Chapter 4: Leaky Cauldron
Dear Harry,
It's been a year since we had a good chat. Luna and I have been planning on meeting in leaky cauldron. Hope you guy's will be there tomorrow at 7. See you soon.
Neville
"Guess we all got same letters" said Harry
"Yeah, luna informed me about them" said Ginny
"We could go tomorrow after closing the the shop. What do you think George?" said Ron
"Me-er-sure" said George
"Great let's get back Mrs. weasley will be worried if we get late" said Hermione
"You guys go ahead I will be there soon, don't worry about death eaters I can handle them" said George
"Alright" said Harry
They came back in enough time not to worry Mrs. Weasley. George came after nearly an hour. Mr. weasley had to work late as there wasn't much staff at the ministry. Many were under imperious curse and many working as undercover for voldermort. It is really hard to recognise who is on your side and who is not, hopefully it will end soon thanks to kingsley.
The dinner it was better than last few days. Everyone was finally making the effort to get back to normal. After dinner harry and ginny went out for a stroll in moonlight they had fun, after good night kiss they headed towards their rooms.
When harry entered the room Ron was lying awake reading a letter.
"I thought you were asleep"
"I was going to but I got hermione's letter so…"
"How is she?"
"She is fine reversed the memory charm. It will take time you know for them to understand you know…I miss her"
"Is she back in England?"
"Yes"
"You could just go there and her that won't be much of a problem"
"Her parents haven't got used to idea of her being a witch. I don't want to just go and shock them by Hermione having a wizard boyfriend"
"Well then you have to wait till tomorrow to meet her"
"I didn't knew she was coming here tomorrow"
"No, she isn't coming here. Neville wrote to her and as far as I know Hermione she would come"
"How did you know Neville wrote to her?"
"Luna told Ginny"
"Can't wait to meet her. Good night"
"G' Night"
The next day there wasn't much to do harry and ginny helped ron and george a bit with the store and finally went on a date to hogsmeade their first date but it go as planned as some of the girls over there came to harry for autograph and they had run away from there and went to meet george and ron as they planned to go leaky cauldron together. Both of them were about to close the shop when harry and ginny arrived.
"Hey guys, how was your date?" asked george
"Good start, bad end thanks to our popularity" said ginny
"Well we had some customers who just came here to see if they could find anyone of the trio, ron has been hiding at the back of the store since then... it's kind of funny actually" said george laughing
"Actually it is" said ginny and started laughing with george
"I can't believe your saying that we got of only because of invisibility cloak, I'm going to find ron"
He left them laughing found them found ron thankfully when they returned topic was changed they were discussing how quidditch teams are going to do this year, they talked for a while and then closed the shop and left for leaky cauldron. It turned out they were the last ones to arrive. Everyone exchanged greetings and placed their order.
"Congratulations aurror potter" said neville
"Thanks but how did you know about that? I don't think Kingsley said about it to anyone yet" said harry
"No actually gran spoke to Mrs. Weasley she told her about it" said neville
"Are you two returning to hogwarts? asked ginny
"Yup. Hoping for a peaceful year" said neville
"Guess yoU will have a non adventurous year as harry isn't there" said george
"Oh! But I liked those adventures" said luna
"We will try to make sure you have enough fun without near to death experiences" said hermione
"There would be so much change in staff this year. Wonder who new professors would be" said ginny
"The wouldn't be any idiots as professors this year, McGonagall wouldn't tolerate anyone dumb" said ron
As the dinner arrived the conversation moved to quidditch and to reunion of harry and ginny to how finally ron and hermione got together. As luna handed neville somd knuts.
"Are we missing something? " asked harry nearly voicing everyone's thoughts
"Nothing much. Me and luna had a bet that ron and hermione will be together before the battle finishes or after and I won" said neville as everyone bust out laughing while ron and hermione turned scarlet
"You were betting that when we would get together" said hermione
"Yeah" said luna
"But how could you even be so confident that we would get together?" asked ron
"Almost everyone knew that you would get together sooner or later it's was just a matter of time as you both were to stubborn to admit it" said neville
"Yeah" grunted ron
"Hermione did you meet any of your fan club today?" asked harry changing the subject
"Fan club?" said hermione
"You better be careful" said harry laughing as luna, neville, ginny, george and ron joined
"Actually I'm surprised we aren't interrupted yet" said george
"People are dying to see the trio who defeated voldermort" said luna
"I get it now, but how did you two become victims?" asked hermione
They explained what had happened and in the end burst out laughing. They had deserts and after talking for a while everyone left except ron and hermione, they stayed back as hermione would be returning soon and it would be a while before they meet again
As ron apparated to the burow he herd someone apparating in there as he went he saw hary and ginny
"Hi ron. Guess you just got back" said ginny
"Hi. I thought you two left two hous ago. Where were you?" asked ron
"We went to godric's hallow to spend some time alone" said ginny with a smirk
"Well, I hop what I'm thinking is not true, is it Harry?" asked ron
"It-" Ginny cut off harry before he could say anything
"I guess it is what you are thinking ron" said ginny
Harry looked quiet uncomfortable while ron looked like he would hex harry into oblivion
"Harry say me what happened or it won't be good for you" yelled ron, harry started laughing hearing this
"We didn't go anywhere we were herd for last two hours it was harry who apparated here so you would think we apparated and the look on your face was worth it" said ginny laughing with harry while ron's face matched the colour of his hair.
"Harry couldn't you have given me a head start" said ron
"I would have if weren't so busy snogging hermione" said harry
"Shut it, potter" snapped ron
"Good night ron, have sweet dreams of hermione" said ginny as she kissed harry and headed towards her room. After ginny left harry and ron headed upstairs and ron somehow managed to convince harry not to anything about their prank to hermione.
Next moring when harry and ron went downstairs they could hear people talking in hushed voices.
"Couldn't it be done by someone else? asked Mrs. Weasley
"I have already given my statement but they want to hear it from them" said Kingsley
"Kingsley" said both harry and ron in surprise
"Oh! Good morning... Come on let's have breakfast" said Mrs. Weasley her voice clearly giving away she didn't want to say something.
"Molly they ought to know" said Mr. Weasley
"Sorry to be rude but what are you hiding from us now" said ron coldly
"Noth-" as Mrs. Weasley began was cut off by Kingsley
"We haven't been hiding anything I planned it last night and we are going to inform you as soon as hermione arrives. Till then no questions and have your breakfast. Let's go for a walk arthur" said Kingsley
"Sure" replied Mr. Weasley and they left
The walk clearly meant that they didn't want to talk about something in front of us. That left harry and ron to think about what's going on that even hermione got involved.
"Mum where is george?" asked ron breaking them from the chain of thoughts
"He left for store" said Mrs. Weasley
"I thought we planned to go together" said ron looking hurt by his brother's behavior
"You are not going to store today, ginny is helping him, now get back to your breakfast" said Mrs. Weasley
"Does this mean george and ginny know what's going on?" asked harry
"Well they weren't supposed to know but at last we didn't have much of a choice, but they don't know the details as they had to hurry up" said Mrs. Weasley
They didn't even try to start up a conversation after that lost in their thoughts and possibilities of that could be that was being hidden from them. Afer they finished their breakfast and helped Mrs. Weasley put everything back. Hermione arrived after sometime with Kingsley and Mr. Weasley looking as confused as ron and harry.
"Take a seat" said kingsely
"What is it so important that you wanted to discuss? " said hermione sitting with harry and ron.
"Yeah it is important, I hope you remember last time you were at the ministry I asked you to stay away from auritrum as there were reporters who wanted to interview you" said kingsely
"Yeah" said ron
"Well I have given my statement on basis on what you have told me, which is only limited information...well the reporters want to interview with you guys about what was the mission that dumbuldore left for you guys and about the battle" said Kingsley
"When you gave that statement it a was done, I hope your aware that none of want the interview" said harry
"I thought that same thing when I gave the statement, but everyone is expecting you to say about it. I thought that after sometime it wouldn't be so bad but it's only getting worse, they want to hear it from the trio" said Kingsley
"The trio?" said ron
"Well you three are special after all" said Mr. Weasley
"Being famous when you don't want to be how convenient" muttered ron causing harry and ron to smile
"Anyway harry if your joining as an aurror you should learn to handle press" said kingsley
"Why?" asked harry knowing the answer perfectly well
"You have to give statement about the progress of case your working on... are you sure you want to become an aurror?" said Kingsley
"Yeah. Why?" asked Harry
"I'm not pressurising you to do anything harry but as your not going back to hogwarts then you are free to choose your career. Everyone is expecting you to go back to hogwarts but once the news gets out your not going back to hogwarts you will have many more opportunities" said Kingsley
"Don't you want me to join as a aurror?" asked Harry
"I do and I know you will do everything in your power to make sure no inoccent person has to suffer but... You are good at quidditch you could easily sign up for any team... You have so many career choices and I don't want you to go for aurror just because everyone expects you to so" said Kingsley
" I love quidditch but it will attract to much attention and I have enough attention fot life time, I have thought my decision throughly there isn't anything I want to do rather than becoming an arror" said Harry
"Did you two think about your decisions throughly?" asked Kingsley pointing towards Ron and Hermione
"Yeah" they replied together
"Alright we are going announce your decisions at interview" said Kingsley
"Fine" said Ron
"Hermione you are supposed give the statement hopefully you would be able to handle your temper better than those two, harry and ron don't let the whole statement to hermione and get on the parts where you won't loose your temper... Well I won't be able to be there and thankfully percy made sure rita skeeter isn't there so hopefully this will be a succes. See you soon, bye" said Kingsley
Mr. Weasley walked out with Kingsley as the trio was busy thinking the best way to answer the questions because there was much information that could not be released to anyone. Time flew away as it always does whenever harry is nervous. They got into the ministry got their batches.
"Hello. It is such a pleasure to meet the trio. I'm Rochelle Marks. Please follow the reporters are waiting" said a beautiful witch.
They entered a room at level 5, it looked like a ball room. Before they could even think about getting a proper look at the room the reporters started firing questions. Thankfully marks calmed them down and surprisingly they even heard them out without interruption. That went quite well and the question weren't bad either it was shocking that they were going so easy.
The doors of the room opened entered Rita Skeeter last person on the earth they wanted to see at the moment. They should have understood that when everything was going fine that the worse was about to come.
"Sorry to be late got caught up in work, anyway let's continue" said Rita as hermione swore under breath.
"Sure" said harry with a fake smile determined not to let her spoil the day
"Great, Why were you on run?"
"Seeing hermione is a muggle born and I was a clear target for voldermort we ran for our life and planning how to defeat voldermort and ron here decided to accompany us he wanted to everything in his power to save us and he did save me"
"How did you break into gringotts by using unforgivable curses?"
"Yeah. We didn't have much of a option we had to defeat voldermort and we were running out of time if u think it was wrong then suggest a alternative"
"So Mr. Potter has finally resorted to use dark magic"
"Sorry we have to cut the interview short and Ms. Skeeter it was a necessity I have my reasons to trust them and I don't want this to be in prophet tomorrow" said Kingsley coming to the rescue and indicating the trio to follow them.
"Sure" said skeeter with a forced smile
They followed Kingsley out towards his office by the look on his face it was clearly showing his anger. If looks could kill rita would be dead by now.
"I'm sorry for all this drama I have no idea how she got there" said Kingsley locking the door of his cabin
"It's alright. We know it wasn't your fault" said hermione
"I suggest you directly floo to the burrow from here" said Kingsley
"Mind if we flooed to hogwarts, we wanted to visit hagrid" said harry
"Sure"
A/N: Sorry I know I should have updated earlier and there a no reasons that could make upto it... and I guess even next update is going to take two weeks. I STICK TO CANNON.