I like how Andromeda keeps giving extremely detailed instructions, as it makes clear how worried she is to be leaving him, even if she is confident that Harry and Ginny can handle things. It is clear how attached she is to Teddy, and how protective she could be. This does make sense, as Teddy is literally all she has left of her only daughter. Interestingly, it also shows how, despite the fact she had an adult daughter, I get the feeling that she is actually relatively inexperienced, as she only had one baby. As an example of the other side of the spectrum, my own mother was always much more relaxed about the whole thing with my niece, which makes sense when you consider that she had 6 children of her own. At the peak, she had the last 3 of us within the span of 2 years (my brother was born at the end of July in '93, my sister was born at the end of June '94 and I was born at the end of May '95). Ginny's blaise attitude is typical of her, never quite taking things as seriously as she perhaps should (though to be honest, taking care of a small baby is easy. They really don't do much until they hit around 6 months).

Harry revealing how he accidentally destroyed Luna's house is also funny, as it comes as a complete shock to Ginny that Harry was involved. It reveals that there is still a lot that Harry has neglected to tell Ginny, though in this case it is likely because it is less important than other events. And Ginny needling Harry about it was excellent, as Ginny always knew just how to mess with Harry.

The Letter from the Ministry was logical, as even in the worst of times, laws must still be upheld. In fact, it is at times like that where they must be upheld more than ever, as people's faith and trust in the Government's ability to lead effectively will have to be restored, or anarchy will begin to spread as people follow their own rules.

I also agree with Ginny that it is fantastic to see Molly up and acting more normally, as the Burrow would have felt sad and strange without her bustling around like the Mother Hen she is.

Ginny has never tried Harry’s Firebolt? What did she use when playing Seeker in his place? One of the School brooms? That’s stupid. No, no, she used his Firebolt.

Ah, it has arrived. The Chapter so many of your readers waited and complained about. Where Harry tells Ginny about Horcruxes. But I am getting ahead of myself.

I don't usually mention it, but a note in answer to your pre-chapter question. The exact dates of events are not terribly important to me. The only dates that matter are ones that refer to birthdays and such. However, I will note that your timeline is working, in that you do put in references to how much time has passed since something happened. If there were a way I could suggest if you want a firmer timeline, when you want someone to know when something is, make a roundabout reference to something set. For example, if you make reference to how Harry and Ginny's relationship has developed in the two months since the Battle, we would immediately know the scene takes place on the 2nd of July. If you then say that it has been a week and a half since Harry told Ginny about the Horcruxes, we will have a good sense of around the date that the conversation happened. Hope my ramblings give you something to think about.

The whole conversation Bill has with his father is extremely illuminating. It confirms Bill's protectiveness of his younger siblings, and it also reveals tha he has been helping everyone else, to the detriment of his own healing process. The fact that when queried about how he was doing, Bill listed how he was helping everyone else rather than how he felt was very sweet of him, as he was clearly thinking of everyone else first. However, he has neglected to seek support himself. Arthur's suggestion to talk to Fleur was a typical move, and a smart one. Fleur has more than proved herself worthy to be trusted to be able to handle Bill's problems, and to support his recovery.

Arthur reprimanding Bill hits close to home. Parents never stop doing that, no matter how old the children get. And his words about Percy showed how much he had thought about it. He understood why Percy left, and was desperately trying to remedy the situation before it repeated itself and Percy left again.

Mr Weasley being perfectly happy with Harry and Ginny's relationship shows his unique perspective. Him and Molly, like Harry and Ginny, fell in love as teenagers. Arthur knows what that looks like. And he recognises that what Harry and Ginny have is the real deal. His pointing out of Bill's hypocrisy was important for Bill, and it will likely inform his perspective going forward.

I like that Ginny has started to raise the difficulty level in their Scars and Freckles game. She has previously stated her dissatisfaction with Harry's lack of adventurousness in his choices of body parts. Now, wherever he chooses, she will use it as an excuse to remove a piece of clothing, the very act of which will mark a new experience for them both.

Ginny helping Harry to work though his guilt regarding Cedric was sweet, but with the usual unbending Ginny firmness. She has never allowed Harry to wally in self pity, so she forced him to admit it wasn't his fault by equating it to the Diary. Since he would never say that that was Ginny's fault, she very cleverly manipulated him into relieving himself of fault.

Harry choosing Ginny's back, a far more risque area than any he had tried before, was a well thought out way to show that Harry is trying hard to make Ginny happy. He knew she was getting annoyed about his choices, so he upped the ante, just as she did. Their escalating intimacy is good, as it shows a growing trust and understanding between them, as well as a passion that I suspect neither of them realised was present.

Here we are, quite possibly the most important scene so far in the story. The staging of the scene was perfect, with Harry and Ginny enclosed and alone, far from prying ears, and with moody weather outside, as if to accentuate the seriousness and the darkness of the conversation happening. It was obvious in the way that Harry said Horcruxes that he had worked up the courage, as he had many times before, and realised he needed to say it before he lost his nerve again. Once he said it, he knew that he would be able to keep going (at least to a point), but he needed to start.

The descriptions were a little bit bloated, but quite frankly, I couldn't really see a way to improve that, and the information imparted was very important, more important than anything previously discussed. Harry continuing to hold back about some things was understandable, as there were still secrets he needed to keep, fearing Ginny's reaction to them. However, it was clear to Ginny that the Horcruxes were the biggest secret Harry was keeping, and that he would now be able to tell her pretty much everything.

And Ginny's true reaction to the information about the Horcruxes was brilliant, and vindicates all of Harry's fears about what would happen when Ginny knew. Because she understood, more than Harry ever wanted her to. She understood that Harry, as well as the others, lived with a Horcrux for a very long time, an experience she knew only too well. And the fact that she had severe remorse in forcing Harry to tell her, because she realised, as many people do when they force terrible revelations out of others, that she really didn't want to know.

But at the same time, she was glad she knew. Not for her own satisfaction. But because now, she could help Harry better. He didn't have to hold back as much, and as a result she could help him with times in the war he hadn't been comfortable discussing before, like Malfoy Manor, and Gringotts. The net result of this development will be more progress for their relationship in a few days than in the previous month combined. And, needless to say, they will only grow closer together the more he tells her, and the more she helps him.

Ginny's reaction to Harry's behaviour on the broom was, in my opinion, appropriate for her. She had dreamed of that moment for a long time, and Harry ruined the moment by trying to take control and not realising that she wanted him to hold her whilst they flew. It is also sad because she has no idea why he is suddenly so hesitant. She doesn't know that he was a Horcrux, or even what a Horcrux is. Harry feels unclean, tainted by the presence of the piece of Voldemort, and he is scared of what Ginny would do if she knew. As to Ginny being annoyed about Harry being clueless, that simultaneously made me laugh and slightly annoyed me. It made me laugh because I am exactly like that, in that I often need to be told exactly what people want from me. It comes from being Autistic (I think I have mentioned that before). It also annoyed me because Ginny takes the line that many people do, in thinking that not being able to read between the lines is a really bad thing, and needs to be remedied immediately. It is not your fault for making me feel like that, but in the interest of completeness, I thought I would mention it.

Harry apologising to Ginny the next morning is a good, subtle show of how mature he is. He knows that he upset her, and he feels that it is important to talk to her at the first opportunity he got. To try to explain. I get the feeling that for several chapters now, Harry has gone to the orchard, or sat down in Ginny's or Ron's room with Ginny, fully planning to tell her about the Horcruxes, only to chicken out at the last instant. He keeps talking about how he has to tell her soon, as if to scold himself for not doing it in the conversation he just had. And that thought is a familiar one.

Grief takes many forms. We have seen many of them in this story already. Ginny tried to keep herself busy (and eventually confided in Harry). Molly withdrew deep within herself and it took weeks of careful coaxing (and a few hairbrained stunts from Ginny) to pull her out. Bill and Charlie tried to be strong and help the others. George had the worst reaction. He tried to do what Molly did, but it didn't work. So he started to force it by drinking. A lot. His chaotic behaviour is at times terrifying and devastating. In the scene, we see that George has completely cut himself off from the rest of the world. I suspect the only people he has seen in weeks has been his family, Harry and Verity. I love Charlie for trying so hard to make George presentable, because he knew that it would only upset their mother more to see George in such a state. The tampons in the cupboard hint at happier times in the past (did either of the Twins have a girlfriend?) and only serve to widen the gulf between the happy times going on only a few months ago and now, with George looking like he hasn't eaten, slept or washed properly since he left the Burrow.

The quiet conversations between Bill and Charlie are a good indication of their relationship. As the oldest two, they likely spent a lot of time talking to each other about everything they couldn't, or didn't want to, talk to their parents about which was inappropriate for younger ears. They have been each other's confidants for so many years, it seems to come naturally to continue in the same way. The last line however, brings the true tragedy to the forefront. As sad as everyone else is about Fred, George was without doubt closest to him. Not a day went by that they were not together. They spent literally all their waking hours together (except if they were separated for detentions). The massive hole in George's life would be impossible for him to ignore.

Bury Voldemort under his given name next to his father, is the most ignorant thing I’ve ever heard. Stupid. To prevent a cult forming some time in the future, you bury his remains at sea - just like Bin Laden.

Once again, the reference to events not directly written about is a good reminder that a lot is happening between chapters. Weeks can pass between chapters, but the characters continue to live out their lives. Harry and Ginny go to the orchard every night to fly (or snuggle) and Harry slowly reveals his secrets. Bill continues to work, cleansing properties of dark magic left to entrap and kill the owners, as well as tutoring students. It makes the characters seem more real, to be reminded that their lives continue when not observed, rather than standing motionless until they are needed next.

Harry insisting that Ginny tell him about her 'detentions' in the dungeons shows the progress that has occured since the last chapter. They have continued to grow closer, until Harry was finally confident that Ginny wouldn't refuse to talk to him. Her description of what happened was chilling, and the way that she described it even more so, dispassionately and clinically. It is plain that the experience was a scarring one, but she doesn't want it to change her. Her fiery proclamation that she would always fight against injustice wherever it appears is so Ginny, and is a large part of the reason why Harry, as well as a large proportion of the Harry Potter fanbase, loves her so much. His counter proclamation that he would always try to protect her is very Harry. He always felt devastated whenever anyone was hurt or killed because of him. The bit concerning McGonagall was funny in its blatant accuracy. The Carrows and Snape combined would have trouble against the mighty Minerva.

I liked that everyone was keeping an eye on Molly, making sure she is alright, and noting any improvement in her behaviour. It shows how important she is to the family. Without her, the Weasley's would have fallen to chaos years before. Percy's resistance to leaving was telling of his terror that if he wasn't at the Burrow, nobody would take the time to talk to him, as well as the fact that he fears how Molly will react to all of her children leaving at once so soon after Fred's death. Bill's brotherly advice about witches brings up another sad truth. Percy quite possibly hasn't been seeing anyone for a long time, since Penelope probably.

Finally, we have Bill's first true look at how happy Harry and Ginny are. He was always the most protective, and it would inevitably be Bill who would be the last to see how good the relationship was for both of them. Your description of Ginny in this scene makes my heart hurt (yes, my cold, dead heart), and made me want to make a girl look that way. It is testament to the quality of your writing that you make me react this way.

I do not consider the scene with the Basilisk scar repetitive in any way. It was important that Ginny know what Harry was doing that year, as she was rather distracted at the time. His explanation of everything would bring them closer together, as she realised how hard he worked (as usual) to identify the problem in the school, especially at the end, where all of his efforts were solely in order to save her. She had no idea the lengths he went to in order for her to still be around. And, most important of all, she had no idea of how much he cared about her wellbeing afterwards. She didn't know he had quietly kept an eye on her, just to make sure she was alright. The whole story was important for the continued advancement of their relationship.

Harry's continuing turmoil at knowing he had to tell Ginny the most important information, but being afraid of how she would react was extremely compelling. I have already talked about Harry's reasons, but the fact that he can clearly tell that Ginny will require an answer soon only adds fuel to his inner turmoil. I experience something similar (albeit less terrifying and world changing) frequently as I agonise over whether to inform employers that I have been diagnosed as Autistic. Like Harry's dilemma, I knew that they need to know at some point, and that it would likely result in a lot of questions being given satisfactory answers. However, the difference is that Ginny will certainly stand by Harry, but the revelation of my diagnosis only ever seems to alienate people against me (with only a few exceptions).

The nightmares that Harry and Ginny suffer with are extremely revealing. The fact that they relive in their sleeping hours the time when they feared the other was about to die/was dead truly reveals, in a way that no words could adequately describe, how crucial they are to each other's happiness. Dreams are a doorway into the deepest fears and desires. That both of them dream of the fear that the other is dead or about to die says more to me than 10 chapters of description.

The mention of the Kookaburra made me chuckle, because it reminded me not of the actual kids song, but it's much ruder counterpart. If you don't know it, just ask and I will tell you how it goes (the first verse at least). Percy's dejectedness at being left out of the letter was sad to see. He still sees himself as something of an outsider, and did not seem to question that Ron left him out on purpose. He still fails to see that most of the family, whilst angry that he left, have long since forgiven him and accepted him back into the family. With one massive exception, but more of that later. That Ginny continues to try to help her brothers is testament to her strength of conviction, as well as her love for her family.

The fact that Bill is involved in the cleanup of Muggle homes after the war was not something that had occurred to me, but on reflection it is obvious. He is a trained Curse Breaker, so would be the perfect person to help remove the results of Death Eater intrusion. The subtle remark about Bill being busy at home was hilarious to hear, and it proves that you don't have to be explicit to get the point across. It is also obvious as, quite frankly, who could resist Fleur for very long?

As to Percy coming to Bill to try to get him to come and help tutor students, I see that as an attempt to spend time with a brother who he knows likes him. He also probably feels the same way Bill does, that doing this is a solid way to help in the recovery of the Wizarding World. And Percy, more than any of the other Weasleys, wants to do everything he can in order to make up for all the time he spent doing nothing. Bill's insistence that Fleur would also want to help as much as she could only adds to my love of Fleur. She is like a Molly Weasley in training (though she would never admit that).

Bill and Percy's clear and lingering fear of McGonagall is an amusingly accurate phenomenon. I have found that there is always a teacher that continues to scare people, even if they have not attended the school in 10 years. I could name several off the top my head, at both my Primary and Secondary Schools. Their reaction to being caught taking her Ginger Newts was wonderfully telling of that fact. However, Minerva's display of genuine gratitude is also frighteningly accurate, as I also found that quite often, the most intimidating teachers were also amongst the nicest (as long as you behave yourself).

The visit to Shell Cottage was an excellent scene, as it showed Ginny's genuine gratitude towards Fleur, as well as showing how Ginny's opinion of Fleur has changed dramatically since her visit 2 years earlier. The use of the stairs to put Ginny and Fleur on equal footing was a nice subtle piece of imagery, hinting that they both considered each other equal to themselves. Ginny lying about Harry telling her about what happened was a good display of her slight impatience at Harry for leaving out gory details. I appreciate the sneakiness of her attempt, and the fact that it worked a bit, as she succeeded in getting an account of the horror that Fleur experienced when TGT arrived.

Ginny's continuing unhappiness at Bill for refusing to let her see Harry shows once again how much Harry means to her. The sensation is entirely foreign to me (I have never loved anything that much) but I sense that this is another barrier that Ginny must overcome if she is to progress her relationship with Harry to a more mature, sharing level. She has always despised Harry's instinct to protect her, but it is important that she realise that he only acts in that way because she means as much to him as he means to her.

Bill's remorse at keeping everyone away was a good way to ground the story closer to a sense of reality. It is only in fantasies (and not very good ones at that) where characters never regret their actions. I understand the feeling of regret, where someone is kept away, usually for their own good, but events later result in the earlier actions seeming rash and poorly considered.

I like Ginny coming up with a game that she suspected Harry would like, as a thinly disguised attempt at Quid Pro Quo. And the fact that Harry saw straight through it. And that he knew that he would have to talk about it eventually. Him agreeing to the game was another good, if subtle, step forward in their relationship. It shows that he is admitting that he should trust her more. Also, the fact that Harry used to like to count Ginny's freckles is a lovely touch. If I had a girlfriend who had that many freckles, I would probably like counting them too, just to get my hands on her, or to get in position to tickle her. That would always be fun to do, especially if they are as ticklish as I am (it is not uncommon for me to be tickled to the ground).

Charlie's revenge is excellent. For someone who had no siblings, you continue to nail the sibling relationships. I used to do it all the time. The back and forth of messing with each other is pretty much how we used to handle conflict, as my parents would stop us if we started fighting (verbally or physically).

Harry's complete obliviousness to Ginny's period really grounds how young he is, and just how inexperienced he is when it comes to the fairer sex. It also really says something about Hermione, as it implies that Harry and Hermione lived basically on top of each other for months, and she never gave any indication of any discomfort, or even let slip that she was 'on' as it were. I like to think that she felt it was not important, and that Harry had more than enough to worry about without having to think about Hermione's menstrual cycle too. She just quietly dealt with business without telling Harry.

I like that Percy is the only one who even tries to help Harry. Everyone else, at least at first, suggests that he simply hide from Ginny. It reinforces Percy's role as the most caring of Ginny's brothers, as he is the only one who knows that brushing Ginny's hair relaxes her. And that Percy was the one that Ginny wanted, for the very same reason, as he was probably the only one who tried to help in the past. Percy's knowledge of what to do also expands the lore, stating in no uncertain terms that he has dealt with this kind of thing before on a regular basis. Percy is actually the kind of boyfriend I would like to be (and probably will be) as he takes the time to understand how to help, rather than simply running and hiding until the smoke clears.

Bill's protectiveness is very endearing, if entirely unneeded. The fact that he kind of wants Harry to leave Ginny alone is sad, as it shows that he has not been looking properly, and he doesn't get how much Harry is helping Ginny. The fact that Fleur puts him right makes me love her even more. Fleur is a character who I think goes through the biggest change, as she was extremely arrogant and kind of unlikable at the start of TGoF, but by TDH, she has changed completely. She became a caring, supportive woman who realised that there were more important things in life than looks. I suspect Bill had a lot to do with that transformation, so it is good to see Fleur helping Bill understand and improve his perceptions as well.

Charlie's farewells to his parents were nice, and remind me of my mother's reaction the first time my parents left me when I went to University (I went to Uni a full 6 hour car/train journey away from home. I only went home at Christmas and Easter during that time, as each round trip cost me around £60, or around $80).

I like that slowly, each of Ginny's brothers sees how hard Harry is working to make Ginny happy, and they start to root for them. The last scene of the chapter featured what I believe to be the first step in Charlie's journey towards this final, inevitable conclusion, following on from Percy's full journey earlier. Bill was also put on the path to realisation by his brilliant wife. I always love when one of them realises how important Ginny is to Harry, as they seem to quietly berate themselves for not realising sooner, and for ever doubting Harry.

Charlie's guilt is definitely shining through again. He feels that he needs to make up for not being around when he was needed. His deep worry for his mother is understandable. Molly Weasley has always been the undisputed head of the Weasley family. To see her as fragile and quiet would be very unsettling to say the least.

The requests for testimony seems entirely logical to me, and it makes perfect sense that Harry and the Weasleys would all be of particular interest (I know Percy said that they were asking everyone, but it would not surprise me in the slightest if Harry, Hermione and every single Weasley were at the very top of the list of people to ask). I also love your tiny reference to an ex-student. Many authors seem to forget that the key to an excellent story is not in the grand story threads, but in the tiny details. Especially stories as long and involved as Harry Potter. I like that you added magical legal contracts, involving signing whilst holding your wand. The inclusion of the person's wand into the process adds a sense that a spell is being subtly woven to ensure the contract is fulfilled. Finally, the fact that Harry seemed to be initialling for pretty much everyone is excellent, as it not only fits his character perfectly, but he also knows things that literally nobody else does, apart from Voldemort himself (and he isn't much of a state to make confessions). Harry is probably the Wizengamot's greatest asset at this point.

Ginny's final, and ultimately successful, attempt to provoke her mother into re engaging with the family was evidence of just how gutsy she really was. Taking into account the story about Charlie's reaction to his mother ruining one of his Weird Sisters shirts, one can only imagine what he would have done to Ginny. Her needling of him was highly amusing to watch, and was testament to her extremely mischievous nature. The second t-shirt makes me laugh every time, especially as everyone in the room was fully aware of Harry and Ginny's relationship. It was like you could hear the cogs turning in everyone's heads simultaneously. And then, when Molly did come down, the evidence of her tight control over her children was highly evident, as even Charlie, who had faced down dragons with no fear for many years, immediately did as he was told. That is the kind of control I want over people.

I continue to feel sorry for Harry for the horrors he has endured, which cause him to have such terrifying reflexes. His constant sleeping is reasonable, as he has literally no worries at this point (at least none that are likely to be fatal) and he has spent the best part of a year running on little sleep and a level of agonising stress that would crush a lesser man. I certainly think he deserves a few weeks (or months) of sleeping 18 hours a day and eating constantly the other 6.

I weep for Harry's reluctance to share his secrets with Ginny. She above all others has proven herself able to handle the things he has told her in the past. But I also understand his reluctance. Ginny thinks that Harry is keeping slightly upsetting things back. She has no idea of the true horror of Harry's secrets. His reluctance to tell her about the Horcruxes was most understandable, and the very reason why he is so cagey about the last year. Ginny, more than anyone, would realise the horror of what had been going on, as she was the only other person to have lived with a Horcrux.

Harry's continuing ignorance of his own celebrity status is a testament to how genuinely good a person he is. He does things because it is the right thing to do, not because it will make him famous, or even that it is the easiest thing to do. The fact that the only realised that he was sure to get swamped if he went out in public after it had already happened was amusing to say the least.

The comparison of Harry and Ginny's childhoods was slightly depressing, as it again hammers home how terrible the Dursleys were. It reinforces the fact that people make lives good, far more than money ever could. On the one hand we have Harry, who grew up in a well off family environment, but the people around him made life terrible. On the other hand, we have Ginny, who grew up in a family living on the breadline, but surrounded by such love that her childhood was excellent. I would also like to note that I have never actually read Stuart Little to my knowledge. I mostly remember reading Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and Harry Potter.

The conversation under the apple tree was enlightening for both of them. Ginny's explanation of why she came to Hogwarts, despite her knowledge that many people would not be happy with the decision, shows her to be a classic Gryffindor, brave, selfless and willing to make sacrifices for the common good. And Harry telling Ginny how proud he was of her was heartwarming, and quite probably something Ginny had rarely experienced. As the youngest of 6, I know what it is like to just be another in the family, to do something and my effort be compared to that of an older sibling. I suspect that Ginny experienced the same thing Ron did, a sense that her efforts were not appreciated. Many people probably don't realise that about Ginny, but the fact that she is a girl would not have stopped that from happening.

Equally, your statement that Bill's opinion held massive sway is more true than most people realise. To this day, my sister, the oldest, is the only one apart from our parents who could get any of the rest of us to do stuff with any reliability.

The fact that Percy blames himself for Fred's death, despite repeated assurances from others that there was nothing he could have done, is heartbreaking. He deeply regretted his actions for the years prior to the Battle, and the fact that he now also regrets returning makes for a very hard situation where he can never seem to win. I for one would assure Percy, as many times as was necessary, that he should never regret coming back, and that Fred's death, while deeply tragic, was the fault of whoever blew up the corridor, not him.

An insight into Harry's innermost thoughts was enlightening, but ultimately not unexpected. Harry was often distant, holding himself back in order to protect himself. As a result of his upbringing, he clearly has an inferiority complex, combined with a chronic sense of low self worth. His reasons for holding himself aloof from Ginny thus far are to be expected in someone raised like he was. He is clearly holding back, protecting his heart from another spear of anguish, in case Ginny turned on him again. And his reason for finally trusting Ginny was excellent. Him realising that Ginny had gone to so much trouble, making all kinds of snacks, and making sure she looked nice, was all for his benefit was certainly a reasonable trigger for that realisation. The kiss was wonderfully described, a thing filled with love and understanding. The first of many to come.

What really amused me about the scene where everyone held Teddy was the parroted phrase 'Mind his head'. I have a niece who is nearly 2 years old now, but when she was a baby, she was inevitably foisted upon me (I don't much care for babies. I find them a little pointless to be honest. I much prefer to wait until they get a little bigger and more independently mobile) in order for me to be photographed with her. It was one of a thankfully small number of occasions when I was forced to hold her (her mother, my sister-in-law, was very understanding and insisted I not be forced) but I distinctly remember that phrase being repeated many times that day.

As for the whole eyes debate, I seem to be in the minority who already knew babies usually have blue eyes until they are 6 months old (I am a fountain for seemingly random biological facts, as I have a Bachelor's Degree in Biology). The obvious familiarity between Andromeda and Charlie serves to deepen the realism of Charlie and Nymphadora's former relationship, as it would stand to reason that Andromeda would know one of her daughter's former boyfriends better than his siblings. And the jokes about Ginny not getting any ideas really grounds the sibling relationship, as that is exactly what I might have said to my sisters in that situation, if they weren't all older than me.

The kiss in the orchard was a wonderful second proper kiss, as it seems that Harry was so intent on replicating their first kiss. Ginny's comments seemed to me to be implying 'don't try to force things to be the same' and reminding him that most of their kisses had been completely different, and far less dramatic. This arguably made them better kisses as whilst spur of the moment kisses are great and everything (or so I imagine. I have never kissed anyone), the everyday loving kisses communicate far more deeply on an emotional level, showing the other person the depth of your love rather than its mere existence.

I actually rather like that Ginny deeply hates the Dursleys. It seems right that at least someone does. It will forever confuse me that Harry never seemed to grow to hate the Dursleys as I would have expected. He could still worry about them and everything, but I felt that he needed to hate them regardless. He endured a decades worth of brutal treatment at their hands, and he never seemed to resent them to nearly the level that would be natural.

The final scene, with Ron and Hermione leaving for Australia, was nice in its casual, humorous nature, masking what was probably quite an emotional time, as everyone present was aware that they would not see each other for months. It would probably be the longest Harry has been apart from Ron and Hermione since they were in their first year at Hogwarts. Ron's clear worry about Harry was a nice touch, as Ron's knowledge of what Harry has been through recently would make anyone hesitant to leave him alone.

What I immediately noticed at the start of the chapter was that it seemed that Ginny started the conversation on the roof. I get the feeling that before she arrived, the rest of them had been silently getting pissed. Ginny forced them to talk, especially about hard topics. I think she has definitely taken on a role as peacemaker and unofficial therapist for the rest of the family. I noticed that it was often Ginny that started difficult conversations, and set an example by making it clear that she loved all of her brothers, despite their flaws and the things they had done. She cut off George when she realised that he was about to launch into a tirade at Percy, and got Percy to talk about what he had been doing, revealing that he had in fact been engaging in arguably more dangerous work than even George had been doing, because Fred and George had been doing their thing whilst on the run. Percy had been operating under the noses of the government, in the centre of their offices. If he was caught, he would have had no chance to escape. And I respect Percy for that. I appreciate that you gave Percy this, that you made him see sense long before the night of the Battle, and showed his Gryffindor spirit.

I like that you split from canon slightly and made it fairly clear that Kingsley's offer was only given to TGT, presumably because they had proved themselves beyond what anyone else had. It would always have been sad to see TGT split up and go their separate ways, with Harry and Ron becoming Aurors and Hermione going back to school. It was however utterly inevitable. If given the choice, Harry and Ron would never have gone back. And Hermione would always have chosen to go back, even if she did want to become an Auror. She just loved school way too much to do anything else. I also like that Harry has significant bargaining power, more than I suspect even he realises. He could have asked to be given a million Galleons for services rendered, and he probably would got it.

Side note: Where do you stand on the theory that the vault that Harry always took money from was a trust vault, and he had another one the size of the Lestrange vault elsewhere in Gringotts?

Harry and Ginny's conversation was very telling in my opinion. They were utterly relaxed, talking and joking as they did a year earlier. The progress they have made is testament to my opinion on their relationship. Harry and Ginny are perfect for each other, and they rarely seem to realise it. Harry's awkwardness regarding Teddy is good, and is another reminder of how young he really is, but it is also a reminder of the malicious neglect of his youth. He has no idea about babies, because he has probably never even seen one, and he needs Ginny, someone who has had a full, loving childhood, to explain these things. And the set up for another date (which we don't see) reminds the reader that a lot of time is passing between chapters, and Harry and Ginny fly together most nights.

First, another glimpse into Harry being a normal teenager. I love to see it, as Harry genuinely deserves to have nothing more worrying to think about than his romantic attachments. His agonising over how to approach kissing Ginny is hilarious to me, as it completely changes the image I always have in my mind. When I imagine Harry, he always looks about 25, but the Harry in this scene is tiny and looks like an actual teenager, which of course he is.

Harry continuing to ask Ron if there is anything he needs help with is funny as well, but also heartbreaking, as he genuinely seems to think he owes Ron and Hermione for everything they have done for him over the years, despite their constant statements to him that he owes them nothing, and that they did it simply because they were his friends. It forcibly reminds me that they were the very first friends he ever had, and that he consequently had no idea that true friends would follow him to hell and back (which they pretty much did).

The meeting was both interesting and bittersweet. I like that Harry basically stared Kingsley down, as if daring him to ask Neville and Luna to leave. I have no doubt that Kingsley would have backed down, even without Minerva's assurances. The fact that Aberforth directed his information about Voldemort's burial towards Harry was significant, as it was clear that Aberforth agreed with Albus on at least one thing,the fact that Harry needed to know everything about Voldemort, down to where he was buried. I have a theory that Albus told Aberforth everything that he told Harry and more, and Aberforth took it upon himself to do his best for Harry. It retroactively puts a new spin on Aberforth's attempt to get Harry to run away, as if he knew what his brother had planned and was trying to work against it.

Harry's nobility in once again announcing Snape's true allegiance was such a Harry thing to do, as usual. And the final act of the chapter, with the final disbanding of the Order, is bittersweet. On the one hand, it was excellent that the Order was no longer needed, but the fact that so many original members, and new members for its second incarnation, did not live to see this historic moment is sad to consider. And the fact that Aberforth was the one to disband the Order, the closest they could get to Albus, was also sad but undoubtedly utterly fitting.