“Not let on that you know about what?” said Elsie coolly as she stepped into the carriage with Ginny close behind her. She seemed completely calm, but her eyes darted quickly to each of the trio as they shifted in their seats. Ron was the first one to break.

“About your family. And -- and dragons,” he blurted out, earning a glare from Hermione as he did so.

“About what?” asked Elsie, and the confusion was evident in the tone of her voice.

Hermione sighed softly. “Norri,” she said, “we figured that the reason you reacted so badly to Ron's news was because it means we'll be studying dragons this year. And we thought --” Ron coughed and Hermione corrected herself -- “Ron thought that maybe your family... and dragons, well...”

Elsie looked at each of them in turn, understanding gradually dawning in her eyes. She cleared her throat as if to say something, but Harry quickly forestalled her.

“Norri, you don't have to talk about it, if you don't want to,” he said, and the sincerity in his voice was almost tangible. “We all understand.”

“Thanks,” Elsie replied, her voice muffled by emotions impossible to define. “I'd rather not, if that's all right”.

There was a lengthy silence, and then the five of them all started talking simultaneously -- about N.E.W.T.s, Quidditch, final subjects, Hogsmeade, and all the normal things that sixth and seventh year students discussed. The time flew by as the Hogwarts Express made its way across England, and before they knew the train began to slow. Looking out of their carriage, they were surprised to see that they were almost at their destination.

“And without a single interruption from Malfoy and co.” moaned Ron, dramatically sinking back in his seat with one hand to his forehead. “What a loss to posterity”.

“I wouldn't speak too soon if I were you, Weasley,” drawled a voice that was unmistakably Draco's from the carriage doorway. The five turned to see him leaning against the entrance to the carriage, with Crabbe and Goyle inevitably just behind him.

Ron moaned again, in earnest this time, and then stood up in protest as Draco advanced into the carriage. “Tradition's met, Malfoy,” he declared coldly. “Was there anything else you wanted?”

Draco shrugged his shoulders eloquently. “Just wanted to offer my congratulations on your brother's new position”. Ron's eyes narrowed as he took this in. they all knew something else must be coming -- there was no way Draco would ever compliment a Weasley.

Sure enough, he continued, raising one eyebrow as he calmly stated, “I must admit I was wondering how your parents were going to afford for the two of you to finish at Hogwarts. What with your father's dismissal and all”.

Draco knew, better than anyone else, how is own father had engineered for Arthur Weasley to be dismissed from his position in the Ministry of Magic the year before. Cornelius Fudge had been forced to take an extended break from his position as Chief Minister due to health problems, and Lucius Malfoy had been appointed in his stead. Draco's father had made full use of the opportunity, and several valuable employees had been summarily fired in a key period marking dramatic increases in Voldemort's activities throughout wizarding society. Arthur Weasley's name had been the first on the retrenchment list, and despite the fact that he -- and all the others who had been fired with him -- had been reinstated as soon as Fudge returned, Draco was obviously still reveling in the whole sordid affair.

The moment his statement left Draco's mouth, Harry, Hermione and Elsie knew they had disaster on their hands. There was a second of awful silence, and then utter pandemonium -- both Ron and Ginny leapt for their wands, while the other three futilely attempted to intervene. Draco watched the scene before him with the smug satisfaction of a cat that has trapped its mouse all too easily.

Moments later the smirk had been wiped off his face, to be replaced by a look of sick uncertainty. On the other side of the carriage, too, the chaos that had reigned was transformed to total silence. The only sound to be heard was the wheels of the Hogwarts Express, still revolving, but noticeably slowing down.

The cause of the sudden cessation of noise was the appearance of the new professor in question. Crabbe and Goyle were obscured behind the towering wrath of Charlie Weasley, who was clearly visible to all. From the shock in Ron and Ginny's faces, it was evident that they had never seen him so angry. Hermione started at him fearfully, obviously expecting an outburst of the famous Weasley temper. Harry would not look at him, but kept his gaze -- and his hands -- firmly on Ron's shoulders, to stop his best friend from doing anything rash. Elsie, confusingly, was staring at Charlie as if she had seen a ghost. But only Ginny noticed this, and her attention was quickly drawn back to her brother.

Charlie was seething with anger, and Harry could not help but thinking that he had never looked more like one of the dragons he worked with. When he spoke, however, his voice was perilously calm.

“Mr. Malfoy,” he said, and Draco flinched involuntarily, “I will choose to ignore what I just heard. I would hate to commence giving detentions before we even arrived at school”. He paused, and looked hard at Draco before continuing. “Besides, I would hate to follow the bad precedent of using my professional position to pursue personal vendettas”.

Draco's face flamed red with fury and humiliation. If Charlie noticed, he gave no sign. He merely glanced down at Draco and said in a bored tone, “You're dismissed”. When Draco made no move to leave, his gaze hardened, and in a perfect imitation of Professor Snape, he barked “Now, Malfoy!” At which Draco promptly disappeared, his face still burning, with Crabbe and Goyle at his heels.

Charlie turned and considered the five remaining occupants of the carriage, who continued to state at him in shock. His eyes softened as he looked at Ginny, and he walked over to her and ruffled her hair. “Don't worry, Ginn,” he said to her softly.

“I'm not,” she replied in an undertone, still staring at him blindly.

Ron expressed her ideas more lucidly. “Charlie,” he said in what was almost a whisper, “that was totally awesome!”

Charlie looked at him, the corner of his mouth twitching, and then he burst out laughing. The tension lifted, and all the others joined him, roaring with laughter over what had just occurred. Almost all of them, that is. Charlie paused in his laughter to consider Elsie, who was regarding him with a puzzled expression, her hands clenching the seat in front of her.

“Sorry,” he said to her, extending a hand. “I don't believe we've met. I'm Charlie Weasley, elder brother of those two back there”. He jerked his other hand back at Ron and Ginny. “I'm teaching Care of Magical Creatures this year”.

Elsie took his hand limply in her own, and smiled at him uncertainly. Despite an obvious effort to look relaxed, her smile was strained. “I'm Elsie,” she replied. “Elsie Norr”.

“More commonly known as Norri,” added Ron from behind. Only Ginny saw Charlie's hand clench reflexively at this, but she made no comment when her brother dropped Elsie's hand as if he had been stung. She looked at her friend, but Elsie was staring at Charlie impassively, and did not seem to be aware of what had happened. Charlie smiled tightly at Elsie, and Ginny rushed to fill the breach.

“I know I've mentioned her to you heaps of times before, Charlie,” she said hurriedly. “You know, the girl in Ron's class who offered to help me with Potions and became my best friend?”

Charlie smiled at his little sister. “Ah, yes,” he said, and relaxed. “Miss Norr, I believe you hold the honour of being the only Gryffindor student never to have points deducted by Professor Snape?” Elsie nodded warily, and he grinned at her. “My congratulations. As an old Gryffindor man myself, I'll know who to call on if I need intercessors. If that's all right, Miss Norr?”

She nodded again, and gave him another small smile. “Please, call me Elsie,” she offered. Ron, Harry and Hermione looked hurt at this, conscious that she had failed to offer the nickname she more commonly went by. Professor or not, Charlie was a Weasley. But Ginny and Charlie both looked somewhat relieved.

When Charlie left some moments later, Ginny forestalled any comments the others could make. “Thanks, Norri,” she had said softly. “I don't know how you knew it would make him uncomfortable...”she shrugged her shoulders helplessly. “He was engaged for a while. Almost four years ago now -- I can hardly remember her. Her name was Elinor”. She gazed in the direction Charlie had gone with concern. “I think he's still totally in love with her”, she added even more quietly.

There was a choking noise from Elsie's direction, and when Ginny looked over, she saw her friend also staring after Charlie, her eyes filled with tears. “That is so sad,” she whispered, almost to herself. Ginny nodded, and Elsie looked away, determined that her friend would not notice that the hopeless look she saw in Charlie's eyes was mirrored completely in her own.