AN: Hey everyone! My sincerest thanks to those that reviewed! You guys completely inspired my to put this chapter up this morning. I even woke up early for you, haha! Perhaps I can even put up another one tonight if I can find the time! As always, I'd really like to thank you guys for the support-that's why I try to answer every single review I get. I hope the replied aren't too long-winded! I received some concern about how overused the plotline is, and I completely understand that. I've read a lot of stories just like this. I hope that I can find a way to surprise you at least a little bit-even though the storyline is overused. Enjoy!
Spoiler Alert: There should be no spoilers at all in this chapter. I reread each chapter to catch mistakes and check for spoilers. If you doubt my abilities, go finish reading the seventh book and come back!
Disclaimer: I own nothing recognizable from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. There are just a few small things that I did invent in this story, and it's pretty obvious that they aren't mentioned in the series.
IV
This week had been unusually long for Hermione. She spent most of her time avoiding and ignoring Harry who seemed desperate to get her attention. She couldn't believe what he was saying about her date though. He didn't even know anything about Nicholas! Finally the weekend arrived and Hermione was excited about her first date ever. This morning, Hermione was in her dorm sitting on her bed while Ginny was fixing her hair. The two girls had become fast friends through classes and also because they were in the same house and side of the dorms. Ginny turned out to be nothing like her brother Ron and Hermione got along very well with the younger girl.
"Are you excited about your date?" Ginny questioned.
"Oh yes! I've been looking forward to it. You know it's my first date ever and I want it to go really well. Do you think he'll like the way I look?"
"Of course he will! You're beautiful, Hermione." Ginny said quickly, "But be careful. Slytherins can be pretty nasty sometimes."
Hermione jumped up indignantly, "Harry asked you to tell me that didn't he!?"
Ginny stood up calmly, "No, in fact he didn't. And I'm not saying that as his friend, I'm saying it as yours. I have prior experience with Slytherins and they're not called sly for the heck of it." She took a breath, "If Nicholas really does like you though, then good for you! I hope everything works out for the best." Ginny smiled, "There, you look lovely!"
"Thanks Ginny-oh, look at the time! I better get down to the Great Hall. Nicholas asked to meet me there before we left."
"Have fun, Hermione!" Ginny called out after the girl. Sighing distractedly, Ginny decided that she would go down to the Common Room where she was meeting Harry before he embarked on his 'mission'-as he liked to call it.
Harry sadly watched Hermione walk out of the Common Room without even acknowledging him. He was knocked out of his reverie by an irritated Ginny, "Stop moping! You've done enough of that your first six years. Now before you embark on your 'mission' let me remind you again that you can't let her see you spying on her at all! Even if you have the right intentions, finding out like that will only make her hate you. Do you understand, Harry?" The boy nodded grimly, "No matter what he's doing, don't expose yourself. Good luck, Harry."
Harry nodded determinedly before standing up with a familiar fire in his eyes. "I won't let Hermione be hurt."
"Of course you won't" Ginny smiled, "by the way, I tried to warn her again-even though you didn't ask. She's still not in the mood to listen."
"Thanks for turning me back into myself, Gin" Harry grinned, "I'll try not to mope around anymore. There's no time for that anyways, it is time for action!" With that, Harry grabbed his Invisibility Cloak and fled through the portrait hole. Ginny followed him out leisurely. With everything going on, she definitely deserved a nice day to herself in Hogsmeade.
Harry made it down to the Great Hall where he saw Hermione and Nicholas just leaving. It became apparent that the guy was already moving in. Hermione was clutching a bouquet of pure white lilies in her hands and blushing prettily as she smiled sweetly at Nicholas. Harry grimaced before taking a deep breath, swinging his Cloak on, and following them out the grand doors outside towards Hogsmeade.
The festivities were in full swing when they arrived in Hogsmeade, multitudes of couples and groups of friends made their way through the colorful magical community. The clear and sunny sky rained glowing rays through the celebratory streamers in the sky. This was the first Hogmeade visit since the reign of Voldemort. Shop doors were wide open and inviting jolly students in to purchase their fine wares. Teachers patrolled the streets to make sure that there wasn't any trouble, but they seemed to be enjoying the weather and atmosphere just as much as everyone else.
Harry followed as Nicholas helped Hermione push past the swarm of bodies into Honeydukes. Harry could only watch-albeit enviously-while Nicholas doted on Hermione, buying her delectable treats and just overall giving her a good time. He watched her squeal when she saw the large assortment of chocolate, but before she could get her hands on any, Nicholas had dragged her out of the shop. It was easy for Harry to see that the boy didn't want to spend too much money on her. He laughed happily even though he knew that he would regret the laughter when Hermione was hurt. Watching the two go down the street into the new bookstore, Must-Have Manuscript for the Everyday Witch and Wizard, Harry casually took off his cloak and meandered over to the chocolate section to buy a fair amount of chocolate. Harry smiled to himself as he unwrapped and ate a chocolate frog. There was no reason he couldn't enjoy himself while on his stakeout. Looking through the window of the old bookstore, he laughed at Hermione running around her favorite store. He had a bit of time, so why not stop by his favorite joke shop: Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes?
Harry walked amicably into the shop and was nearly blinded by all of the vibrant colors. Ribbons hung on the ceiling and the walls were adorned with shelves filled completely with practical jokes and gags. Having never even heard of half of the items, Harry was wary of the devices floating above his head. He took even more caution with the normal-looking items as those could be far more dangerous than the odd looking objects. The popular shop was completely full of people that were testing, watching, and marveling at the randomness of the wacky store. Harry made his way to the counter at the end of the shop, looking for Fred and George.
"Hey there, Harry!" George called out noticing the raven-haired boy.
"Oi, how's everything going, Harry?" Fred added from the back of the shop. He came out holding a peculiar-looking object. He handed it gently to a young girl, "Be careful with that now, miss. Remember, Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes cannot and will not be held responsible for damage of any form caused by products purchased at and produced at the premise. Liability is left entirely to the user for the item to be used at his or her own discretion. Physical, mental, traumatic, health, and any relating sorts of damage are not covered in our warranty. We will only take responsibility for the item in question if it is found to be defective or lacking in quality. Standard replacement rules apply: see the fine print in your package for replacement options. Er… what else? Oh, right! If you find yourself experiencing sensations, feelings, growth, deformation, ideas, major mood changes, personality flipping, or any other abnormalities, contact St. Mungo's immediately, and please reach us by means of owl or floo-floo preferred. Have a great day!"
"You don't expect that little girl to remember all of that do you?" Harry asked incredulously.
"Nope" Fred said simply, "but as long as we've said it, we technically cannot be held responsible for the mess the kids might cause."
The twins laughed, "What brings you to our humble shop, oh generous sponsor?" George said with a bow.
"I was in the area, and thought I'd stop by to see my favorite twins." Harry laughed.
"Oh, Harry, we've actually been meaning to contact you, mate. We've come up with the most devilishly fantastic idea ever!"
"The two of us!" When Harry looked inquiringly at them, they quickly ushered them into the back room. "It really is a brilliant little gag."
"Or most spectacular prank ever."
"Yep, like all of the rest rolled into one."
"But we thought that rather than field testing it on ourselves, we'd give you the pleasure of testing it for us!" Harry looked stricken.
"Oh, no, my friend, not on yourself! But rather, is there anyone you don't particularly like? If you get what I mean now."
With an overdramatic manner, Fred and George unveiled their latest prank. It was a small silver orb. Harry cautiously reached his hand out for it but George quickly stopped it. "I wouldn't touch it with your bare hands if I were you."
Fred conjured a pure white cloth out of the air and carefully wrapped the silver ball within it. Casting a quick charm that Harry didn't catch on the sphere, he handed the kerchief-covered ball to Harry who took it gingerly. "You definitely want to be careful with this."
"Guys, what does this do?" Harry asked glancing at the ball warily.
"That's the genius of it, Harry! Only the wielder knows what this orb does. No one else will be able to anticipate what comes from this little ball."
"Harry, you are holding a Weasley Wish A Thing."
"The W-W-A-T. Or we like to call it 'wat'!"
"What?" Harry asked incredulously.
"Yeah, you got it! 'Wat'!" The twins smirked mischievously at each other.
Hermione scanned the rows of bookshelves excitedly. "Magical Means of Making More, The Marauder Era, Misleading Facts, More Muffins! The Art of Multi and Repli -cation, Muggles: A Life Story," Hermione read the titles of story after story to herself. This was where she was meant to be, surrounded by books. It is the same as being enveloped in adventure, encircled by knowledge. She quickly glanced over at her date-making sure that he hadn't ditched her in his boredom. Hermione suddenly felt bad for putting Nicholas through this torture, but she had thought that he would enjoy this experience just as much as her for all he spoke about his love of reading. He was sitting in a chair and looking longingly outside.
He suddenly turned around and seeing Hermione look at him, plastered a smile onto his face. "Almost done, Hermione?" he asked kindly.
Hermione smiled and looked back quickly at the lines of shelves, "Ten more minutes," she promised quickly. She could tell that Nicholas was resisting the urge to roll his eyes in a rather irritated fashion, but thought nothing more of it.
~<>~
Ten minutes later, the couple exited the large bookstore. Hermione clutched a brand new tome in her arms and gazed at it adoringly. "Where to now, Nick?"
"Well," he grinned, "Now that we've been by your favorite shop, how about a little retribution?" He winked at her, "I just need to stop by the Quidditch store to pick up some stuff for the game coming up."
The two walked serenely down the crowded street and into Quality Quidditch Supplies. Nicholas quickly sped off into the Beater section of the store and left Hermione to wander the shop alone. Hermione walked around glancing at the various assortments of broom care kits, the different balls, specialized gloves, strategy books, posters, and not to mention the broomsticks. The pretty girl looked carefully at the design of the simple flying mechanisms. Eight years ago, if someone had told Hermione that people could fly on brooms, she would've called them crazy. Now, she believed, but she didn't particularly like it. Hermione wasn't very fond of flying in any form. She didn't even have any trauma in her past; she simply preferred to keep her feet firmly planted on the solid ground. Air couldn't stop you if you tripped or fell. Finished looking around the store, Hermione settled herself on a bench near the door and opened her book to start the first chapter.
The Universal Rights of All Magical Creatures. By Lily Potter. Preface. The rights of magical creatures have, for the past several centuries, been neglected greatly. The first example of 'superior-ism' behavior by witches and wizards dates back to the ancient time of…
Harry walked distractedly to the Three Broomsticks. He had lost track of Hermione and Nicholas when they left Must-Have Manuscript, but he figured that he could just catch up with them when they came to the Three Broomsticks for a drink. He was still reveling in the interesting discussion he had with the Weasley twins. He pulled out a neat piece of paper with the instructions Fred and George had given him written out. They had told him, but he had a hard copy just in case. It was definitely an interesting conversation.
'Harry, this little ball here can grant you one wish." Fred explained.
'Wait, a wish? What do you mean?' Harry asked in shock.
'A wish, Harry. You know, like the I wish I had a bowl of mud sort of wish.'
'A bowl of mud? Why in the world would you want that?' Harry asked even more confused than before.
'Harry, listen to us. This sphere that you're holding will grant you exactly one wish. Practically anything you could want.' Harry finally nodded in understanding.
'This is powerful magic, Harry. Fred and I only stumbled upon it on accident. Wishes are dangerous things to play with though as you should know, because they can often bring disaster. We're also not sure yet as to how we can restrict these wishes to only harmless pranks and gags. That's we aren't sure if we should market this wondrous item. Of the 3 that we made, only 2 exist now. We used one in the initial test. It was harmless. We just wished that an apple would turn into an orange. It worked, but we're not sure about the limitations on this.'
'We're being serious with you here, though, Harry. This kind of magic isn't something to be joked around with. In fact, it's most likely that we will destroy all of the research we have on this as well as wasting our last W-W-A-T. We thought that you deserved to give one a go though. Again, it's very dangerous, and I think I know what you're thinking-'
'-Harry, you cannot bring back the dead with this. The dead are beyond the power of any magic and cannot be resurrected. And we do apologize for this not being able to bring back your parents, but you must understand that under no circumstances should you even try to wish a dead person back.'
'What would happen?' Harry finally asked.
'We're not sure exactly. This orb draws on a little bit of your magic in order to make this wish come true. Well, a little more than a bit-'
'-as in you'll be a wee bit sore afterwards-'
'but we think that in trying to bring back the dead, it will completely absorb your magic trying to do that and you'll most certainly die.'
'Besides that one major rule, you just need to be careful that you've thought through what you wish for. Interesting things can happen.'
'With what we've said in mind, Harry, we'll leave you to ponder your wish.'
'Have fun, Harry!'
'Come back sometime soon!'
Unfolding the small slip of paper, Harry read the large exclamation within: DON'T TRY TO BRING BACK THE DEAD: HENCE THE REST IN PEACE! His hand wrapped around the cool ball in the pocket of his robes as he silently thought. He could easily wish that Hermione loved him. But Harry figured that messing with love probably wasn't the best idea. He quickly retreated from his thoughts when he felt a presence take a seat next to him. He quickly brought his mug of butterbeer to his mouth to hide his surprise and looked over.
"Are you alright, Harry?" Ginny asked anxiously.
"Yeah!" Harry smiled, "I'm actually feeling much better. I really needed to get out I guess."
"How's the plan going?"
"Actually," Harry laughed, "I sort of lost them when I stopped by your brothers' shop, but I expect they'll be in here really soon. Harry flagged down a waitress and ordered another butterbeer for his close friend.
Ginny smiled appreciatively, "Thanks, I really need it. I've been out all day enjoying myself. Actually, I was passing Quality Quidditch Supplies and I saw Hermione there." She snorted loudly, "Obviously her date ditched her to get something. I saw her sitting on a bench reading a book!"
"That's Hermione," Harry laughed, "she hates flying, so I don't really expect her to enjoy herself in a Quidditch shop."
"I'm not even going to ask how you know that," Ginny giggled, "You might even know her better than she does! That's a good thing by the way-kind of creepy, but good."
Harry blushed, "I guess that's where they are then. They'll probably be coming in soon."
As if right on cue, the couple in question came in through the doors. Harry nodded to Ginny before pulling the Invisibility Cloak around him. They saw Hermione notice Ginny seemingly sitting by herself and drag Nicholas over. "Hey Ginny! Fancy seeing you here."
"Hey there Hermione." Ginny smiled, "Nicholas," she nodded politely before lifting her drink up to her lips.
"Er… Ginny?" Hermione said looking down at the table, "Why do you have two drinks?"
Ginny noticed Harry's drink sitting nearby on the table and realized why Hermione jumped to that conclusion. She quickly thought of a cover-up story, "Uh… Oh! I was just really thirsty, no big deal, why don't you guys take a seat. She saw Hermione move to sit next to her but quickly jumped up. She couldn't see Harry so she didn't know if he was still sitting there or not, "Why don't you sit on this side?" She motioned to the other side of the table, "Some idiot spilled their drink all over chair and it's soaked now." She said inventing another excuse.
"Can't you use magic to clean it up?" Hermione questions suspiciously, Ginny was acting strangely.
"Uh… I could, but why would I want to do that?" Ginny asked weakly.
"So that I could-you know what, never mind," Hermione gave up and sat on the other side next to Ginny. Nicholas took a seat next to her.
"So, Hermione!" Ginny whispered excitedly while Nicholas ordered for himself and his date, "How's your date going?"
"It's going alright," Hermione said with a small smile, "we haven't done much yet. First we stopped by Honeydukes and Nick bought me some Licorice Roses, it was really sweet. Then we stopped by the bookstore and I looked around for about twenty minutes." Hermione sighed disappointedly here and rolled her eyes, "but then we went to Quality Quidditch Supplies for Nick. I'm not joking when I say that he spent almost an hour in there. I don't even know what he was doing!"
Ginny laughed, "I noticed you reading your book when I passed by. Maybe that's why you have no idea what he was doing. But did you seriously wait an hour for him? I would have ditched my date after just 15 minutes!" Ginny added with a giggle. Hermione laughed lightly. "A date is usually about two people, rather than one person at a time."
"Excuse me ladies, I'm going to stop by the loo really quick." Nicholas said excusing himself.
Ginny smiled before saying, "Everything's alright though because you're having a good time, right?" she paused before adding, "You are having a good time, aren't you?"
Hermione had to think her answer through for a moment, "Yeah, I guess I'm having fun." She shrugged, "I've never been on a date before so I have nothing to compare it to." Ginny nodded in understanding. "I expect this date is almost finished though. I need to go back to the castle soon and prepare for my first S.P.E.W meeting tonight!"
"Spew? What's that?" Ginny questioned.
"Have you not seen the flyer? Of course, I could only afford to put one up so I doubt anyone saw it." Hermione mumbled dejectedly. A waiter brought the drinks to the table and Hermione thanked him graciously.
"So what's spew?"
"Actually, it's S.P.E.W. and it stands for Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare. I've been doing some reading and research and did you know that the House Elves at Hogwarts aren't paid and they don't even get work breaks. How could we treat any creature like that? That's why I'm starting this organization. If I can get enough support, we may actually be able to impact the livelihood of elves everywhere!" Hermione gushed excitedly. "Can you make it to the meeting tonight?"
Ginny looked unsure, "Actually, I'd love to support you, I really do, but erm… I promised that I'd help Ron with his homework tonight. You know how much he needs it."
Hermione laughed agreeably, "I couldn't pull you away from prior engagements, perhaps at the next meeting! I'm going to ask Nick if he can come, then I'll probably head out."
Nicholas chose this moment to return from the restroom. He took a seat comfortably and put an arm around Hermione. A disappointed look crossed his face as Hermione shrugged him off. He grabbed his drink to hide his frustration. Ginny's sharp eyes weren't deceived though. Hermione turned to Nicholas determinedly, "Hey Nick, are you doing anything tonight?"
Nicholas, thinking his luck had changed perked up, "No, nothing. You want to get together again, Hermione?"
Hermione grinned, "Yeah actually! You see, I'm actually about to head back up to the castle to prepare for a meeting I'm holding tonight. It's for S.P.E.W. if you've heard of it."
"A meeting, eh? Who's going to be there? And what does spew stand for?"
"Actually, it's S.P.E.W., not spew." Hermione started. Nicholas just rolled his eyes and nodded for her to continue, "And it stands for Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare. It's an organization I'm starting to petition for House Elf rights because they are treated very poorly by nearly all wizards."
Nicholas looked uncomfortable as he squirmed slightly. "Actually, Hermione," he started slowly, "I just remembered that I promised to help Professor Snape reorganize his potions ingredients, so I don't think I can make it tonight. Sorry, maybe next time."
Hermione looked visibly disappointed and sighed heavily. Nicholas quickly finished his drink and announced that he was going to head on out, with a smile to Hermione and a curt nod to Ginny, he quickly left the Three Broomsticks. Ginny watched him leave and when the door closed, "You know he's lying, right?"
Hermione sighed, "How do you know? Maybe he really did promise to help Snape."
"Didn't you hear him, he said that he had nothing to do earlier, and then he suddenly remembers. I don't think anyone could forget an appointment with Snape. I mean, if he was going to lie to you, he could have done it much more convincingly."
"I don't even want to hear that," Hermione said, "Perhaps he really just forgot. I'm leaving now, I have to ready for the meeting."
"Good luck, Hermione!" Ginny chirped, "Be sure to tell me when the next one is and I'll clear my whole day for you."
"Thanks, Ginny. I'll talk to you later." Hermione waved and left for the castle.
As soon as Hermione left, Ginny began looking around for Harry. Knowing him for the better of five years now, she immediately pinpointed him to be walking back from the counter. The apparition that approached her didn't really bother her at all because she was used to it. Harry pulled his cloak off and grinned. "Well, that was exciting!"
Ginny pushed Harry jokingly, "Harry! You prat! Didn't you see Hermione? She looked so disappointed that no one seemed to be interested in spew."
"Actually, it's S.P.E.W…" Harry started before getting a look from Ginny.
"Fine, fine, S.P.E.W. but still, maybe you should go to that meeting. I for one wasn't lying when I said I promised that I would help Ron with his homework. Nicholas was totally lying. He's a Slytherin through and through and they already don't give House Elves any kind of standing in society. That's probably why he said he couldn't go."
"Yeah, I'll definitely go. I need to apologize to her too for pushing things too far and trying to control her, I guess."
"Oh, I'm sure you weren't that bad. Hermione just overreacts and gets a little defensive when you question her judgment, but she's so smart she probably isn't used to ever being wrong."
"Perhaps, but I'd like to be on speaking terms with her again." Harry said sadly, "I never knew that you had to pay to put up notices. But then again, I suppose those Quidditch notices and Prefect stuff is sponsored by the school."
"Actually, I didn't know that either." Ginny laughed, "I'm surprised that Hogwarts would want to make money off of students like that."
"Actually, now that I think about it… I think they may have started charging because people were abusing the bulletin system. Who wants to pay for something they don't really care about, right?"
"Right. Anyways, you better go and figure out where she's having that meeting. I heard that the classroom on the fifth floor was being used today so maybe it's there. Good luck, Harry."
"Thank you, Gin." Harry grinned and swept off and out the door while merrily whistling a tune that Ginny didn't recognize.
AN2: That's all for now. I'll try to get another chapter up soon. Perhaps tonight, if not though, Tuesday night as I've promised! And as always, comments and suggestions are appreciated! Cheers!