Chapter 11 Letters
Mr. Weasley told them that he was asked to deliver them their Hogwarts letters.
"Why didn't they just send them by owl?" Asked Hermione.
"They wanted to make sure that there wasn't a way someone could intercept them." Mr. Weasley told her.
"Makes sense don't you think," said Harry, "nobody knows that we are gonna go back so they want to give us a chance to get to Diagon alley in peace for as long as we can.
How are we gonna get there by the way I don't think we just can apparate there can we?"
"Well Harry my boy, that is just what we are gonna do." Said Mr. Weasley.
"You all have passed your apperation tests so why not."
"We need some planning though so we will go there on Monday morning. We have then 3 days to plan it and give you three some sort of escort." He said to Harry, Ron and Hermione. At the mentioning of the escorts he could see the faces drop of the trio.
They walked in the house where Mrs. Weasley stood furious at the door.
"What did that scarlet woman want? If she ever comes near one of my children again I will personally hex her into the next millennium, and that also includes you and Harry dear." She said to a shocked Hermione.
"She just wanted to know what we were gonna do now the war was over and because she saw Hermione and Ron sitting under the tree near the pond she started asking questions about how I felt that Hermione traded me in for Ron." Harry said casually.
"Well, this will be a nice headline tomorrow." Said Hermione.
"Chosen one traded in for best friend."
She started to giggle.
"That isn't funny," Harry said, "we need to find a way to stop her print this kind of nonsense." "Well, you could announce your engagement to Ginny at the office of The Prophet that will put a stop to her story." Ron said
"RON! You are insane you know that," said Ginny. "By the way I am much too young to get married.
No offense Harry I do Love you and want to marry you someday but well not right away you know what I mean. Besides everybody knows we are together so how in Merlin's name could that woman get a story out there that make people believe otherwise."
"She will find a way." Was all that Harry said.
"Mr. Weasley can I talk to you for a minute alone please." Asked Harry
"Sure son let's go to the living room." Was Mr. Weasley's reply.
"Well, could we please go outside?" Harry asked.
"Ok let's have a walk." Arthur said and the two of them left the house.
"Let's open those letters and let's see how many books we need." Said Hermione.
"Don't you want to wait for Harry?" Asked Ginny "I think we should open them all at the same time. That way we all know what we need at once and don't have a head start on any of us."
"But Ginny it is only our book list. Nothing special," said Hermione, "and I really want to know what books we are gonna need."
"We will wait." said Ginny with a firm voice.
"What was it you wanted to talk to me about Harry," Said Mr. Weasley, "that you could not tell me inside."
"I need to ask you a question and I don't think the rest of them would agree with me. Is there a way that we can see Rita's story before they publish it so we can change it a little." Harry asked.
"Well Harry that would be difficult ,but I think the only way for us to do this is that we go to the office of the daily prophet and don't get me wrong but that will be a lot of trouble because you can be certain that they will publish that you made a visit there and want to know what you were doing there. So no I don't think we can get that story blocked or changed." Arthur said.
"Okay but what if we do what Ron said?" Harry asked.
"You mean announce your engagement with Ginny?" Mr. Weasley said with shock.
"Well yeah." Said Harry. "I will explain it. You see if we announce that they can't print the story anymore because we beat Rita to the punch and I really know that I love Ginny and as she told just a few minutes ago herself she also really loves me. I mean we could be engaged for a couple of years I mean we don't have to get married right away now do we?" Harry said.
Arthur smiled at Harry. "You see Harry it is custom in the wizarding world that after you get engaged you marry within a year and a half so when you announce your engagement they will also want to know the date and all the details, if you can't give them a date they won't believe you are serious about your engagement and that we as Ginny's parents are just using your name to get better ourselves." He told the disappointed young man.
"I don't want that," Said Harry, "well it was just a thought. Sorry to have bothered you sir." He said.
"It's ok Harry," Arthur said, "and please call me Arthur or if you don't mind dad because even if you are not engaged to Ginny just yet I know for certain that you will be my son in law so we could just get those formalities out of the way."
"Well, I need to think about the Dad thing but Arthur I can do thank you sir." Said a shy Harry. When they walked into the house the two men found the other three youngsters looking with anticipation at them. They all were startled when the flames in the fireplace rose and turned green.
"Sirius!" yelled Harry.
"Hi Harry, Can you ask Arthur or Molly if it is ok for me to hop over."
"The pleasure would be ours Sirius." Said Arthur who Sirius had not seen. After a small whoosh, Sirius' face was gone but not long after that, he appeared in the fire.
After he stepped out he was floored by Harry.
"What took you so long to come for a visit?" Harry asked him.
"Well, Harry you now Poppy, if she isn't completely sure you don't die when you leave the infirmary you can better stay." Was Sirius his reply. "But was has been happening here? He asked."
"Well, Ron and Hermione got married two days ago just after Ginny and me. Oh and I forgot Arthur is the new Minister of magic." Harry joked.
Sirius laughed out loud. "Well Harry you still have a great imagination, but okay now for real, what's been happening here?"
They all started to tell what has been happening the past few weeks and when they told them about Rita Skeeter showing up at the door Sirius got in a real temper.
"That little old bat how dare she." He started and when he wanted to continue there was a loud bang as the dishes in the sink exploded.
"What the......" everybody was silent at once and Mrs. Weasley came running into the kitchen drawn in by the noise.
"What in Merlin's sake is happening here?" She demanded.
"I, I think Sirius just had an accident with unintended magic." said Mr. Weasley still looking shocked. "He got so angry with Skeeter that the dishes in the sink exploded."
"I'm really sorry Molly," said Sirius, "I don't know what happened but that woman just makes me so angry and then the dishes just exploded. I am really sorry."
"It's ok Sirius," She said. She waved her wand and all the dishes were back in the sink whole and shining.
"Sirius," said Harry, "did Madam Pomfrey find anything for you?"
"No Harry," Sirius said. "She even thinks that I will remain without magic powers for the rest of my life. Why?"
Harry's eyes started to twinkle. "You really don't get it do you." he said with a smile.
Everybody looked at him as if he was going mad.
"Harry, what's going on?" Said Ron.
"Okay," Harry said. "It's very simple really. What just happened?"
"Well that is simple," Said Sirius. "I got here you told me about the last few weeks and I blew up........ "
Sirius looked as he was hit with a stunning spell.
"You blew up the dishes with MAGIC!!" Screamed an overjoyed Harry as he flew his godfather around his neck.
"But that's impossible," Sirius said. "Poppy said it that I would probably never regain any magical powers at all."
"Well let's find out," said Harry as he pulled out his wand and handed it to Sirius.
Sirius looked at Harry's wand in his hand and felt the small sensation that he always felt when he held a wand.
"Wingardium Leviosa." He said as he pointed the wand at a vase of flowers.
To everybody's astonishment, the vase shock back and front before it got off the table and levitated in the air.
Sirius than did some other small spells and they all worked.
"Okay," Said Harry. "Now for something harder, transfigure this teacup in something else."
Sirius concentrated a little and the cup vanished and a book lay in its place.
Sirius changed it back with ease and smiled.
"Okay," He said, "one final test." He stood up and changed into the big black dog Harry loved so much.
Harry saw the dog's tail and saw that Sirius was just as happy as he was.
"Sirius, please stay as Snuffles, Arthur can you call Minerva and Madam Pomfrey please?" he said with a smile.
They all got in the living room and waited until Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey would come.
When the two arrived they walked in with stern looks.
"Harry what is wrong?" asked McGonagall as Madam Pomfrey started to walk over Sirius let out a bark that made the two women jump. "Arthur I didn't know you had a dog." said McGonagall, but when she saw the dog she said in a low voice. "Sirius, Is that really you?"
As the dog turned back into a man he looked as happy as could be. "Yes Minerva it is me." He said with a smile. "Harry why did you want Madam Pomfrey here?" He asked.
"Well, I wanted her to check if your levels were back full or that it was more of a small amount that can be depleted again." Harry said.
"Finally you are starting to smarten up Mr. Potter." The school nurse said as she walked over to Sirius. "Now please tell me exactly what happened." She said with her strict no nonsense tone.
So they all started to tell once more what happened that afternoon.
"Well then," She said, "anger can be a trigger yes but most of the time it is only for a small amount of time."
Sirius' face dropped. "You mean I will lose my powers again?" He asked afraid for the answer. "Well Mr. Black," the school nurse began, "you couldn't listen very well when we were at school and I notice you still don't listen very well. I said MOST of the time, but in your case I would say it is permanent. This is one of those occasions that I am glad that my first diagnosis was wrong.
The levels of magic I measure from you are as good as any other great wizard. Congratulations Mr. Black you have all your powers restored to you. Now if you don't mind I will now return to Hogwarts so I can get my supplies of potions and bandages up to the right level before the school year starts."
With that the school nurse got up and left for the kitchen to floo back to Hogwarts.
Sirius and the rest sat in silence when they heard Madam Pomfrey floo out for several minutes.
Than McGonagall stood up walked over to Sirius took his hands in her and said.
Congratulations Sirius I never thought it possible but with you nothing surprises me anymore.
After she released his hands Sirius was floored by all the others in the room who were also trying to congratulate him on his refound powers.
"WOW WOW guys slow down you are gonna kill me." he yelled.
They got off him and the evening would be a happy one.
"Can we now finally open our letters?" Hermione asked after some time.
"What letters?" Harry asked.
"Our Hogwarts letters of course," Said Hermione, "we didn't open them we wanted to open them all at the same time."
"So what are we waiting for," Harry said, "let's get those letters.
They opened them and Harry saw that he needed 3 new books
- The Standard Book of Spells Grade 7 by Miranda Goshawk
- Defending the defenseless by Quentin Trimble
- Dark magic undone by Wilbert Slinkhard
"What?? they also included that author of that dreadful book of our sixth year." said an astonished Hermione. "What are they thinking who is teaching us anyway."
"Don't look at me," Harry said quickly, "I am not. I will be next year I think but who they have for this year beats me? Professor McGonagall didn't want to tell me."
"Well, what time on Monday do you think is possible dad?" Asked Ginny.
"Monday? Isn't that a bit short Arthur?" Asked Mrs. Weasley.
"We need escorts and all I think 2 for each of them so then you only have a few days." She continued.
"Molly, I think we only need two escorts in total." said Arthur.
"What are you crazy?" Molly Weasley asked her husband
"No, I am not." Arthur calmly said. "If we take any more escorts I know one thing. These three won't go. When I told them we wanted escorts you should have seen their faces. They can handle themselves dear and when we go with them there are 4 adults with them so no-one will bother them."
"Hello, we are adults to you know." Said Ron.
"I know dear but your father meant adults from a older age." Said Mrs. Weasley smiling at her son.
"I am not sure if I want to go with escorts at all." said Harry to the shock of Molly. "If everytime I go out I need an escort than I better get a bunker for a house because I won't leave it anymore."
"Harry dear what are you saying you need some sort of escort to get you safely to the shops, how would you pass all those people who want to ask you all those questions without them." Said a frightened Mrs. Weasley.
"Well if I always get an escort we will never know now do we." Said Harry who was losing his temper a little.
"I know it is all meant well but Hermione, Ron and me were out there for a whole year without any escort and we did alright I think. They reported my statement in the prophet complete with the warning I gave the press so I think it won't be a big deal for us to go there."
"Well, I think they won't need an escort if you ask me." Said, Sirius. "If half of what Poppey told me is true those three kids could take on the whole wizarding world just the three of them and still would walk away from it alive."
"Well, I am glad we didn't ask you then." Said Mrs. Weasley
"Molly if Harry doesn't want an escort than perhaps Sirius and myself can come along." Said, McGonagall. "I know you think us as escorts Harry but I was hoping you would see us as friends coming along. Like you said in our meeting a few weeks ago you were seeing me more as a friend than a teacher and I was hoping you would prove it by letting me come along."
"There is no doubt that you are a friend Minerva," Said Harry, "and I would love it if you and Sirius would come along on Monday."
The rest stood there and wondered what just happened.
"Also may I ask you a favor when we are all in Diagon Alley," asked Harry to McGonagall. "Can you get the books I listed for the first six years?"
"Why Harry?" Asked Ginny.
"I know," Said McGonagall. "You always wanted to keep it a secret but when you buy all the books people will notice. I will get them Harry no problem, but why don't you use the teachers' versions of those books. We have them all at Hogwarts you know that. "
"I know," Said Harry, "I will use both of them. I want the students' versions so I know what it looks like for them. I know that the teachers' book has extra info but I need to know what the extra info is."
"Smart move Harry," said Hermione. "I never knew that there was extra info in a teachers' version of the books. I would love to get one of those to compare them." She started talking to herself.
So the time was set for Monday morning at 11.00 and they talked for several hours before going to bed.
Ginny walked in front of Harry and Ron and Ron stopped dead in his tracks when Ginny walked in Harry's room.
"Ginny I want to talk to Harry in private please so could you go to your own room." He said.
"I am in my own room Ron so if you want to talk to Harry in private I would suggest you go to your room."Ginny replied
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOUR ROOM THAT IS HARRY'S ROOM. Ron almost screamed at the top of his longs. "
"Well to be exact it is Harry's and my room so please will you lose the volume." Was Ginny's simple answer
"What's going on?" Came Hermione.
"They are sleeping in the SAME room." Ron said still not believing his sister
"So what, they are dating and adults so what's the problem. We have been sleeping in the same tent for over a year and I never heard you complain." Said Hermione as she turned around. "I just hope when they want to make some noise they mufliato the room first."
Ginny just rolled over with laughter and Harry became as red as Ginny's hair.
"What do you mean?" Said Ron.
"Never mind Ron can we now get some sleep please?" was Hermione's reply.
"Not when she is sleeping in his room we can't." Said Ron.
"What is this wrecking noise?" came an angry Mrs. Weasley. "Why aren't you kids in bed."
"Mom thank Merlin. Ginny wanted to sleep in Harry's room." Said Ron
"Now your gonna get it." Said Ginny with a wicked smile.
"Oh is that it," said Mrs. Weasley, "you should call it Harry and Ginny's room dear so what's the problem. Now if you and Hermione get to your room we all can get to sleep."
"I was already at my room Mrs. Weasley but Ron yelled so loud he could wake the whole country." Said Hermione.
"No dear you were in the guest room not in your room, so up those stairs you two and I don't want to hear any more yelling." Mrs. Weasley told Hermione. "Hermione I have just one question for you. You know all the right spell right?" Mrs Weasley asked Hermione who turned a slight red and nodded.
"Good now off to bed all of you." She said firmly.
Hermione took Ron by the hand and led him to his room.
When he entered it with Hermione he saw that his bed had changed from a single to a nice king-size bed.
"What happened to my bed?" He said with shock.
"I think the same as with Harry's bed." Hermione said as she got into the bed. "Come, she said, let's get some sleep."
"But Hermione shouldn't you sleep in your own room?"Asked Ron a little shy.
"This is my room Ron, it is OUR room." Hermione said patiently.
Then it finally hit Ron what his mother meant when she had asked Hermione if she knew her spells and got red in his face. He started stuttering. "But, but, but I, but I, but I."
"Ron, calm down." Said Hermione.
"My mother thinks that we," He said. "But Hermione I love you very much but I don't know if I am ready, or even if you are or what you want and."
"Ron STOP IT." Said Hermione firm.
"Ron I know you love me and yes I love you too, but no I am not ready for that either, but I am ready to sleep in the same bed as my boyfriend if he is."
Ron's eyes shot wide open.
"You mean that." He said. "You love me and you still want me as your boyfriend, even after this morning and so?"
"Yes Ron," said Hermione with a smile, "even after this morning. I love you and I know that quidditch means a lot for you. I only thought you loved that more than me. So I started to doubt everything we shared and." Ron had walked over to the bed and stopped Hermione's ranting with a kiss.
"I love you Hermione." He said.
"Good," she said, "so now get in this bed and get some sleep shall we."
Ron still stood a little shy beside the bed. "I think I need to change first." he said with a smile.
He looked at Hermione and thought for a moment.
Hermione smiled as she saw his problem and thought how lovely he looked right now.
"Ron," she said, "think about this. When we stay together for a very long time and I hope we do I will see you change all the time. I will even see you naked one day I hope so why be so shy."
Ron looked at her and smiled. "You are right." He said and after that changed in his pajama and got in the bed.
"You know, I can get used to this." He said as he wrapped his arms around Hermione.
"So do I." She said as she kissed him.