Disclaimer: All HP characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies - this is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites.
Summary: Harry, Ron, and Hermione have the run of #4 Privet Drive when the Dursley's leave town for an open ended trip. Content to be away from his overbearing relatives, Harry introduces Ron to the joys of Dudley's computer and this thing called the internet.
AN: I'm sorry this last chapter took so long to post. I'd originally planned to have it up over the weekend when I answered reviews, but came down sick with the flu and am only just feeling well enough to spend a few minutes in front of the computer non related to work. Reviews will be answered right after this is up. This story was originally written in response to a challenge by Pureblood Muggle SAYS and originally posted on. I hope you enjoy the story. – Jenn
Epilogue: Apologies, Letters, and Laughter
Harry sat staring at the computer screen without really seeing any of the words or graphics that covered the page that still sat open. His forehead was wrinkled in a combination of pain and frustration as the rise and fall of arguing voices drifted in through the partially closed door. Every so often he'd catch a few of the words that were flying back and forth, but for the most part it was all an unintelligible roar that raged in the background sometimes distracting his thoughts.
"…can't you… between fact and fiction…?"
"Malfoy? Don't… you… even know…!"
"Why… can't you think… rude…"
Shaking his head Harry pulled off his glasses and ran a hand over his face in an effort to scrub away the confusion and helplessness that threatened to drown him. After a few minutes, he dropped his hands and glanced at the bright blur that represented the monitor and felt the pressure of the prophecy and missing horcruxes weighing down on him – even as the angry voices continued bickering somewhere down the hall.
"What about… Lavender, why… tell Harry, and… blurt…?"
"He didn't… spare him… enough to worry about…"
"Oh, that's rich… original… why can't you…?"
"Ginny… trouble she can't… blasted…!"
"Don't… owl… only make… worse! Well… blame me!"
Harry shook his head and put his glasses back on before turning to the window in time to see the wings of a small owl fluttering away from the house, the tiny bird burdened with a letter that was almost large enough to unbalance it completely. Harry snorted, suspecting the contents of the letter based upon his argument with Ron coupled with the few snatches of the quarrel he'd overheard. Knowing that the situation was quickly escalating out of hand, Harry turned back towards the computer and shut it down. He regretted ever suggesting searching the internet for information, and knew that Hermione would eventually find an opportunity to point out the fact that she'd been against the entire thing right from the beginning.
With a resigned sigh, he reached down, picked up one of the books that Hermione had brought with her from Grimmauld Place, and began searching through it for any information that would help him locate and destroy the remaining horcruxes. The heated argument going on in the other room continued sporadically – a slightly distracting, and annoying, back-drop for Harry's research.
"You… have no right!"
"… think… a minute… funny way… showing it!"
"What… saying… how… mean?"
Harry shook his head, closed the book, and placed it on the desk with exaggerated care as he flicked a nervous glance towards the door. They are picking up steam, he thought to himself as he rose to his feet and took a tentative step towards the door. He hesitated briefly, throwing a nervous glance over his shoulder at the now blank monitor, before he bravely hurried to the door and flung it the rest of the way open.
Ron and Hermione were caught off guard as the door crashed open and swung back to hit Harry in the back, knocking him forward into the hall where he tripped over Ron's foot and fell to the floor. Hermione quickly pulled out her wand, crouched protectively over Harry's moaning form and held it at the ready, thinking that someone had attacked Harry. Ron just stood there staring dumbly at Harry lying pathetically on the floor with a confused expression on his face.
A sudden flutter of flapping wings drew all three teens' eyes as an owl flew towards the trio. Ron moaned and gave a quiet whimper as he caught sight of the red parchment the owl carried in its beak. He whimpered a second time when the owl dropped the scarlet letter at his feet and flew away. Smoke seeped from the edges of the envelope and curled lazily into the air as Ron took a single step backwards – the expression on his face terrified.
"You'd better open it, Ron," Hermione announced calmly as she lowered her wand and stared at the smoking letter.
"It's a howler!" Ron gasped as he backed even further away from letter.
"It's no less then you deserved," Hermione remarked scathingly as she glared over at him. "I told you not to send Ginny that letter!"
Ron whimpered again in reply as the smoking howler exploded with a screech and the magnified voice of an irate Ginny Weasley filled the entire house.
"How dare you ask me such a question Ronald Weasley!?" Ginny's voice roared. "I don't care if you are my brother, if you ever ask me such a thing again I will personally hex you so thoroughly that you will wish you'd never been born!"
Ron paled considerably, and he swallowed a nervous groan at the thought of being on the receiving end of one of his sister's curses. Hermione simply crossed her arms and glared at him with a half triumphant smirk that said 'I told you so.' Harry though, wasn't sure if he should be as worried as Ron or if he should laugh as the howler burst into a thousand pieces and fluttered to the floor, Ginny's final words still echoing down the hall. In the end, Harry gave into his desire to laugh, and he started chuckling – softly at first, but growing louder as Ron's face went from green to red in embarrassment.
"I… er… am sorry I jumped to conclusions," Ron sputtered out a heartbeat later.
"Don't worry about it mate," Harry graciously countered, his laughter still bubbling up as he grinned at his best friend. "But, um, you're going to have to face your sister on your own. You know that right?"
Ron paled even more and looked as if he was going to be sick at the thought of facing his sister now. Hermione shook her head when he looked over towards her and he buried his head in his hands and groaned softly.
Several hours later the three of them could be found tucked up in Harry's room pouring over three of the thickest books that Hermione had brought with her – searching through the dusty volumes and taking notes on possible horcruxes and their locations as well as on the possible types of protection spells that Voldemort might have placed on the objects in order to protect them.
By the time supper rolled around, they were comparing notes and marking down points of reference on a large map of England that the Order had loaned to them. When it became apparent that a pattern was emerging, they quickly gathered up the scattered parchments and packed their belongings before slipping out the backdoor. Ten minutes later, they were hurtling through random villages as the knight bus jumped from town to town - hanging on for dear life as they waited for the bus to take them to London where they'd meet up with several Order members before setting out after the remaining horcruxes.
In the back of Harry's mind, the revelation that the wizarding world wasn't as secret as they'd always believed danced in and out of his thoughts as he sped towards his destiny.
* * * THE END * * *