Heretic - A Mila Vance Story

1- All Hallows' Day (Prologue)

The town of Ottery St Catchpole, normally a quiet village in the south of Devon on this particular day was not so concealed. There were several muggles gazing at owls swooping past in broad daylight, wizards rejoicing in cloaks and pointed hats and bangs, crashes and sparks flying from buildings the regular people had never even noticed before. The muggle news were having a field day all over the country and the Ministry of Magic, for once, did not give two flying hippogriffs.

A funny looking House stood tall in the middle of a large marshland just below the village. It looked as though it had once been a very small Tudor barn house, but with extra rooms sticking out at all sorts of funny angles. It was several stories high, extremely crooked and seemed to be suspended in the air as if by magic. Four or five chimneys perched happily singing on the top of the roof. A lopsided sign stuck in the ground just outside, reading 'The Burrow'.

Inside stood the remaining members of the Order of the Phoenix.

The Vance's, a woman who a holding a baby screaming so deafeningly loud it looked as if her head would explode, her husband side by side with the son (who had a rather triumphant look on his face), had just stepped out of the large fireplace into the cosy living room which had a sofa and a few armchairs which were covered in homemade multi-coloured blankets and mismatching cushions. 

The woman's eyes were glassy and red, blinking back tears. She took a deep breath and wiped her eyes with her free hand.

They turned left into the kitchen; the social centre of the Burrow, at the back of the house. Around the kitchen, much like the living room laid a jumbled cluttered array of furniture and trappings. In the middle of the kitchen lay a long slightly worn out and crooked long wooden table where the many Weasleys had gathered for meal times.

Emmeline rushed forward and hugged a plump woman with short wavy flaming red hair who was carrying two babies with small amounts of equally as red hair. 

'Oh Molly!' gasped Emmeline clinging on tight to her friend as if she were about to disappear any moment,  'Merlin's beard! Look at Ginevra!'

'It's lovely to see you too, Em! It's been a while hasn't it,' said Molly half happy half tearful. 

Mrs. Weasley sat Ron on the table and rushed over to Coray, the son,  giving him a hug and shouted towards the stairs.

'Bill! Charlie! Percy! Fred! George! Come downstairs and say hello to Auntie Emmeline and Uncle William!' 

 A few seconds later five cheeky red headed boys came running, toddling and blundering down the stairs. They all uttered their hellos and all rushed back upstairs again but this time with Coray.

Emmeline, smiled tearfully at their mischievous children. They put Mila, the baby, and Ronald in a multi-coloured play area with a strange assortment of magical toys and Ginny in her cot before they all started to collect chairs for the fourteen remaining members of the Order. 

'How are you doing,' asked Molly squeezing her friends hand.

'Okay,' Emmeline lied.

Nothing had been the same since her sister, she had been ruthlessly murdered by Dolohov. Molly understood, her brothers had been murdered by the same man. Molly was braver than her, or at least appeared to have it together more.

'Arthur,' questioned William, to his cousin, as they all sat down, 'what exactly are we all doing here, I mean it's good news? You-Know-Who is gone right?'

'Ah yes well all things good come with the bad,' announced Albus Dumbledore after the sound of the swish and crack of him Apparating. He explained what had happened at Godric's Hollow the previous night.

Emmeline felt a sickening feeling in her throat, another baby left parent-less after the war, another family dead.

 'But what will happen to the boy?' asked Molly 

'Hagrid has taken him from Godric's Hollow, he is in a secret place with Harry until the Ministry rounds up the remaining Death Eaters. And he will be sent to live with his relatives.'

'He can't live with the muggles!' cried  Emmeline, 'Lily made it quite clear to everyone how aweful her sister is - was - to her and James. Besides we can take in another child.' 

'That is very kind indeed but Harry mustn't be raised in this world. It would be more harm than good to be famous before he could walk and talk for something he won't remember. He will be raised by Petunia and her husband and when the time is right he will be able to attend Hogwarts as his parents wished.' said Dumbledore softly

'So what's going to happen to the Order now that You-Know-Who's gone?' asked a strange large man with a faux leg and one small dark eye and one large electric blue one strapped onto his face with his thin but long hair reaching his chin which was scarred much like the rest of his face.

 'Yes, for now, he is gone' said Dumbledore softly 'I believe it is safe enough to dissolve the Order.' 

'But surely if he is only gone for now we should keep the Order? How long is he gone for?' asked William

'As I said I think it is safe enough to abandon the order, it would be difficult very difficult for him to return, I am not sure if it is even possible – but given the unusual circumstances I think that anything is possible. Yet if you all keep a caution then I believe it would be safe enough to assume he is gone for good.' repeated Dumbledore wisely, 'Now I better be off Minerva is expecting me to meet her outside the house of the muggles young Mr.Potter will be living with.' 

And with that Albus Dumbledore reached into his purple cloak and brought out a small paper bag from his pocket, he reached inside and took out a yellow coloured sweet (no doubt a sherbet lemon) popped it in his mouth and with a familiar swish and crack in a puff of white dust he was gone. 

The members of the Order  looked at each other silently dumbfounded by the news. It was over. The war was over. The Order was over. The ex-members started to disapparate, first was Alastor Moody then followed by the rest until it was only Molly, Emmeline, William and Arthur left at the table. They helped with a wave of a wand to put the chairs back and went to go check on the kids.

Mila and Ronald were in a play area on the middle of the floor. Mila was throwing- or what throwing was for a baby- a squishy red floating bubble towards Ronald who would hit it away and laugh. Ginny lay sound asleep in her cot and the boys continued to make a racket upstairs.

'I already have food in the oven, you are staying to eat,' claimed Molly

So the Vances celebrated with the Weasleys over a lovely meal and took their kids down to the beach where they laughed together until the sun had set. 

Meanwhile Harry Potter was travelling in a blue flying Motorcycle to his new home sound asleep and unaware of the people all over the country toasting to his name or what was in store for the years to come.