Bill read the latest letter from the bank with a sigh. He needed to get back to work, but his House was in shambles. Arthur was barely functioning, wandering the rooms like a ghost. Ginny was staying with the healers until the memory charms could be countered, which could take months of treatment. At least she seemed to be showing improvement. She’d always been the fighter of the siblings and, while struggling with their mother’s betrayal, was determined to come home and help.

Ron flat-out refused more treatment after the last round left him with horrible headaches for over a week. He’d ignored all the tasks and assignments they’d tried to give him to keep him up with his classes. Even trying to get him to help around the house was ignored since they had house elves to do that. Bill was close to kicking the idiot in the rear if he didn’t start making an effort soon.

“How was the new alley?” Bill asked as Charlie ducked through the fireplace in a whirl of green fire.

“Amazing, the twins are looking at opening a shop there once things calm down a bit. I’m tempted to go in with the leather worker. He works exclusively in magical hides and sources them from only keepers who take the hides of natural deaths.”

“Sounds wonderful, did you find everything?”

“Everything and more,” he said, unloading his pockets and starting to un-shrink packages, “I got all of the school books and a few more for reference. Did you talk to the elves?”

“They don’t like it, but they won’t be cleaning anything of Ron’s starting tomorrow. His room, bathroom, and anything he wrecks is on him.”

“He’s almost seventeen, by then, I was working odd jobs and trying to get an apprenticeship. You were already working at the bank by then, weren’t you?”

“Yeah, he just seems to assume everything is going to be given to him without any cost. I just don’t understand it.”

“Our parents spoiled him, even without the spells and potions she gave him, he was always allowed to do what he wanted. I think the only time he got in trouble was when he stole the car to get to Hogwarts. Even then, he was just scolded and given detention. He never was punished once he got home.”

“It was later that year, they probably just let it go.”

“Perhaps, I just don’t know where his head is.”

“Some of it’s the damage from the Ministry. We just have to hope he evens out with further treatment.”

“He hasn’t even asked how Ginny is doing; it’s like he doesn’t care about anything but himself.”

“I was thinking he could go back to work with me. He won’t get any special treatment on the reserve, and it’s hard work.” Charlie offered.

“You don’t think it’s too dangerous?”

“Not if he stays in the camps. I can tutor him in the evenings, and most of the trainers work in shifts, so someone would always be around to keep an eye on him.” Charlie said with a shrug.

“It has to be his choice; I don’t want him thinking we forced him into anything.”

“What would be my choice?” Ron asked, wandering in with a yawn, “When is dinner?”

“Another hour or so,” Charlie said, looking over his disheveled younger brother, “Did you just get up?”

“Not exactly a lot to do here,” Ron said with an uncaring shrug.

“We were just discussing some options for when we both go back to work. Would you like to go to the reserve with Charlie?”

“Could I?” Ron asked, perking up slightly.

“Yes, but it would mean not scrimping out on the therapy sessions. You need to be fit to help out if you’re going.”

“But it isn’t helping, all it does is make my head hurt!” Ron whined, slumping into a chair at the table.

“The healers said it might hurt for a few sessions before things settled down, the next few sessions should be better.”

“Would I be allowed to help with the dragons?”

“If you do your school assignments and get them turned in on time.” Charlie said, “Plus, you’ll have tasks to do at the reserve. This won’t be a vacation.”

“What would it be then?”

“A trial run, if you enjoy it, I’ll ask one of the trainers to take you on as an apprentice when you turn eighteen or graduate.”

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“You’re going to make me do seventh year?” Ron asked, looking between the two with a scowl.

“If you don’t make enough owls this year, yes.” Bill said with a sigh, “You need to decide what you want to do after school soon. If the reserve doesn’t work, the twins are willing to let you work at one of their shops, but it will be up to you to decide.”

“What if I don’t want to do any of that?”

“Then you need to decide what you do want to do.” Bill said flatly, “Quidditch isn’t going to be an option with you out of school the rest of the year unless you want to redo your sixth year.”

“You don’t have to decide today; just think about it,” Charlie added when Ron looked ready to object.

“What does Dad think?” Ron asked, eying both of them with suspicion.

“We can ask him after dinner,” Bill said, hoping his father was together enough to even follow the conversation, he’d had little to do with the family since the reveal of their mother’s betrayals.

“It doesn’t matter what Dad, Bill, or I think about it. You need to decide what you want to do.” Charlie said firmly, “If you aren’t sure, you can try one or the other, but you can’t just show up at the reserve and quit after a few days. You need to stick it out for at least a year, no matter what you pick.”

“A year?!” Ron bleated.

“If you are honestly miserable, we can talk about options again in six months. Otherwise, it’s finding a new boarding school or tutor for your seventh year along with a part-time job.”

“Why a job if I’m in school?”

“Because you don’t need to be sitting around the house. Ginny’s treatments are expensive, and without the bank’s help, we would have lost the Barrow already,” Bill said flatly, it was only because of him working for the goblins and Harry’s silent support that they had any funds at all.

“Really?”

“Money is going to be tight for a while. All of us are going to have to work, even Ginny, once she comes home.”

“What will she do?”

“She wants to work in the new Alley when it opens.”

“Oh,” Ron said, flinching when a house elf popped in to announce dinner, “Want me to go get, Dad?”

“That would be great,” Bill said with a nod, sharing a relieved look with Charlie, maybe things weren’t as hopeless as they’d feared.

****

One of the newer members of DA lingered after the last session, waiting as Hermione and Harry dismantled the wards they’d placed in the room. She was a small girl in their year from Hufflepuff, but not someone he remembered seeing about much, long brown hair and pale blue eyes should have made her beautiful, but somehow she seemed to blend into the background with the other students a bit too easily.

“Something you need?” Harry asked, trying to remember the Hufflepuff’s name, he needed to start talking more with the other houses. It was hard to network with people when they were either avoiding him or thought he was crazy.

“Harry, this is Irene Denholm, I don’t think you two have met yet,” Hermione said with a grin, knowing how frustrated he got trying to remember names.

“I was just wondering if I could ask a few questions about the lessons for the next few weeks?” Irene said shyly, not meeting their eyes.

“Of course, do you feel something needs to be changed?”

“No, the practice is wonderful, but I feel like I’m falling behind in Defense even with all the help from the club. Will we be reviewing anything from class?”

“No,” Harry said, shaking his head but staying firm, “The club is meant to help you in real life if you are ever attacked, not to help with school work.”

“Some of the older students said it started as a way to learn Defense when the teacher was refusing to teach certain spells.”

“That is correct, but since we have a mostly competent teacher this year, we are using the club to help learn skills you can use to keep yourself safe.”

“Isn’t that what Defense is meant to be?” Irene asked, “Professor Richmond seems to focus mostly on dueling and spell casting while here we’ve been learning wards and how to dodge. Couldn’t we incorporate some of what we are learning in Defense as well?”

“She has a point, Harry. Richmond isn’t giving classes much time for practice. His class is nearly all demonstration with the occasional one-sided duel.” Hermione put in, earning her a small glare; he was trying to set boundaries here.

“Let us discuss it, and I’ll see if we can add a few practice sessions on dueling beyond the stinging spells we’ve already been practicing. We might want to have a teacher present if we do, with my luck, someone is going to start throwing spells around like an idiot, and someone will get hit.”

“We would need something like a warded dueling platform to protect the spectators.” Hermione mused, “Thank you for the suggestion, Irene.”

“Yes, it is a good idea.” Harry agreed, “Most of us most likely won’t be in a real duel any time soon, but it could help with spell accuracy and casting speed. Are you enjoying the sessions?”

“Oh, yes,” she said with a tiny smile, “I wasn’t very good at the laps, but I’ve enjoyed the spells we are learning.”

“Good,” Harry said with a smile, turning to gather up his bag, “Are you heading to dinner? Would you like to walk with us?”

“I need to go drop off my things, perhaps we can talk later?" she offered shyly.

“That would be great,” Hermione agreed, easily following as they all left the room, Irene splitting off and heading toward the kitchens and the Hufflepuff common room at the stairs.

“We don’t share any classes, do we?” Harry asked with a frown. He couldn’t place the girl in any lessons that he could remember.

“No, she’s not in any of the clubs that I’m in either.” Hermione said with a grin, “I just remember her signing up for DA this year. I tried to memorize all the new people in case they had issues.”

“Sadly, I don’t think my brain works that way.” Harry said with a snort, “Everyone knows me, but I can never remember people I don’t see often.”

“That’s what you have me for,” she laughed, “What are you thinking on so hard?”

“Something is nagging me about her. I can’t remember where I heard that name before, Denholm.”

“They are thought to be an off-branch of the Hufflepuff House.” Hermione offered, frowning when she couldn’t think of anything else, “Is it important?”

“Probably not, just something I’ll have to remember eventually.” Harry said with a shrug, “What are the current bets on the poisoner? Last I heard, they were saying that Voldemort had charmed snakes to poison the food.”

“That’s ridiculous," she sputtered with a scowl.

“Of course it is, it’s a rumor.” Harry agreed with a grin, “Is it wrong to place a bet on a rumor about me?”

“Probably, but the boys in Gryffindor would take you up on it.”

After that, he seemed to see Irene everywhere: in the stands watching the Gryffindor team practice, in the library, a few tables over from their own, walking the halls as they changed classes. She was adept at disappearing into a crowd; he noted absently as she slid from view yet again. He wasn’t sure if she was following him or just wandering the castle, was he being too paranoid?