Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. And that's the truth. Pbbbbttttt.
A/N: Hmm... my plans for shorter and faster haven't exactly materialized. At least I'm keeping up with my old schedule. Maybe NEXT chapter will be a ten-pager in only one week!! Heh heh heh... we'll see!
Blatant borrowing of a joke from one of the Naked Gun movies in this chapter... just saying.
Thanks to my beta, MapleMountain, for everything you do!
Again, similarities to Book 6 are entirely intentional... AS ARE the differences.
Chapter 24. Gone Shopping, Redux.
Before re-pocketing his letter, he held it up slightly to show her. He fixed her with an intent stare.
"I promise," he again told her.
"I promise," she replied, holding up her folded letter.
The two of them stepped off the train and hurried to catch up with the others.
After exiting the Underground station, the Granger/Potter/Weasley party made its way through the car park towards the Grangers' car.
"Hmm... didn't think that far ahead," Dan mused to himself once they arrived at the SUV. All six of them looked inside; there were only four seats.
"Well, can't we just...?" Ron started to ask as he reached toward his pocket where his wand was stowed.
"Ron, NO!" came the simultaneous response from Harry, Hermione, and Ginny.
"What? We can do magic now," he reminded them all quietly, making sure his voice didn't carry.
"Yes, but there's still the Statute," Ginny reminded him. "We're out in public where everyone can see us."
Ron looked genuinely embarrassed. "Oh, yeah," he said sheepishly.
"Not to worry, Ron," Dan assured him. "Even us Muggles can do a little magic now and again," he assured him. He unlocked the car, then opened the back door. Two latches and one lever pull later, the cargo area was miraculously converted into a third row of seating.
"Fold-away seating," Dan explained to an amazed-looking Ron and Ginny. Returning to the side door, he then pulled another lever, and the regular passenger seat popped forward, allowing access to the not-exactly-spacious back seats.
"Unfortunately, two of you are going to have to climb into the back. They aren't exactly captain's chairs, but they should be bearable for the long trip home," Emma teased.
"Harry and I will take the back," Hermione volunteered. "Give Ginny and Ron a chance to actually be comfortable."
Hermione climbed into the car first, bending forward slightly as it was not possible to stand inside the car. He didn't look on purpose, but as she made her way to the farthest most seat, Harry could not help but notice how flattering her jeans were to her posterior.
Following her in, he quickly realized just how not-exactly-spacious the third row seats were. The fold down compartment had to fit between the wheel wells of the car. As such, the bench seat was exactly wide enough for two people with no room to spare. The two of them ended up being quite literally pressed together (not that he minded). It was a good thing their shopping bags were still shrunk down. There would have been no room for them otherwise.
"You two comfortable back there?" Emma asked.
"Fine," Harry and Hermione chorused.
Less than two minutes later, they were home. Ron and Ginny were actually disappointed at how short a trip it was.
"Is this your home?" Ginny asked in awe as they pulled into the drive.
"Number 8, Broomhill Road. Home sweet home," Emma confirmed.
"It's beautiful!" Ginny said, clearly impressed. Even from all the way in back, Harry could tell Emma was slightly overwhelmed by the praise. Ron was still staring through the car door window, lost in thought.
As they approached the front door, they all saw Crookshanks come running from his favorite napping spot in the flower bed. He beat them to the front door, then turned around and looked at them, meowing insistently to be let it.
Ron let out a laugh. "Looks like you were worried about nothing, Mrs. Granger," he told her. "Cat's been out the entire time."
"Huh?" Emma asked, confused. She then suddenly remembered her earlier outburst. "Oh yeah, I guess we did put him out," she said, flashing a quick grin to Hermione who steadfastly tried to ignore it.
Once inside, while Dan and Emma gave Ron and Ginny the one-minute tour, Hermione excused herself for a moment, saying she wanted to go check on Metis and put away her shopping. Upon her mentioning of her owl, Harry remembered he still needed to send a letter to Neville about their little writing project.
He politely excused himself while Ron marveled over strange Muggle devices. "So this is one of those tee-vee-visions Dad is always talking about." Harry heard it being switched on as he walked into his room.
Going over to his bed, he canceled the shrinking spell then laid everything out. He headed to the closet with his new dress robes. Since he didn't plan on wearing them anytime soon, Harry decided to hang them up in the far corner of the closet so they'd be out of the way. After he slid open the door that normally remained closed (hiding the laundry basket), he let out a small gasp of surprise.
There, propped up in the back corner of the closet, was his Firebolt. With everything that had happened at the end of the school year, Harry never bothered to ask for his broom back. With Sirius dead, it didn't seem important enough to remember anymore.
He didn't even realize that he didn't have it until he completely unpacked his trunk that first day here. He hadn't made a big deal of it however, since he couldn't fly it anyway. Besides, it was safely stowed away at Hogwarts. Very safely, if it was still in the dungeons.
Since his and Hermione's closets were side by side and the interior walls were not insulated, Harry could hear her through the wall, moving stuff around inside her own closet and then finally sliding the door shut. After hanging up his new robes, he grabbed the broom handle and looked at it; there was a note attached to it. He immediately recognized the handwriting.
I know you can not use this whilst at the Grangers', however since it is yours, I felt there was no reason not to return this to you.
I do hope you find my present to you useful. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Albus Dumbledore
"Present?" Harry wondered aloud, quietly. What present? He said he wasn't supposed to give me one? He can't mean the broom, can he? He just said not to use it, he debated with himself. In the end, he decided to just put the broom back and not think about it. He knew there was little point in trying to read between the Headmaster's words. It wouldn't make any sense... until it did. Leaving his new school books and Potions kit on the bed for the moment, he turned to go back to his desk.
Glancing at her cage, Harry was pleased to see that Hedwig was there, napping. She'd been out a lot lately, no doubt enjoying her freedom... and the great big park at the end of the street. Pulling out his quill and a piece of parchment, Harry sat down at his desk and began a quick note to Neville.
Dear Neville,
I hope you enjoyed your birthday with your family. I'm sorry I wasn't able to give you your present sooner, but I didn't know you wouldn't be there until just yesterday.
First things first. Have you heard from the Minister of Magic yet? If you haven't yet, there were a couple of things she wanted to discuss. The only one I'll mention now is this: The six of us are now exempt from the ban on underage magic! Can you believe it? But Professor Dumbledore reminded us that the Statute of Secrecy is still in effect, so don't get careless.
There was something else, but I think I'll let her tell you herself. On a related matter, there is something I wanted to ask you.
Have you started writing that essay yet, the one I mentioned? If you haven't, don't. I think we should change some of the analysis arguments in it. If you've already started, go ahead and get rid of it. We won't want the old one lying around anyway.
If I don't see you soon, I'll send your present over with Hedwig one of these days.
Happy Birthday!
Harry
"Where are Ron and Ginny?" Hermione asked, startling Harry as he reread his letter. He turned to look at her.
"Your mum and dad are giving them the grand tour," he explained. "I heard someone turn on the telly as I came up, so they all might be still stuck there," he said with a knowing smile. Hermione looked at the piece of parchment in front of him.
"Don't tell me you're starting your homework now," she teased.
"Are you kidding?" Harry shot back. "If I was, Ron would probably hex me on the spot."
"What are you doing then?" she asked as she came over directly behind him, standing and looking over his shoulder. Harry turned back to his letter.
"I was just writing a quick note to Neville about not saying anything about what happened back in the Department of Mysteries. You know, exactly the opposite of what I asked him two weeks ago. Here, do you want to read it?" he asked, handing it up to her. She took a few moments to read it.
"Trying to talk in code, are you?" she asked.
"Well..." he admitted sheepishly. "There's no reason to be obvious about it, is there? I mean, if we're going to keep quiet about it, it didn't seem right to go out and write in a letter that might be intercepted, 'Hey, we need to keep this a secret so please put away that highly detailed written account.'"
Hermione shook her head in agreement. "Neville's smart. He'll understand what you're trying to say. Do you think we should say something to Luna too?"
"Maybe," Harry supposed. "Though I doubt she's the type to talk about something like that. But, as someone is fond of saying, constant vigilance, no?" Hermione was still standing over him, so he tilted his head back to look directly up at her. He then gave her a big, upside-down (to her) grin.
"Perhaps someone should say something to her, just in case. Know of anyone we could... volunteer for that task?" he asked suggestively.
"Perhaps," Hermione grinned back, looking directly down at him.
"You know what?" Harry then asked.
"What?"
"This is really uncomfortable," he said, still looking up, as she grinned and shook her head slightly. He tilted his head back down. Hermione started back towards to the door. "Tell them I'll be down in a minute after I send this."
"'Kay," she replied as she walked toward the door. Harry turned and looked at Hedwig's cage; she was still asleep.
"Hermione? Is Metis there? Is she awake?" he suddenly asked as she was about to turn left to the stairs.
"Yeah," she confirmed, turning around.
"Do you mind if I borrow her, to send this? Hedwig is asleep."
Hermione smiled and shook her head. "No, go ahead," she said then headed downstairs. Harry sealed his letter in an envelope, addressing it to Neville. He then walked down the hall to Hermione's room.
"Metis," Harry called gently as he approached the currently-eating owl's cage. "When you're done, can you deliver this for me?" he asked.
Upon looking up from the dish filled with owl treats, Metis's large amber eyes stared at Harry questioningly, unblinking.
"Hedwig is sleeping," he explained. The owl continued to stare. "But, if you'd prefer that I go wake her up..."
Metis suddenly took a drink of water, then hopped out of the cage onto the table. A feathered leg was extended. Harry smiled then tied the letter on.
"I'll put in a good word for you with her," Harry promised, then realized he wondered who Metis might've thought he meant: Hermione or Hedwig. Either way, the second snowy owl seemed appreciative. Metis hooted contentedly, then nipped affectionately at his fingers as he stroked the soft white feathers.
Let's just hope Hedwig didn't see that, Harry thought to himself. "I need you to deliver this to Neville Longbottom, okay?" Metis let out another small hoot, then took flight, soaring out the window into the hot afternoon.
As he turned around to leave, Harry suddenly noticed that something about Hermione's room was different from the last time he was in here. It felt... lighter... emptier... as if something was missing. Curious, he looked around briefly.
For whatever reason, Harry looked at her desk first. And right away, he noticed something was missing: one of her pictures. When he was in here the first time, there had been five photographs on her desk. Now there were four; one of the wizarding photographs was gone. It was the picture of the Quidditch team.
Maybe she doesn't want Ron to see it... Harry mused to himself with a smile.
Before he could really give it much thought, he started looking around a little more. He quickly noticed something else was missing. Her framed copy of The Quibbler was gone too. It had been hanging on the side wall next to her mirror. The hanging hook was still there, however, so it was unlikely that she'd simply decided to get rid of it for good.
Maybe... Luna did say that that issue was a very good seller. Maybe they ran out and she had to ask for this one back to give to Harry? But then why did Luna say that his present was the first one off the press? Hermione couldn't have gotten that one, could she? Thoughts of the Quidditch picture were forgotten as he wondered if Hermione had actually given him two presents.
Or three, he quipped to himself as he remembered his dream from this morning. Becoming extremely embarrassed thinking about that in her bedroom, Harry literally fled out the door. Once back in the safety of his own room, he also decided to change clothes while he was there. He'd been in his school shirt and trousers long enough today, thank you very much. At least now in jeans and a T-shirt, he wouldn't look quite so dressed up.
* * *
Harry returned downstairs to find everyone in the kitchen talking; the tee-vee-vision was off. Everyone was seated at the table, except Hermione (the table only sat four). Ron was sitting with his back to him. It didn't take very long to determine the topic of conversation.
"And so, Harry and I were sitting there in the compartment. I was about to try to turn my rat yellow."
"Scabs, or something like that?" Dan interrupted.
"The one that turned out to be that man in disguise? That man who betrayed Harry's parents?" Emma asked. Harry couldn't see his face, but the way Ron paused, Harry imagined he was very surprised that they knew. Not wanting to dwell on his former pet, Ron then quickly continued his tale.
"Yeah, that one. Anyway, so I was about to use the spell, when in walked Hermione with Neville. He'd lost his toad again. She was helping him look for it," Ron explained. Hermione, who was leaning against the back counter, saw Harry walk in and glanced at him. She smiled and rolled her eyes.
Harry grinned at her and wagged his eyebrows, indicating he was going to do something. Considering they'd just talked about this last night, he knew exactly what to do. He turned and watched Ron as he spoke. At different points in Ron's story, Dan, Emma, and Ginny all saw Harry standing there in the doorway behind Ron, but he held his finger up to his lips to tell them to be quiet.
"She saw that I was about to do a spell, so she asked to see it. I did it and nothing happened. Now, of course, I knew nothing would happen. I'd already done it before. I was just showing Harry."
"You were going to show Harry that the spell didn't work?" Emma asked, confused. Ron paused for a moment, scratching his head as he thought about it.
"Well... if you put it like that... then... I guess, yeah," Ron admitted, slightly embarrassed. "Anyway, after I did the spell and nothing happened, she says-"
"Are you sure that's a real spell? Well, it's not very good, is it?" Harry interrupted, doing his best to mimic Hermione's original tone as best he remembered it; Ron jumped in his chair. Everyone in the room began to chuckle, even Ron.
"Bloody hell, Harry," Ron complained, turning around to look at him. "You could give a bloke a heart attack like that," he said with an embarrassed smile.
"Honestly, if I have to hear that story one more time," Hermione complained jokingly. "Besides, I didn't know that you knew that it didn't work."
"So, what do you think?" Harry asked Ginny, making a show of looking around the kitchen.
"You have a beautiful home, Mr. and Mrs. Granger," she said, impressed. Harry looked at Ron.
"It's nice," Ron said. Though short, Harry could tell from his voice he was being genuine. High praise, he felt, considering Ron's "trapped" comment earlier that morning.
"Thank you, both of you," Emma said, almost embarrassed by their complements. "And please, call me Emma. I had to tell Harry here that twice before it finally sunk in. Let's see if you two can do better than that."
"Yeah, well, Harry here can be a little thick-headed sometimes," Ron jabbed at him. If everyone else hadn't been watching Harry feign guilt at that, they might have seen Dan and Emma shared a look that clearly meant, "He's not the only one!"
Eager to move the conversation away from himself, Harry decided steer it in another direction.
"So, did we have any plans for today?" he asked, glancing at the clock; it was just after three o'clock.
"No, no plans, really," Dan admitted, surprising everyone. "Just thought it would be nice to spend some time with Ron and Ginny." He then looked at Emma. "Anything you need or want to do?"
"Well, we need to go to the store again. The fridge is about empty. We could look around the other stores for a while, if anyone'd like," Emma suggested.
"Either of you two been to a Muggle shopping mall before?" Dan asked the Weasley children. Both shook their heads but Ginny looked extremely interested.
"No, but one of the girls in my dormitory is Muggle-born. She's always talking about it. Can we go?" she asked excitedly.
"What about you, Ron?" Dan enquired. Harry could tell Ron didn't seem entirely thrilled about the idea of going shopping, but since he didn't have any better ideas...
"Yeah, sure," he agreed, just glad to be doing something, anything, different for a change. Life at Grimmauld Place could get very old, very quickly. After deciding to leave Crookshanks in, everyone headed back out to the car. Once there, Emma suddenly realized something.
"Oh, but we're not going to have anywhere to put the shopping," she said as she looked at the back seat.
"Dad, can you turn the car around so the back is facing the house rather than the street?" Hermione asked. "I can put an Always Room charm on the little space between the back seat and the door. I just need the car the other way so no one can see me do it."
Dan got in the car and made a quick three-point turn, backing into the drive. He then got out, eager to see his witch-for-a-daughter perform some actual magic for the second time in his life. She'd performed some accidental magic when she was ten, summoning a book she wanted from the top-most shelf. No one saw her do it however, and even she didn't realize what she'd done at the time.
With the back door now raised, Hermione had her parents stand on one side and Harry and Ron on the other to block the view from the neighbors' houses. All of their neighbors were at work, but it never hurt to be safe.
After casting the spell, a sparkling effect was visible in the air between the back seat and where the door would be when closed. It faded a few moments later.
"There you go," she told her parents. "All done."
Dan and Emma looked... not unimpressed... but rather... hesitant. Shouldn't there have been something more? Hermione could see their reactions.
"Go on, reach in there," she encouraged them.
"In where?" Dan asked.
"In there, into that space between the seat and the door. Try to grab the back of the seat," she said with a knowing smile.
Dan put his hand out and leaned forward. He, like most humans (including witches and wizards), based their existence in the physical world on the tenet that seeing was believing. Though he thought otherwise, since he only saw six inches of space, he truly believed, deep down, that his hand would touch the back of the seat after six inches.
Leaning forward, after his hand traveled one foot, he actually lost his balance and fell into the back of the car, landing on the floor of the compartment. From the outside, looking "through" the field, it appeared as if the upper half of his body had been compressed to fit within those six inches.
After letting out a gasp of shock, Emma leaned down and looked "into" the field. She saw her husband, properly proportioned, sprawled out on the floor of the car, beginning laugh. It appeared as though the back end of the car had been stretched to fit him. The seat was slightly beyond his reach. Even when he pushed himself forward several inches, it always remained just out of reach.
"Let's go," was all Dan said after he pulled himself out, looking both amused and embarrassed at the same time. Again, Harry and Hermione took the back seat. And again, Harry allowed her to get in first.
* * *
Not surprisingly, the first stores visited in the shopping center were the bookstore and the bath store. Hermione, and Harry, separated from the group as they walked into the bookstore. Ron noticed this, stopped, and then watched Dan, Emma, and Ginny continue on two more stores down. He stood in front of the bookstore, looking very torn between the two. A bookstore or a bath store? He decided to go on down to the bath store.
"Hello again, dear!" the shop owner greeted Hermione happily. She then cast a quick glance at Harry. "Didn't have to drag him in this time, did you?" she said to her with a wink. Harry could see Hermione blush a little at her comment.
The friendly woman then turned to look directly at Harry. "Did she?" she then asked him, winking at him too. It was now his turn to blush a little. Again, he noticed her glance briefly up to the scar on his forehead, and again she then looked away as if it meant nothing to her. And again, he found this very comforting.
One minute later, Ron came back to the bookstore.
"Bloody hell, mate," Ron breathed. "Soap and shampoo everywhere. Scented bath oils, little puffy, scrubby things," he continued, looking more and more horrified. He actually shuddered slightly.
"Girls like those kinds of things, Ron," Harry told him. Ron gave him a "How do you know that?" kind of look.
"Because I have to share a bathroom with her," Harry reminded Ron, whispering so Hermione wouldn't hear. "Besides there's nothing wrong with a little Morning Flower shampoo."
Ron looked absolutely mortified. "Please, Harry! Please don't tell me you're using her shampoo," he begged quietly.
Soap and shampoo were about the only two things Harry did not have in his bathroom kit. The Hogwarts bathrooms were always well stocked with those sorts of things. While on Privet Drive, the Dursleys actually demanded that he use theirs. Evidently, the only thing worse that letting him use the soap and shampoo they paid for was the possibility of him bringing home some freakish devil's brew made of frog spawn and bat guts.
Harry had to suppress a little laugh. "No," he replied honestly. "Fortunately Dan had the forethought to give me a small bottle of his. Nice, plain, ordinary, manly shampoo," he assured Ron. He may not have been using her shampoo, but he did make sure to take note of which kind it was this morning.
Seemingly satisfied, Ron started walking idly around the store, waiting for them to finish. Harry went over to the used book shelf to see if Hermione had found anything she liked.
"Anything new?" he asked her.
"A few," Hermione replied without much enthusiasm. "They haven't gotten in that big shipment yet that she mentioned, but there are some new ones here."
"How can you tell?"
"She actually has these shelves sorted by when she got the books in," she explained. "Evidently she gets a lot of people who come in regularly and browse the used books. It's a lot easier to do that if you know that the newest ones are on the top most shelf."
Hermione then pointed to a book five in from the right side on the top shelf. "This book was the newest one the last time we were here. These are the new ones since then," she said, indicating the dozen or so to the left of that one. "This way, I only have to remember the title of this one book if I know I'm going to come in soon. Everything to the left of that is new."
"Makes sense," Harry admitted. And it did. If one came in regularly and wasn't looking for anything specific, it certainly seemed to be the most efficient way to organize the used books. A person only had to look through the new ones. "Find anything you like?"
"Actually... yes," she said suddenly, grinning, as her eyes landed on the second to last new one. "Never got around to reading the book. The movie was amazing, so let's see how the book is." She then pulled the book she found off the shelf and handed it to Harry.
"Jurassic Park. What's it about? A retirement community?" Harry asked honestly.
Seeing that he was serious, Hermione resisted the urge to swat his arm and prevented herself from laughing. Just barely.
"No, I think you're thinking Geriatric Park. You've got your words mixed up," she explained. "This is a story about an island... sort of a biological preserve... where scientists bring dinosaurs back to life."
"Dinosaurs?" Harry asked incredulously. "As in really big lizards? As in makes a Hungarian Horntail look like a puppy?"
"Or as in really big birds, depending on your point of view," she added, confusing Harry. "Never mind."
"Are you two done yet?" Ron whined quietly, coming up to them.
"Just a little bit, Ron," Hermione responded. "Just go look around for a minute, or go on up with Mum and Dad."
"I've already been there. And I've already looked at the entire store here! Let's go!"
Harry could see as Hermione looked straight ahead (away from Ron) and then rolled her eyes at the book shelf. "Fine!" she hissed. Ron was lucky there were only about a dozen new books that she needed to look at. She went over to the sales counter and bought her book. Harry and Ron followed behind her.
"Remember, my next big shipment of used books should be in around the nineteenth or so. Be sure to stop by again," the shop owner said. Harry noticed that she was directing her speech at both Hermione and him.
"I will," Hermione promised. "Goodbye."
"Have a nice day, dear," the owner told Hermione. "Goodbye," she then said to Harry friendlily. He replied in kind. She then said goodbye to Ron.
"Bye," Ron said quickly, though not rudely.
None of them heard the owner mutter to herself after they left the store, "Third wheel."
Ron looked very uncomfortable in the bath shop. He ended up following close behind Harry as he did the "walking around" thing, like he did the first time. Dan and Emma evidently still had plenty of whatever it was pink they'd bought last time, so they decided to look for a new natural scrubbing sponge this time.
After he bumped into him for the third time, Harry was about to tell Ron to just go wait outside if he didn't like it in here so much. He stopped himself, however, when something caught his eye. At first, he was surprised to see something like that. But then as he looked around the store and saw all the different kinds of specialty soaps and shampoos, he realized he really shouldn't have been surprised at all.
He'd never associated any specific fragrances to her, but seeing this, for some reason it just reminded him of Luna Lovegood. He grabbed the bottle of shampoo and opened the top.
"Here, Ron, smell this," Harry said, shoving the open bottle directly under his nose. He made sure his hand covered the label.
Ron jerked back in reflex, but not before getting a good whiff of it. He visibly stuttered as the scent registered with his brain. A look of wonder slowly came over his face.
"What is that?" he asked, very curious.
"What does it smell like?" Harry asked knowingly.
"For some reason, it reminds me of..." Ron trailed off, thinking. A moment later, he quickly looked away, embarrassed. "It smells like... pumpkin," he finally said, since he knew he had to say something to try to cover his first, aborted sentence.
Harry repressed a smirk and handed him the bottle of Pumpkin Essence Shampoo. "Amazing what they can come up with these days," Harry said, before leaving Ron alone with his shampoo.
Ten minutes later, they finally left the store. Emma bought a new sponge; Ginny had two bags of stuff. Though Ron didn't buy anything, Harry did notice him go back and smell the pumpkin shampoo twice more before they finally left.
Skipping the department store this time, the walk down to the end of the promenade and back to their starting point in the center was very brief. Back at the entrance in the middle, Dan and Harry quickly ran everyone's purchases out to the car so they wouldn't have to carry them around in the grocery store.
With a large shopping center attached to it and customers bringing shopping bags in with them, the grocery store was very susceptible to... shrinkage. As such, "Customer Assistance Representatives" were stationed at the entrances to inspect bags. They were an effective deterrent to those who might be tempted to pilfer the produce or purloin some sirloin.
As they walked toward the grocery store, Dan and Emma kept Ron and Ginny with them, chatting all the while, getting to know their daughter's other friends better. This allowed Harry and Hermione to fall back a few steps to walk separately from them. They were still close enough to hear the conversation and contribute when necessary. For the most part however, the two of them simply enjoyed walking side by side.
Separately, both of them knew that they were walking far closer to each other than they otherwise normally might. Neither of them however wanted to say anything about it as it might cause the other to move away. And so neither did. As a result, they continued to walk, nearly shoulder-to-shoulder, behind the others, both secretly enjoying it.
Ron and Harry went into the sporting goods store after Ginny dragged Hermione into what Harry called the "teenage girl's jewelry store," which was on the opposite side of the promenade. Dan and Emma went to go sit down on one of the benches in the center, between the two stores.
"When Ginny went to grab Hermione, did you notice how close the two of them were walking together?" Emma asked Dan.
"Yeah," Dan confirmed. "It's obvious that they certainly seem to enjoy each other's presence."
"I nearly started crying seeing her hold onto him after he collapsed in the office," Emma admitted. "And the way he grabbed hold of her arm once he realized it was her, you'd think he was afraid of falling down again if he let go... even though he was already down.
"Is there really any doubt in your mind anymore about his feelings?" she then asked Dan cautiously.
"No, I don't think there ever was," he admitted. "I was just trying to slow you down a little," he said with a sheepish grin. Emma playfully swatted his arm.
"Patience, luv," Dan advised, again sensing where she was about to go. "It's not even been twenty-four hours. Now, granted it has been a very busy day, but it's still only been one day. After hiding her feelings for years, she's not going to admit them," he snapped his fingers, "just like that.
"And Harry..." he continued, "I don't know when he developed feelings for her, but it was very recently." Emma turned to look at Dan, eyebrows raised.
"All I know is that he didn't have romantic feelings for her, consciously at least, when we had our little chat." Dan explained. "What was it, Monday last? I may have already known him from five years of her letters, but I'm still a dad. I had to size him up, to see if he was as advertised."
Sitting on the bench, Dan looked into the sporting goods store and watched as Harry pointed out to Ron the various sporting instruments.
"What about Ron and Ginny?" he suddenly asked. "Do you think they know? Or see it?"
"Well, Ron... from what I've read... and from what I've seen of him today, he's a wonderful friend for them," Emma said. "I suspect, however, that there are times you could drive a lorry through his bedroom and he wouldn't notice it. And he really does have the worst timing in the world," she said, winking at Dan.
"Ginny, on the other hand, is a different story," Emma began. "I don't want to say she suspects them, but the thought has certainly crossed her mind." It was Dan's turn to look at Emma with eyebrows raised in surprise.
"She actually asked me about them today," Emma confessed. "As we were coming back to the lift from the cafeteria, she asked me if I thought there was anything going on between the two of them."
"She just brought that up, right after what happened?" Dan asked in surprise, almost offended.
"Well..." Emma paused, shifted slightly, and looked quite guilty. "It may not have been entirely from out of nowhere. I'd been asking her about Harry, and telling her how much we've enjoyed having him with us. I... uh... may have gotten a little carried away, and made a comment or two about how good of friends they are. It may have gotten her to thinking."
"You just can't keep your big mouth shut, can you?" Dan said with a grin in an entirely teasing voice. He'd teased her similarly this morning after her little outburst back in Diagon Alley.
Emma knew he was teasing and could give as good as she got. "Nope. Besides, I thought you liked it when I opened my mouth," she said with a great big smirk. Dan actually blushed at that, and quickly looked around to see if anyone was paying attention to them.
"You were saying about Ginny?" he said quickly, desperate to not allow this particular conversation to continue any further... at least in public.
"Anyway, so I was going on and on-"
"And on," Dan reminded her.
"-about the two of them," Emma resumed, again looking guilty. "On our way back to the lift, she asked if I thought there was anything going on between them."
"And?"
"And I told her the truth," Emma said. "I told her that I hadn't seen anything to indicate that there was anything going on between them. I also reminded her that Harry was dealing with the loss of Sirius, and that he was going through a difficult time.
"I told her that all three of us were trying to help him with that while he was with us, and it was perfectly natural that the two of them... or the four of us even," Emma added, "might seem a little closer because of it.
"That seemed to placate her. Fortunately, she never did flat out ask if I thought either of them fancied the other," she said, obviously relieved. "I can be selective about volunteering unnecessary information just fine, but I've never been a good liar."
"Yeah, I noticed," Dan added with a smirk, thinking of her pathetic excuse about Crookshanks this morning.
Emma thought about it a little more. "It goes back to what Hermione and I talked about last night," she explained. "She told me that she knew who the competition was. She said she worried about Ginny and another girl called Luna, about them drawing his attention.
"Ginny obviously knows who her competition is too," Emma said with a small, satisfied grin. "Hermione said that she, Ginny, asked him out yesterday, and that he said no. I think if she's realized that he doesn't fancy her, that she's now stepping back a little and is beginning to notice things, about the two of them... things she might've missed before because she was too close.
"It'll be interesting to see if..." Emma trailed off as she saw Harry and Ron coming out of the sporting goods store.
"Anything exciting?" Dan asked Ron.
"Well, cricket sounds interesting enough, but I'll take a broom and a Snitch any day," Ron said. "Have either of you seen a Quidditch game before?" he asked quietly. Dan and Emma shook their heads.
"Well, you see, there's the problem," Ron decided. "You can't appreciate a game like that without seeing it in person."
"Well, we've heard about it from Hermione," Dan defended.
"No offense, Mr. Granger," Ron said, "but Hermione telling you about Quidditch is like... well... like me telling you about... the goblin riots of 1645, or whatever year they happened."
"1546, Ron," Harry said behind him, then shook his head and shrugged his shoulders to Dan to indicate he really didn't know either and was just kidding.
"Exactly!" Ron said, thinking that Harry just proved his point... which, in a way, he did.
Dan and Emma just smiled and didn't say anything in response. While they knew Hermione did know a lot more about Quidditch than she let on, they also knew Ron was right about one thing. They knew there were seven players on a team, and they suspected that there was more to the game than just what the Seeker did.
"You know, you guys should come to one of our games some time," Ron suddenly said, looking very excited. Harry turned to look at Ron with a look that suggested to Dan that if it weren't for Hermione, he might just kiss him for that.
Dan laughed a little. "Well, I don't know if that's possible, Ron," Dan said, trying not to get too excited by the idea.
"Sure it is!" Ron countered. "Parents come to games loads of times!"
"But how would we get there?" Dan pointed out.
"Oh yeah," Ron realized. "I didn't think about that."
Harry stepped in at this point. "If we figure out a way, would you guys like to come to a game sometime?" he asked very hopefully.
Dan and Emma could both see his eagerness at the idea, which in all honesty they shared. They looked at each other; there really was no way they could turn down an opportunity like that. They'd never seen anything of their daughter's world more than Diagon Alley, and after today, the Ministry.
"If you guys can figure out how to get us there, and if we can coordinate our schedules, then..." Emma trailed off, grinning, "HELL YES!" All four of them started laughing at that.
"What's so funny?" Hermione asked them all as she and Ginny walked up.
"What'd you buy?" Ron asked Ginny when he saw her carrying a bag from the jewelry store, starting a separate conversation that overlapped the other.
"Oh, your mum was just swearing again," Harry replied with a grin.
"Earrings," Ginny answered.
"What about, this time?" Hermione inquired as she looked at her mother, jokingly shaking a finger at her like a parent scolding a child.
"Hey, today's my one bad day a year!" Emma defended.
"How'd you buy them?" Ron asked.
"Oh, Ron actually had the brilliant idea to ask your parents to come to school some time and watch a Quidditch match," Harry explained. "If we can figure out how to get them there, that is."
"Hermione bought them for me. I didn't have any Mu... any pounds with me, so she paid for them. I gave her some Galleons when the cashier wasn't looking," Ginny explained.
"OH! That would be SO wonderful if you could come some time," Hermione exclaimed, very excited. "I'm sure there are many ways to get them there... or at least to Hogsmeade. We'll figure out a way, I promise!"
"Wait! What? You're coming to school with us?" Ginny suddenly asked Dan and Emma when the other conversation registered in her mind.
"Maybe," Emma said, "to watch one of your Quidditch matches, if there's a way we can get there."
"I'll ask Dad," Ginny offered. "They bring Muggle parents in for graduation ceremonies every year. I don't know how, but I know they do."
"Well, the season doesn't start for several months, so let's worry about this later," Emma said, eager to get them moving again.
* * *
"Now this is a cool store!" Ron exclaimed as they all walked into the games store. Harry immediately took Ron over to look at the chess sets. The six sets he saw the first time were still there, but he also wanted to be sure to get a look at the other display case before he left.
"Oh, Harry. These are so wicked!" Ron said, clearly impressed. "They almost make up for the fact that they don't move," he added quietly. Just then, Harry happened to hear the cashier greet Dan and ask if he was enjoying the chess set he'd just bought. Salespeople tended to remember customers who dropped £199 on a chess set without blinking an eye.
Again, two hundred pounds really wasn't "nothing" to Dan and Emma, but Hermione always asked them for so little, so an indulgence like that once a year or so wasn't a big deal. Especially considering the recipient.
Harry distracted Ron while the salesperson and Dan spoke. For some reason, he really didn't want Ron to know how much work Hermione put into getting this present for him, or how much it had cost. With twenty-five thousand Galleons in his own vault now, he assumed Ron wouldn't make a big issue of it; Harry just felt it was a private matter between himself and Hermione.
No one ended up buying anything, but Ron thoroughly enjoyed the fifteen minutes or so they spent in there. Remembering what stores were between here and there, Harry expected the grocery store would be their next (and final) stop. If Ron enjoyed the game store, he wondered how he'd react to a modern, Muggle megamart.
Returning to the promenade, Hermione made sure to stay with Ginny this time, and behind Harry and Ron. She knew there was a music store near the end, just before the grocery store. She wanted to try to watch Harry and see what he did as he walked by it.
Back at the record store outside The Leaky Cauldron, what he did and the way he said "Nothing" just about drove her insane wondering what he was doing. It therefore was quite maddening when, as they walked by the music store, Harry didn't go in. He didn't even look or slow down in the slightest.
He obviously hadn't bought anything back there, so whatever he talked to the shop owner about, he must've gotten it taken care of, since he didn't seem at all interested in this store. She promised herself she would figure out what he was doing, even if it was the last thing she ever did.
As they walked into the grocery store, Ron was clearly blown away. He looked like... well, exactly like Ron Weasley in a very large building completely filled with food.
"I've died and gone on," he said dreamily.
"Stay!" Harry ordered as Ron was about to wander off on his own. As they started shopping (okay, fine, Emma started hunting and gathering), Dan asked Ron and Ginny a little about some of the more mundane details of wizarding life.
"So I take it you don't have stores like these where you live, right?"
"Blimey, no," Ron replied. "If we did, I'd go shopping with Mum all the time!"
"We have... had... a garden. Mum grew a bunch of stuff there," Ginny explained. "There's a small shop down in Ottery St. Catchpole where Mum goes to buy the stuff we can't grow ourselves, but it's nothing like this.
"I mean, really, it's little more than a small room with a bunch of shelves. You grab a bag of flour off the shelf and another appears to take its place. I really don't know how it works," she said. Harry smiled as he saw Hermione move as if she was about to explain exactly how it worked, but then stopped herself, deciding against it.
"What do you mean 'had' a garden?" Dan asked gingerly, realizing he might be straying into dangerous territory, but unable to stop himself at the same time. And speaking of people being unable to stop themselves, he then suddenly reached out to grab hold of Ron's shoulder to keep him from wandering off again.
"Oh," Ginny replied easily, since it really wasn't that big of a deal. "We had to move out for a while, since they felt it might be dangerous, what with You-Know-Who out now."
A sad look came over her face. "Honestly, after what Dumbledore said today, I don't know why we have to stay there anymore anyway! They made us move out at the beginning of last holiday," Ginny explained. "They let Mum and Dad and Bill and Charlie go back midway through the last term.
"But as soon as we came home for holiday again this year, they had to move out again. Honestly!" Ginny exclaimed. Evidently Harry wasn't the only one to subconsciously pick up Hermione's preferred interjection. "I think we're all starting to go stir-crazy there! It certainly isn't the most inviting of places.
"Dumbledore was right!" Ginny continued, now on a full head of steam (though she was keeping her voice low). "We can't live in fear of what might happen. I'd rather live in my home, and be just a little bit more at risk, than to be holed up somewhere hidden, out of the way. Harry here is the lucky one in all this. You weren't exactly at home in Surrey anyway, were you?"
Harry smiled and shook his head in agreement. "At least now you're with people who don't bar your windows," Ginny pointed out.
"And besides, all of us are coming and going often enough that if someone really wanted to get us, they could just wait for us somewhere else. So what if absolutely safe inside? We have to go outside eventually."
Everyone seemed to agree with that assessment but let it go at that since it didn't seem that there was much to be done about it. Unbeknownst to them however, on the other side of London an almost identical conversation was occurring via Floo between Arthur and Molly Weasley.
Harry made the mistake of offering to use his pound notes to pay for anything Ron wanted, like Hermione did for Ginny. Once he did, the flood gates were opened. Harry eventually went to grab a second trolley just to keep Ron's purchases separate when even Hermione could no longer keep track of everything he'd selected.
Grocery shopping was soon finished and they were on their way back to the car. By the time he decided he had enough "for now," Ron had spent nearly £40, much of it on sweets, snacks, and crisps. He also bought enough Coca Cola to last the average person a month. Ron might get a week out of it... maybe two. No one had the heart to say anything to him however, since every single item he bought was something that was simply not to be found in the wizarding world.
Dan and Emma were both so eager to use their new-found, seemingly-endless cargo space that neither of them would let the teenagers help load the groceries, even Ron's bags. In fact, there was actually a momentary stare-down when both of them grabbed the last bag at the same time. Emma won of course.
Back on Broomhill Road however, the four witches and wizards were not so fortunate. By the time they got home, the newness of the Always Room charm was gone, and now it was just like any other storage compartment. Everyone helped take the groceries in (not that anyone complained, though).
Round about half-past five, a brief, soft roar of fire could be heard in the kitchen. Harry turned around and looked into the kitchen from the loveseat where he was sitting. He saw a piece of parchment float down onto the table, accompanied by a single phoenix feather.
As he went to retrieve it, he continued to listen as Ron and Ginny, on the sofa, recounted some of their adventures, from their point of view. Dan and Emma, sitting on chairs they'd brought in from the kitchen, listened with rapture. They were always eager to learn more about the magical world, to say nothing of their desire to better get to know Ron and Ginny.
"What is it?" Hermione asked as Harry sat back down next to her.
"Professor Dumbledore wanted to know if we were here, and if he could drop in," he said after reading the note.
"Tell him yes, of course," Emma insisted. Harry pulled out his wand and tapped the piece of parchment twice, as per the instructions. Less than a minute later, both Dumbledore and Fawkes arrived in the kitchen.
After a few brief greetings, everyone returned to the living room to get more comfortable. With a wave of his wand, Dumbledore quickly resized the entire room to accommodate a second loveseat along with his usual preferred armchair, so that everyone could be comfortable. As they sat down, Dan and Emma stared curiously at Fawkes for several seconds.
"Is... is that a phoenix?" Dan asked in awe.
Dumbledore smiled. "Quite right, Mr. Granger! It pleases me that you recognize him."
"I've never seen one before," Dan admitted, then smiled. "I mean, not even in the movies or on television, not life-like. All I've ever seen were sketches in books and cartoon renditions. He's truly beautiful."
Fawkes trilled softly then tucked his head under his wing, as if embarrassed.
"So, what brings you by this evening, Headmaster?" Emma asked. "Dinner?" she asked suggestively, remembering his earlier comment.
"No, I'm afraid not, Mrs. Granger. I find myself needed elsewhere this evening. I have a meeting or two to attend," Dumbledore explained. "I did however want to stop by and bring an update on that little incident earlier this afternoon. Miss Granger, are you still taking a subscription to the Prophet?" Hermione nodded.
"You will be getting a special edition soon this evening, reporting on the day's events. As they are all already en route, and the MLE investigators left Azkaban not fifteen minutes ago, it will be lacking in any conclusive information.
"Here is what we have been able to piece together," Dumbledore began. "Now, this is based on prisoner witness statements and Auror debriefings, along with what you told us this afternoon. Eight prisoners were taken to Azkaban this afternoon. One of them, it seems, may not have gotten himself arrested by accident.
"As you may or may not know, Lucius Malfoy insisted that he have a hearing today. Mere minutes before it was scheduled to begin, the dementors attacked. Whilst Mr. Scrimgeour and the guards were attempting to repel them, those prisoners huddled in a corner, hoping to stay out of the way. One did not.
"One of the prisoners slipped away from the group and made his way to the guard station," Dumbledore narrated. "All of the guards were fighting so it was unattended. He immediately pulled the cell-door release lever. All of the cells were suddenly unlocked. The first prisoner to escape found himself facing the battle as it was between him and the way out.
"We assume he did not know the dementors were there assisting in the escape. Whether he was charging to attack the nearest dementor barehanded in self-defense, or simply trying to run around the battle will never be known. The nearest dementor however did not distinguish. It swooped down and performed the kiss mid-run. He fell, dead.
"Losing prisoners was most likely not part of Voldemort's plan. The prisoner who'd opened the cells saw this and, it seems, moved to try to stop the dementor. A second one abandoned its advance on a guard and turned instead on the unarmed prisoner. As you know, dementors will not distinguish between those they hunt and those who get in their way.
"All dementors can feel when a soul has been taken by any one of them. By then, with the absorption of two souls, their... blood lust, for lack of a more fitting term, took over."
"Is this what worried you so about the dementors, Professor?" Hermione asked.
"Yes, Miss Granger. The dementors were perfectly content to work in our employ at Azkaban, as long as they were kept well fed by the feelings and memories of the prisoners. Lord Voldemort, no doubt, must have promised them more: souls. In actuality, the dementor's kiss was rarely performed. Most prisoners wasted away on their own.
"When it did happen, it was usually during an attempted escape," Dumbledore explained. "That is why no one, almost no one, ever escaped Azkaban. A prisoner without a wand stood virtually no chance outside of his or her cell."
Everyone sat in silence for a few moments. Finally, Harry cleared his throat. "So, are you saying the dementors simply got carried away?" he asked.
Dumbledore thought about it for a few moments. "Essentially, yes. They were there for a reason. When prisoners, and even accomplices got in the way, the dementors made no distinction.
"The situation rapidly deteriorated from there. Emboldened by their first two kills, the dementors turned on anyone out in the open, including the seven remaining prisoners. All were kissed. The guards' Patronuses were effective for a while, however they were quickly outnumbered two-to-one by the dementors. None survived."
Dumbledore paused for a moment. "All of the other prisoners, witnessing this, remained in their cells. Whilst a dementor can feed off a person's feelings merely by being in proximity, they must make physical contact to perform the kiss. The cells in Azkaban were designed as much to keep the prisoners in as to keep the dementors out. Even unlocked, as long as the doors were closed, the remaining prisoners were safe... from the kiss, at least.
"By the time the Aurors arrived (and the cell doors relocked), every soul outside of a cell in that part of the prison had been taken. A closed hallway door prevented the dementors from killing every guard in Azkaban. The dementors waited there, hungry for more. Only the immediate, simultaneous casting of Patronuses by the Aurors was able to push the dementors back. A Patronus can destroy a dementor. As such, they began to retreat.
"At this point, you heard what Mr. Shacklebolt said. Outside, the Death Eater landing party arrived. Still hungry for souls, the dementors then turned on them too."
"Didn't Voldemort think this might happen?" Harry asked.
"Tom has a very narrow view of the world, Harry" Dumbledore explained. "You are either pureblood, or you are not. You either have power, or you do not. In his mind, the only way to have power is to use it, against people. You are either with him, or you are against him.
"That, I think, is the source of his defeat today," Dumbledore explained. "Since the dementors were not against him, then by his reasoning, they must have been with him. He would not believe that they simply had their own agenda, and for the moment, their separate objectives merely coincided on the same path."
"What happens next?" Harry asked.
"I do not know," Dumbledore admitted. "The dementors took thirty souls today. Dementors feed off the feelings, thoughts, and memories of humans. It sustains them. Taking a soul, if you'll forgive the analogy, is like giving them a stimulant, or a vitamin boost.
"The stolen life force makes them stronger, gives them... energy. For all the talk of the dementor's kiss, it is quite rare when they actually take even one soul. No one knows what might result from taking thirty."
"What do we do?" Harry asked, interrupting the ominous mood that had settled upon them.
"For now, we be patient," Dumbledore told them again. "Revision on the Patronus charm is certainly a good idea, but other than that, we be vigilant and go on with our lives." Everyone in the room nodded at that.
"Well, Fawkes and I must be on our way," Dumbledore said, standing up. "I have to-" His words were cut off by a sound coming from upstairs. Both Harry and Hermione recognized the almost barking-like sound from the day before.
"Metis!" Hermione gasped.
"Please wait here," Dumbledore said calmly, then walked absolutely silently up the stairs, drawing his wand as he went. A few seconds after he entered Hermione's room, everyone could hear him chuckle and then speak fondly to someone, though they couldn't make out his words. He returned downstairs a few moments later, smiling and holding a copy of the Daily Prophet.
"A fine guard owl you have there, Miss Granger," the Headmaster told her as he handed her the paper. "I am quite sure the owl that delivered this still does not know what hit him. Do not worry, Miss Granger. No actual contact was made," he assured her after seeing the concerned look on her face.
"Metis merely had him cornered. It is a good thing the Prophet employs owls in shifts. I dare say this particular owl will not want to deliver here again. Wizarding owls, familiars in particular, can be very protective of those they value."
"It's a good thing Metis and Hedwig seem to get along just fine," Harry noted with a grin.
"It is," Dumbledore agreed, returning the smile.
"Sorry, Ron," Hermione apologized, also smiling, as she remembered Metis's reaction to Pig the previous day.
"That's okay," Ron said. "He tends to bring out that reaction a lot. Errol was too old to care, but Hermes tolerates him barely. I guess they have to since they're like brothers, or something like that. I guess that's the same with your two."
"Something like that," Dumbledore said. He smiled, then pulled out his wand since everyone was standing. After returning the room to normal, he held his arm out towards Fawkes.
"Oh, before you go, Professor," Dan began. "Mr. Weasley asked if it would be possible for you to leave a Portkey, if it isn't too much to ask, so that Ron and Ginny could return tomorrow."
"Of course," Dumbledore agreed. "It is a rather long journey there and back. Does anyone have something they can take with them, that I might use?"
Ron pulled one of the pieces of candy he bought out of his pocket and handed it to him. Dumbledore took it, smiling, and thanked him. As he charmed it into a Portkey, Ginny reminded Ron, "You do realize that you can't eat that now, until after we get back?"
"Oh yeah," Ron said, looking disappointed. "Oh well, there's plenty more," he said happily, looking over at his shopping bags that were sitting in the corner.
"Five o'clock tomorrow," Dumbledore told them as he handed back the piece of candy. "If that's everything, I will wish you all a good day." After everyone said goodbye, Dumbledore looked at Fawkes, who extended his wings. He flapped them once; the two of them rose off the ground a fraction of an inch then disappeared in a flash of fire.
Here is another manip done by Evernight. I like it because it brings to life a scene that otherwise night get lost in the words.