"Halie?" Ginny called out as she came through the front door.
"In here mum," Halie replied popping her head out of the dining room door. "I'm just putting the finishing touches on the table." Ginny followed her daughter into the dining room and gasped in surprise.
"How did you do all this? I've never seen the room look quite like this," she asked breathlessly.
"Dan helped. He set the table for me I just put in the flowers and candles." Halie replied with a grin. Ginny finally took Halie's appearance in and smiled at the change.
"That looks really good on you."
"Well you did insist on getting me some summer dresses. I suggest you go get ready yourself, Professors McGonagall and Lupin are coming to dinner too." Halie almost laughed at the expression on Ginny's face as she ran from the room. Harry came home, and he had much the same reaction, when her three family members came back downstairs Halie was easily the most dressed up.
"Am I the only one making an effort?" Halie asked teasingly. A knock came to the door. "Mum could you get that? I have to check on the dessert," Halie practically ran to the kitchen.
"Mum, Dad!" Ginny exclaimed happy that the first pair at the door was her parents. "Oh, Ron, Hermione it's been a while. How are you?"
"We're just fine, where's this girl we've been hearing about?" Hermione asked looking around.
"Checking on the dessert," Halie replied stepping into the hall from the kitchen. "Would anyone like a drink before dinner?" she asked sounding only slightly nervous.
"Yeah, I'd love one," Ron replied eagerly. Halie smiled and motioned for him to follow her into the den. There she poured him a very nice red wine. "Thank you."
"You are very welcome," Halie said she quickly left the guests in the den and went back to the kitchen. As the guests arrived most went into the den to have a drink, but some came into the kitchen to meet Halie and see if she needed any help. She always refused.
"Dinner is ready!" Daniel announced and led everyone into the large dining room. Everyone was amazed at how beautiful it looked. Halie was taking the first trolley to the dining room when a knock came to the door. She opened it to find two people who didn't look like they were exactly family members.
"Hello Professors, please come into the dining room. Everyone just sat down," she greeted them, stepping aside so they could enter the house. The two professors preceded her into the dining room and took their seats. "For dinner tonight we have a choice of skirt steak marinated in red wine and juniper berries. Or grilled quail with braised lentils and a sherry reduction."
Halie wouldn't let anyone serve themselves so she served them all their 'orders'. When Halie took her seat, she found herself in between the professors. "So Halie, how are you doing . . . with everything?" Hermione asked starting up the conversation.
"I am fantastic! It's a big change, but a really good one," Halie replied with a smile.
"How are your studies coming?"
"Good, I've memorized all the course books for the first four years, and finished the first year potions."
"Wow!" one of the twins exclaimed.
"Have you done any spell work yet?" Professor Lupin asked.
"Not yet, I need mum and dad here for that."
"Well your wish will be granted tomorrow, both of us have a day off," Harry informed her leaning forward to take in her expression. Halie was grinning.
"Halie why aren't you eating with the rest of us?" Angelina asked noticing that Halie's plate was empty.
"I had a salad before everyone got here, and I don't eat anything that has been made with alcohol. Even a reduction, which burns off the alcohol it still has an after taste."
"So why did you make it?" Bill asked with a slight laugh.
"Because I knew all of you would like it, well, at least I hoped you would."
"What is that delicious smell?" Fleur asked closing her eyes and breathing deep.
"Dessert, please excuse me," Halie stood up and went into the kitchen. Dan stood up and started collecting plates.
"My, my you're being helpful," Katie commented as Dan took her plate.
"I help instead of getting grounded," he whispered in her ear. Katie laughed. Halie came back in with another trolley.
"For dessert today we have chocolate soufflés with melting chocolate centers, or frozen berries with hot white chocolate sauce." Everyone insisted on getting their own dessert, so Halie took a soufflé and sat down. Conversation and stories flowed. Halie couldn't stop laughing; she'd never laughed so much in her life.
"Oi, Harry is everyone done? All of us are ready to break down the door to see the new girl," an attractive male voice asked teasingly. Halie turned to see a young man with strong features and wavy brown hair.
"Teddy I didn't know you were coming," Harry commented brightly. "We'll be there in a minute."
"See you in there!" Halie exclaimed standing up quickly and skipping to the door.
"After you," Teddy said stepping aside and holding the door open for Halie. She smiled and stepped into the hall. He escorted her into the den where she was met by seven people, all around her age.
"Finally! We've been waiting for almost twenty minutes!" one of the girls exclaimed.
"Oh, come on Jessica. It's not like the wait was going to kill you," another girl commented rolling her eyes.
"Shut it Katie!" Jessica retorted. The two girls started to fight, and a third stepped forward trying to break them apart.
"You'll have to excuse me, I need to talk to my dad," Teddy said quietly in her ear.
"Don't worry I'm fine," she whispered back and he walked away. One of the boys walked over and stood next to her.
"I'm Jake, your cousin, I'm sorry about them," he told her nodding to the three girls.
"Don't worry about it Jake, it's nice to meet you."
"You met Katie and Jessica. Rose is the one trying to break them up. Devon is the boy talking to Harry, he's Jessica's little brother. Zack is talking to his mother Aunt Fleur and Chris is the one laughing."
"You are just a well spring of information aren't you?" Halie asked smiling lightly.
"I'm observant too . . . where did you get the scar on the back of your neck from?"
"When I was ten I fell down a flight of stairs and broke my neck. They had to do surgery to keep me from being a quadriplegic."
"That's awful!" Jessica exclaimed breaking off her argument.
"It was an accident, I had them all the time, no big deal." Harry and Ginny exchanged a glance across the room. Hermione, Ron, Lupin and McGonagall noticed it. Lupin took the initiative and stepped forward.
"So Halie, I bet you're wondering why professor McGonagall and I crashed your dinner party."
"Not really, you're here to sort me into my house, right?" Halie replied as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Correct, and I believe we should get started before the hour turns too late." Professor McGonagall stepped forward placing a stool with a hat in the center of the room. Halie sat on the stool and professor McGonagall placed the hat on her head.
Ah, miss Potter
You've been expecting me?
Of course, everyone has been waiting for you. Now, what house to put you in?
If you look deep maybe you'll find a quality that belongs to one. Halie challenged.
Ahhh, there it is. "GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shouted and there was a smattering of applause. Professor McGonagall removed the sorting hat, and Halie looked around at her family, they were all smiling.
"So what now?" she asked lightly.
"Quidditch!" all the males exclaimed. The girls laughed.
"Kids vs. Parents," Charlie added with a mischievous grin.
"Halie's our seeker!" Dan ordered in a tone that brooked no argument.
"Give me five minutes to change, I'm not playing in a dress," Halie ran up the stairs to change. Everyone else filed out to the back yard. Halie joined them there wearing a pair of jeans and a baggy sweatshirt. "Let's do this," she lead them all to the back yard sharing a smirk with her brother.
The two teams: Halie, Jessica, Katie, Chris, Dan, Teddy and Zach for the kids. Angelina, Katie, Ginny, Fred, George, Ron, and Harry; were facing each other in two semi circles. Bill blew the whistle, and fourteen brooms rose into the air. The chasers were off in a second throwing the ball back and forth so quickly it was hard to make out which team had it. Fred and George were slinging bludgers at the kids with deadly accuracy, only to be foiled by Teddy and Zach each time.
Harry circled the pitch looking for the snitch, only vaguely aware that Halie was hovering above the center of the pitch with her eyes closed. The kid's team scared another goal. They were finally ahead of the parents. Halie's eyes snapped open. She flew a few feet to her left, and then went into a perfectly controlled dive. Several heads turned in her direction. She pulled out of the dive holding a struggling golden snitch in her hand.
"Kids win!" Bill shouted pointing to Halie. A shocked round of applause followed the announcement. Everyone descended, and were surrounded by their spectators.
"How did you get the snitch?" everyone asked Halie in one voice.
"Wow! Okay, I got the snitch because I was listening for it," Halie replied sheepishly, disturbed by all the attention it was getting her. "Anyone want to play again?"
"I don't know, I don't think it would be fair if you kept playing, you're too good," Dan teased her, raising an eyebrow.
"Fine by me," Halie responded sassily. She stepped from the center of the circle. One of the bludgers got free of its case and flew straight into Halie's back. She toppled over, and lay on the ground, winded. Molly and Ginny were the first ones to Halie's side. Ginny was busy making sure that Halie was still conscious, so she didn't think to stop her mother, when Molly lifted Halie's sweater to examine Halie's back.
"Merlin's beard!!" Molly exclaimed. Several gasps followed her exclamation as the others saw the tracery of scars on Halie's back.