2007
January
Ron pulled his cloak tighter against the gale driven rain. Ah the glamorous life of an auror! Nine year after the defeat of Voldemort and still running down rumors of deatheaters. His promotion had it's up side, he was working with Harry again, well except on Monday when he still had training.
Harry glanced sideways at his best friend and new partner. This tip had turned out to be no more than paranoid neighbors, but all leads had to be checked out. 10 years ago Ron would have been whining and a real pain aboput spending the time and putting up with the weather. Ron had changed, the year they were hunting started the change, the battle had sped it along and the years helping George had honed his soul.
Now the world could see what he and Hermione had known for a long time. Ron Weasley is a brilliant tactitian, keen observer and stalwart friend.
March
Ginny was sitting sipping a hot coco in front of the fireplace in the library at Grimald place. It was a blustery March day outside and she had just covered a match between the Chudley Cannons and the Falmouth Falcons. Snow had whipped the players and spectators alike and Ginny felt as if her feet would never thaw.
She and Lee Jordon had been setting next to each other in the press box and both had relied heavily on the TV monitor to even see the action.
Ginny was earning quite a nice salary between the occasional guest commentary she did with Lee on the wireless and the cable less and her articles in the prophet.
Bill was helping her invest some of her savings toward a pet project she wanted to launch. Many of the older quidditch stars and the less well known players of today had a rough time after quidditch. They often suffered from years of injuries and had a hard time finding a job. Ginny, and a few like minded individuals, were funding an organization to help with living expenses for those down on their luck. The organization would also fund training programs for players who found they had no marketable skills after they retired. Bill was willing to gather other financial adviser's to help the players of today invest part of their salaries toward a more secure future.
She and Harry had sat down with Bill and listed their assets, then developed an investment plan. They had both been surprised at just how wealthy they were. They could, if they wanted to, quit work and live the life of the elite. Ginny knew though that she and Harry would never be comfortable not working.
Their hard scrabble youth prevented them from being able to sit around on their bums. Besides they wanted their children to appreciate the effort of a good day's labor.
Ron had quietly began a fund for the children of those killed by Voldemort and his followers. When his share of WWW had started making money faster than a reasonable person could spend it he and Hermione had looked around for ways to help. Hermione had begun scholarships for those needing help with school supplies and books.
Since George had given everyone in the family shares of WWW, they were all on the board. One of the things they did was to make sure to quietly funnel money to worthy causes. A grinning Fred was immortalized at a local wizarding orphanage in their play room. Not only did WWW make sure the children had the means to have fun but they also made sure they had a warm bed and good meals.
After the match today Lee had asked Ginny if he could come over and talk with her about investing some of his money in a scholarship fund for athletic youth. He wanted her take on what it had been like to set up a charitable trust.
Ginny was happy to see so many of their friends and family doing well. Everyone who had lived through the war had sacrificed something. Now it seemed they were in a period of reaping rewards.
…………..
It was quarter to ten and Harry had not gotten home yet. He had left a note explaining he might be very late, so she wasn't too worried. Hermione had flooed looking for Ron earlier and they realized they must be on some sort of investigation together.
Ginny had found some wonderful soft wool the last time she covered a game in Scotland and decided tonight was a good time to start some of her Christmas presents. She was casting on a bright orange, a Chudley Cannon's scarf for Ron, when George's head appeared in her fire. He was covered in soap foam.
"Ginny can I bring the baby to you? We have a bit of a problem over here and We'd like her safely out of the way."
of course Ginny said yes. George flooed through with Roxanne and her things. Foam was clinging to everything.
"Would you mind giving her a bit of a wash up? Freddy got a hold of my wand and decided to "help" with the dishes. We are trying to stop the foam before it ruins the stock in the shop."
With that he shoved his daughter in to Ginny's hands and disappeared with a pop.
Ginny hated to wake Kreacher, but she thought that Angie and George could use her help at their place.
"Kreacher?"
"Yes Mistress Ginny? Oh my…."
Kreacher took one look at the foam covered baby and knew what was needed.
"Master George having some problems?"
"Yes Freddy's been at it again would you mind bathing the baby and putting her down with Albus?"
"Not at all Mistress, is you going to help?"
"Yes. If Harry gets back before I do would you let him know where I am?"
…………..
Ginny apperated to the back stair of WWW. Just as she appeared the door at the top of the stairs burst open and Freddy rode out on a wave of foam shouting "WEE."
He was waving George's wand in his right hand and the bubbles were multiplying at an alarming rate.
With the reflexes of a quidditch player Ginny snatched both Freddy and George's wand. By now the back garden was filling with foam and it was creeping down the alley.
George's head appeared through the back door.
Ginny yelled up to her brother "I've got Freddy and your wand."
"Oh thank Godric! Can you take him someplace safe? Could you also call in some help? Angie and I can't get it to stop and it's in the shop now."
His head disappeared as strange sounds erupted from the shop area.
Ginny apperated with Freddy to the burrow. Hermione, took charge of Freddy and started flooing family to help at WWW.
Ginny apperated to the front of the store where Angie was sliding out with an armfull of very angry pygmy puffs.
"I think I have them all could you conjure a cage for them and clean them off, I'm going back in to try and get some of the more dangerous items out."
Ginny handed her sister in law George's wand and took care of the pygmy puffs. Finding a safe place for the cage was difficult, because by now the foam was a wave rolling down Diagon Alley.
The foam was finally stopped after some spiffy magic by Bill. It pays to have a curse breaker in the family. Fleur and Ginny started removing the foam form the streets while the rest of the family battled their way in to the shop to clean up.
Harry and Ron appeared about half way in to the clean up. Most of the stock was a loss. Soap and magical mischief makers are not a good combination. Where the foam had hit the display of Fleur's Vela made products the area had a lovely lemony scent.
By morning they had the shop and flat cleaned of foam, ruined products and food. There was a sign in the window announcing they were close for inventory and would open in two days time.
George had gone to the MOM with Percy and they had made quick work of the accidental underage magic forms.
Ron had gone home and returned with a reluctant Freddy. Hermione had made sure he had known the seriousness of his little prank.
Hannah had them all come to the inn and eat a decent breakfast. As Angie lifted a cup of tea tiredly to her lips she shook her head and said; "I wish I knew where he got these ideas from!"
……………….
Because their furniture was a soggy mess, George, Angie and the children went back to the burrow to stay. That night George and Angie decided that living over the shop with a mischievous child was a bad idea. Angie began looking for a house to buy.
…………………
Harry and Ginny were curled up in their big bed attempting to wake up. Yesterday had been a long day.
"Ginny I'm afraid our James is growing up to be just like Freddy. I suppose that what we get for naming after two of the marauders!" Harry gave a weak smile.
"I swear he ever floods the house with soap I'll whip his bum so hard he won't sit down until he's 21!" Harry knew she meant it too.
May
Harry swore The PM Blair was enjoying Gordon Brown's discomfort. Kingsley and the Prime Minister elect had just returned from a trip through memories in a pensive. They had decided that it was the best way to bring new PM's up to speed.
Mr. Brown was now shaking his head and muttering what sounded like "So it's not a child's story." Aloud he turned to Blair and asked: "Does the Queen know all of this?"
Tony Blair and Kingsley shared a smile, "Gordon, NEVER underestimate WHAT Her Majesty knows."
June
The Cableless was carrying the BBC's coverage of the attempted bombing.
Police avert car bomb 'carnage'
A car bomb planted in central London would have caused "carnage" if it had exploded, police say.
A controlled explosion was carried out on the car, packed with 60 litres of petrol, gas cylinders and nails, in Haymarket, near Piccadilly Circus.
An ambulance crew saw smoke coming from the green Mercedes, near the Tiger Tiger nightclub at 0130 BST (0030 GMT).
London's Park Lane was later cordoned off while a suspicious vehicle was investigated.
Scotland Yard, Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur urged people to be "alert and vigilant" and to report any suspicions to the police.
Disruption would be kept to a minimum, he said, although the police were reviewing the safety of a number of big public events set to take place in the capital over the weekend.
"I want to reassure Londoners that we are doing everything possible to make them safe," he added.
Earlier, a Scotland Yard spokeswoman said that Park Lane was closed at Marble Arch to Hyde Park Corner and a 200m cordon was in place.
Sources close to the investigation said the Park Lane closure was linked to the discovery of a vehicle at an underground car park. A police robot was being used to investigate the vehicle.
"International elements" were believed to be involved with the Haymarket bomb, Whitehall sources told the BBC.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Peter Clarke, head of Scotland Yard's counter-terrorism command, said: "It is obvious that if the device had detonated there could have been serious injury or loss of life."
The ambulance had been called to the nightclub - where up to 1,700 people were inside - when they spotted smoke, now believed to be vapour, inside the car.
Bomb experts manually disabled the "potentially viable explosive device".
Scotland Yard declined to comment on reports that a mobile phone was found in the Mercedes that may have been intended to trigger the explosion.
One report claimed that a quick-thinking officer disconnected the mobile phone before bomb squad officers arrived.
Mobile phones have been used to detonate bombs in Iraq and Indonesia and in other terror attacks, such as the 2004 Madrid bombings.
The car bomb has echoes of other terrorist plots. Five men were jailed for life in April for a UK bomb plot linked to al-Qaeda that targeted a shopping centre and a nightclub with a giant fertiliser bomb.
And Dhiren Barot was jailed for life last November for conspiring to park limousines packed with gas canisters underneath high-profile buildings before detonating them.
DAC Clarke told a press conference that it was too early to say who was responsible but the incident "resonated" with previous terrorist plots.
"The threat from terrorism is real. It is here, enduring. Life must go on but we must all stay alert," he said.
Mr Clarke also specifically mentioned nightclubs as a potential target.
Following Friday's discovery police patrols in central London were stepped up "to provide a visible reassurance", rather than in response to a specific threat.
Officers will visit licensed premises to reiterate ongoing crime prevention and safety advice, said a police spokesman.
The Muslim Council of Britain, the largest organisation representing Muslim groups in the UK, urged people to help the police find the perpetrators.
Secretary-General Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, said: "It is now a duty upon all the rest of us to help the police so that they can bring whoever was involved in this plot swiftly to justice".
Speaking in Downing Street after a private meeting with Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the new Home Office minister for security, Admiral Sir Alan West, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith urged members of the public to report anything suspicious to the police.
Mr Brown said Britain faced "a serious and continuous threat".
He added the public "need to be alert" at all times.
The BBC's Andy Tighe said the timing was significant coming a day after Mr Brown became prime minister, and with the second anniversary of the 7 July bombings approaching.
Earlier reports said bouncers from a nearby nightclub saw the car being driven erratically before it crashed into a bin. They claimed the driver then got out and ran off.
A police source said the bomb was a "big device" and had posed a real and substantial threat to the hundreds of revellers leaving the area's bars and nightclubs.
Dozens of forensic officers examined the scene and the car was taken to the Forensics Explosives Laboratory in Kent for further tests.
The current terrorism threat level has been classed as severe - one level lower than the highest "critical" - since 14 August 2006.
Intelligence sources said they were keeping an open mind on who was responsible for the car bomb.
The BBC's security correspondent Frank Gardner said the incident had "come from nowhere" and that the driver of the car was now Britain's "most wanted".
He said CCTV was the key to finding the "first clue" as to who was behind the attempted bombing.
Police have urged anyone with information to phone the confidential Anti-Terrorist hotline number on 0800789321.
Of course Ginny had been aware of what was going on as soon as the Patronus had lept in to their bedroom last night. Harry had left immediately and soon Hermione's head appeared in the fireplace asking if she could come over with Rose.
They had spent a mostly sleepless night, and a worried day waiting for word. It was now 3:15 and Harry had sent word they would be home soon.
We interrupt our coverage to report of an apparent terror attack at Glascow airport that happended just minutes ago……….
Ginny called "Kreacher?"
With a pop the elderly elf appeared. "Yes Mistress?"
"It appears Harry will not be home tonight and that Hermione and Rose will be staying, would you mind bringing the clock to my study along with a pan of brownies and the vanilla ice cream?"
December
On a dark deserted street in Leeds a tall thin young man in a black trench coat walked silently in the shadows. Dirty darkened windows, like blank unseeing eyes were the only witnesses to his solitary walk.
If you looked closely you would see a long thin face under an unruly mop of black hair. Barely visible, on his forehead, was a jagged scar.
Harry Potter was working. Two days ago the body of a young woman had been found beaten to death on this very street. The only clue to her identity had been a long wooden stick she was clutching.
Knowledgeable people on the local police force contacted the MOM. Now most muggles, non magical people, have no idea that a ministry of magic even exists. But the magical war that ended in 1998 had taught the wizarding world that cooperation with the non magical world was essential.
They had not identified the young witch yet. Piro Incanti done on her wand had reveled nothing but normal household charms.
Harry was following a hunch. He suspected that her death had nothing to do with her being a witch and everything to do with her being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Harry found a likely looking building corner, nice and dark. He leaned back against the wall to wait.
…………….
Ron was most uncomfortable. He had no idea how Hermione ever breathed in this bra! No they had not joined a swinging, cross dressing, couples club, Hermione had donated a few of her hairs so he could go undercover as an eligible bird.
He sipped his "cocktail", actually poly juice potion, and scanned the room. A group of seedy looking young men were getting steadily drunker at a corner table. A large one was pointing at "Hermione" and whispering to his friends.
The publican called last drink and "Hermione" paid her bill. (Wooten was having a fine time playing the jovial barman).
Ron headed for the door, careful to stumble just a bit on the way. Walking slowly, with "her" coat pulled snug for protection against the wind "she" wove her way down the darkened street.
Just as he had hoped the group of young men were following. He made certain to keep just ahead of their drunken progress until he passed the corner where he knew Harry waited.
Unknown to the group of young men Wooten and the MOM's local police contact were following at a safe distance.
"Hermione" suddenly dropped her bag, the contents spilling out. "She" half fell, half bent down to retrieve the wayward contents.
Just as she did the gang jumped her. Five drunken thugs were very surprised to find how strong this apparent wisp of a woman was. They were also surprised to find three very athletic gentlemen aiding the young woman.
Later they would all claim to have suffered head injuries in the struggle, having no memory of how they came to be at the local police lock-up.
While those low life's were trying to figure out how they had gotten incarcerated and when they had confessed to a series of robberies and beatings Harry was searching one of their flats.
Under Versantium one of the thugs had confessed to being the one who held the items they had stolen until they could be fenced. He soon found a wallet that held the identification of their dead girl.
……………
Harry had just wrapped up his report as the sky lightened. Ron, once again dressed in his auror robes, had finished his report while Harry had been searching the flat. He had his feet up on his desk in his cubicle and was fast asleep.
Harry hatred to wake him but they both needed to get some sleep before being back here this afternoon.
At 4 p.m. Kingsley was holding a news conference announcing the retirement of Wooten, effective December 31st. He would also announce that Harry Potter would be the new head of the auror department effective at 5 pm. New year's eve day.
After the news conference Wooten had scheduled a meeting with the whole department. Harry knew he had to be on his toes. One or two of the older aurors would be upset that a 27 year old was the head of the department. He hoped to settle their minds at the meeting.
…………….
Harry climbed in to bed with Ginny. She rolled over and smiled. "Well hello Mr. Potter, fancy meeting you here! Did you operation tonight go well?"
"Why yes Mrs. Potter it did. Ron made a fetching Hermione. Although he kept complaining about a certain undergarment you ladies wear."
They both collapsed in a fit of giggles.
Ginny became serious. "Darling are you ready for this afternoon? You know there will be a lot of press interest again. I know how much you love dealing with the press!"
Harry grinned wickedly, "There is one sports reporter I adore dealing with."
Ginny lifted her wand from the bedside table and locked the bedroom door. "Mr. Potter would you like to demonstrate how you deal with this press?"
……………
A sleepy, but smiling Harry appeared at the press conference later that day.