This is the sixth story in the series Harry Potter and the American Wizard. The reader doesn't
need to read the first five stories (Harry Potter's First Girlfriend, Hermione's First Summer Job, Ron and Hermione's First Date), The Weasley's at Work, and Kill or Be Killed to follow the plot but reading the others may clarify some details and make the story more enjoyable. But unlike the others which are only a few pages each, this story got away from me and runs nine chapters.
What Are Friends For
Chapter I – Ginny's Temper
It was late on August 31 and at 12 Grimmauld Place the traditional Weasley back to school dinner was over and cleaned up. It had been a long tiring summer; and the Weasley children and their guests, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter, who had also been living at Grimmauld Place most of the summer, were all gathering their things so they would be ready to leave for the train back to school tomorrow morning.
George Weasley had come up the steps from the kitchen with one last piece of treacle tart when he found Harry's American cousin, Professor James Potter, in the hall. "Hello George." James said.
"Hi." George answered. "Here to see someone in particular?"
"I thought I should talk to all of you; it's been a couple of days since the ambush in Diagon Alley and I want to make sure everyone is mentally ready to go back to school. I think it is going to be a difficult year. But let's head upstairs so I can talk to everyone together."
They stopped on the second floor and knocked on Ron and Harry's door. When Ron yelled, "Come in." James opened the door and said, "Hello, if you two can give me a few minutes I want to talk with everyone in the dining room; in ten minutes let's say."
After both said they would be there James and George went to the third floor and James knocked on the girl's door while George went to get Fred. It was Hermione that opened the door and James asked them to come to the dining room in five minutes.
When everyone was there and settled James said, "How are all of you? Sorry to see the summer end but happy to get out of this place and back to school I imagine."
There was general if not enthusiastic agreement to that and then James continued, "It was a rough ending to the summer and I want everyone to have a chance to vent their feelings, to or at me, before you return to school.
First let me say I blame myself for what happened in Diagon Alley; I underestimated both the boldness and strength of Voldemort. I was sure he wasn't ready to mount an attack on you; both because of the lack of the intelligence gathering ability of his people and the number of followers he was willing to commit. Apparently he does have an intelligence gathering capability and more followers than the Order of the Phoenix thought.
Your skills were good in defending yourselves but you were also lucky. Professor Snape's interrogation of the prisoners you captured showed that none of the twelve people he sent after you were hardened Death Eaters; though they were not the innocent families we thought they were either.
As I underestimated him; he also underestimated you. He was sure that twelve of his second rank troops could kill six children; but they lacked combat experience as much as you do. He can't let his people see him make mistakes like that. To maintain control he must make them fear him so he will have to attack you again and he won't make the same mistake twice.
The next time he attacks it will be with his top people. They won't allow themselves to be trapped in stores or alleys without an escape route. They will know more spells than you do and have combat experience. Maybe he will come himself; anyway all of you have to keep training on DADA harder than ever and be more alert than ever.
That's not going to be easy. Dumbledore couldn't get a DADA professor and he tells me the Minister of Magic has saddled him with a ministry flunkey for the job with the idea to keep you from learning any more self defense."
"Why couldn't you take the job; or Mad-Eye, or Lupin?" Ginny asked.
James said, "You all know the parents are afraid to let Lupin teach because of his condition; and Alastor is not a certified teacher. In the past Fudge didn't care about that, or what else happened at Hogwarts; or at least he trusted Dumbledore to see that things ran well. Now that he's paranoid about Dumbledore he's cracking down on the rules to get his spy in so Alastor is out."
"What about you then?" Hermione asked. "You're a certified teacher."
"In the states I am," James said "but not in Great Britain. I could get certified but the paperwork would take a couple of months, minimum; and Fudge would probably block it so it could take years. I'm afraid Fudge has Dumbledore in a box and you are the ones that will suffer with an incompetent teacher; well you six will still have my lessons, but the other children will hardly be learning anything unless they do it on their own.
With all this in mind; be alert on the train for an ambush. At school keep your heads down and don't make trouble; Dumbledore already has enough problems. Work together to practice your dueling skills between my visits; and I'll see you the second Sunday of September at ten in the usual room."
"By keeping our heads down, are you telling us to keep what happened here at Grimmauld Place secret," Fred said. "because we already know that." George finished.
"No, I'm not telling you that," James said "because I already know you can be trusted."
"Is this about what happened in Diagon Alley?" Ginny asked. "Do we have to keep our part in that secret? In the last ten days since it was reported in The Daily Prophet I got letters from some friends and they're all talking about it. Some that didn't believe Harry when he said Voldemort was back; now do believe Harry because they say who else but Voldemort would have started that fight in Diagon Alley. If we can tell them what really happened we can get more people to believe Harry. So can we tell them? It doesn't have anything to do with the order; yet I'm confused because it feels like something that needs to be talked about, but yet shouldn't be talked about?"
"If you tell anyone it was you six in that fight they may think you're lying." James said. "But if they do believe you, they may tell others and the story may get back to the ministry. Remember the ministry has no clue as to what happened; and though they probably will not take it seriously that six teenagers were responsible; but there is some chance they might want to ask you more about it. Of course if they do question you; you can always deny it.
What I'm saying is it's up to you. If you think it will help bring people to our side do it; but don't go about bragging to everyone about it.
Things at Hogwarts went as James predicted; however Harry didn't manage to keep his head down. The new DADA professor, Delores Umbridge, went out of her way to aggravate Harry who was still in a foul mood after the events of the summer. By the time James arrived for their first lesson Harry had gone through many days of detentions and harassment from her.
The only time he felt calm was when Ginny would talk with him. She would tell him he looked tense and rub his shoulders and neck while telling him things would get better.
Umbridge wasn't the only one to harass Harry however. At least half the students didn't believe his story about Voldemort being back despite Ron, Hermione, and mostly Ginny telling the story of the fight in Diagon alley. The story did win over some people, mostly other Gryffindors, but it made some people, mostly Slytherins, sure that Harry and his friends were lying braggarts.
The Slytherins openly called Harry a liar trying to get him to lose his temper in public. One night after finishing his detention with Umbridge; Harry, trying to avoid people, was headed back to the Gryffindor common room by a back hall he knew to be infrequently used when Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle appeared at the far end.
In his head Harry could hear Hermione's voice saying, "Ignore them Harry; walk away. You don't want Umbridge to have an excuse to give you more detentions." With the back of his hand still bleeding from Umbridge's quill cutting him Harry decided to turn around and go by another passage; but when he turned he found Nott, Zabini, and Pansy Parkinson behind him. They must have been watching him and known he used this hall every night. They were waiting to get him alone with the odds against him.
"Afraid to face me one on one Malfoy?" he said. 'Six on one makes you feel brave, does it?"
From behind Nott, Zabini, and Parkinson another voice said, "Six on two." Ginny came from around the corner and walked past the trio to stand near Harry.
"Ginny," Harry said, "go back to the common room; this doesn't involve you and I don't want you hurt on my account."
"Worried about your girlfriend?" Malfoy said. "She's a much a liar as you are Potter. She's been telling everyone that you, the Mudblood, and the Weasel family fought and beat twelve adults in that fight in Diagon Alley last month. As if!
If you two are all so great let's see your skill."
The six Slytherins all pulled out their wands and Harry pulled his; but Ginny simply extended her arms one pointing toward each group of Slytherins. She whispered so only Harry could hear her, "Hermione and I have been practicing wand less magic with James for a situation like this. Put your wand away so Umbridge can't blame you for what's going to happen and give you more detentions."
Harry said, "No Ginny, this is my fight. Get out of the way so you don't get hurt."
She responded, "Trust me Harry; I know what I'm doing. Don't attack them or even defend yourself. If Umbridge checks your wand we want her to see you didn't use it to do anything at all."
Harry hesitated but, he knew Hermione and Ginny had been taking special classes with James and finally slipped his wand back in his robe. Then Ginny said, "So Malfoy, if you think I was lying about Diagon Alley try something now. Six Slytherins on one Gryffindor or are you all too cowardly even with those odds?"
Malfoy yelled, "Now." The six fired a variety of spells at Ginny and Harry. The spells from each side faded away as they approached the pair, passed through the new dimension Ginny opened with her undetectable extension charm, and then reappeared on the other side continuing down the hall striking the opposite group. Goyle's legs stuck together in a leg lock and he fell over while Crabbe turned bluish green and grew leaves all over his head similar to a cabbage. Malfoy, the fastest of the three, had ducked and was not hit.
At the other end of the hall Nott has been stunned by Malfoy's spell, Zabini had inflated like Harry's aunt had done two years ago and was floating near the ceiling. Pansy had grown long rabbit ears and buck teeth and was hopping around the hall.
Ginny pointed at Malfoy and he floated into the air just like the feather they used at levitation practice. "Now," she said "what do I do with you?"
"Let him go." Harry said. "I don't want you sitting in Umbridge's detention with me. Let's go back to the common room."
They walked down the hall and around where Malfoy was floating and Ginny let him drop hard on the floor as they went around the next corner.
"Were you following me? Does Dumbledore have you three following me around the castle like he had the order following me last summer?" Harry asked as they approached the Fat Lady. "I don't need your help Ginny."
She stopped without giving the password and put her hands on her hips in a very Mrs. Weasley like manner then said, "You mean you don't want my help; but you did need it; and no I wasn't following you. I sent a letter to Charlie and was returning from the owlery when I saw you come out of detention.
I tried catching you so we could walk together when I saw Nott, Zabini, and Parkinson come out of a side door and start following you. I knew they were up to something and then I heard you talking to Malfoy. Since Diagon Alley, James has been training us for ambush situations like that and if you weren't in detention every night you could be with us practicing DADA and would have known how to do what I did."
"And you think it's my fault I'm in detention all the time?" he yelled.
"Yes," Ginny said calmly "because you can't hold your temper; you let her goad you into doing things she can use against you. And my ears are working perfectly well so you needn't yell at me. I've been trying to tell you all month it's not your fault those three people in Diagon Alley died but you won't listen."
"None of you understand what I've been through." Harry said continuing to yell. "You haven't lived my life. Just because you don't care about your spell killing those two in Diagon Alley you think I shouldn't care about killing either; but I do."
Crack! Ginny slapped Harry across the face as hard as she could. "Don't talk about me like I'm some Death Eater that kills without feelings. I care as much about it as you do; but I care about my family more, and Hermione, and I care about you to.
Every night as I try to go to sleep I see the faces of those two men as they ran toward me and disappeared into my extension spell; but then I see Ron and George ducking the killing curses those men were firing and I know I had no other choice.
You just seem to want to continue to wallow in your sorrow. Yes, you had a hard life, bad things happened to you, but you can't change what happened so stop wishing you could. Voldemort and his Death Eaters are not just going to go away and the people that love you want you to survive and stay with us. You're fifteen, in two years you'll be of age so it's time you grow a pair and start acting like a man instead of a bratty little boy."
She gave the password and went into the common room and straight to her dorm without saying anything to the people who said hello to her. Harry stood in the hall for a few seconds before going in.
Ron and Hermione were sitting in their regular chairs near the fire and Harry joined them. "Harry," Hermione asked "did you just have a row with Ginny out in the hall. We heard voices and she flew through here and up to her room like Voldemort was chasing her? And what happened to your face; your left cheek is all red?"
"She slapped me." Harry said. "She slapped me."
"What?" both Ron and Hermione said together.
"Ginny slapped you?" Ron said. "What did you do?"
Harry told them the story of what happened and when he finished Hermione said, "Well I don't blame her; what an awful thing to say to her. Don't you care that you're yelling at and blaming the people that love you and support you the most? She was right and you better apologize to her and stop taking you frustrations out on your friends."
She got up and walked to her dorm without another word.
Harry looked at Ron who finally said, "Blimey Harry, you managed to totally piss off two of your best friends in just ten minutes. You're lucky Hermione didn't slap you too; and that should tell you something." Then he got up and went to his room.
The next morning Harry tried to apologize to both girls but they walked away when they saw him approaching and Ron said, "Give them the rest of the day to calm down before you try again." Eventually he did manage to apologize and they both accepted with the understanding he wouldn't act that way again.