Harry's Future, Part 25
Harry sat in a comfortable chair in the main bedroom of Shell Cottage. It was Sunday afternoon and he was paying his first visit to the new mother and her daughter, his first niece. It had taken a handwritten note from Fleur to get him to make the trip. He had been afraid that his recent illness might prove dangerous to either or both of them. He did however refuse to make any physical contact with the mother and newborn and the first few moments of the visit were a classic display of the immovable object meeting the unstoppable force. They had glared at each other until Fleur gave in since his stance that it was too great a risk of spreading his illness held the moral high ground over her insistence of being given her due in terms of hugs from Harry.
Fortunately, Fleur wasn't one to hold a grudge and as quickly as the tension had risen it had passed. They were now having a pleasant chat while Ginny helped Bill put together something for them all to eat. Fleur was lying in bed, the baby cradled in her arms, her flowing hair pushed over to one side. Her blue eyes were bright but it was obvious that she was feeling fatigued. Her smile was warm however, full of a mother's love. Harry had a quick flash of an image of another young mother, her hair red instead of silver blonde and with bright green eyes. He wondered how often he had been held like that. His vision began to blur as his eyes began to fill.
"'arry, what is wrong, mon frere?"
"I'm sorry, Fleur, nothing wrong, I'm just happy everything went well for you and the baby," he lied, sort of.
"Do not try to fool me, 'arry. I know you too well. Those are not tears of joy you are tryeeng to hold back."
He took a deep breath and replied,
"Alright, I was just looking at you and thinking of how my mum must have looked holding me," he said and shrugged a little.
Fleur tried to smile back but she too was now having trouble holding back the tears. Harry smiled back a bit and reached out and patted her leg that was under the comforter. This got a bigger smile. Harry realized that in many ways, Fleur was a soul mate. Not in the traditional romantic sense but of a friend so close that she knows what he is feeling before he feels it.
She looked at him closely and nodded. At that time Bill and Ginny entered the room with trays bearing light snack foods and beverages. Bill sat on the bed and took his daughter gently. The look on his scarred face was one of fascination and wonder.
"So, how are you two getting on? Victoire seems to be content," Ginny said.
"She should be," Bill said. "She certainly spent enough time last night being very uncontented."
"Mum said the first days will be the toughest," Ginny replied.
"Some'ow I theenk we weell survive eet. Nearly everyone does," Fleur said with a smile. "What are you theenkeeng, 'arry?"
"Hmm, I was just thinking it's hard to believe that she was born on the anniversary of the big battle. It hasn't really been all that long but it seems a lifetime ago," he said quietly.
"It certainly has been eventful, that's for sure," Ginny replied.
"When are you going back up to school, Bill?" Harry asked.
"Not until Tuesday morning. Mum will come back out and spend the rest of the week with Fleur. She's practically floating. Now that she has one grandchild the pressure will be on you two and George and Angelina," Bill said with a laugh.
"Well, I don't know about that, Bill," Ginny said. "Besides, it's been too much fun practicing."
Harry went red and Bill and Fleur started to laugh until Victoire started to fuss and they all quieted down, but Fleur was still giggling. They continued to chat for a while longer and it became obvious that Fleur needed to sleep so Bill put the baby in the crib at the foot of the bed and after kissing his wife, led Harry and Ginny out into the living room. They sat down and spent the rest of the afternoon going over the plan for the Quidditch camp.
"Interest is high, Harry. There should be plenty of students and the question we're working on now is transportation. The way we have it scheduled the students would be coming two weeks early to school so maybe we could arrange a special run of the Express. Otherwise we'd need to look as some sort of arrangement on the floo network. My guess is, though, that we can get the train."
"I'm glad to see everything looks to be going well. Is there anything you need me to do? It seems like you and Charlie are doing most of the work," Harry said.
"Don't worry about it, Harry. Charlie and I are having a blast. Plus he's getting help from Eleanor. It looks like a bunch of the Harpies are planning on helping out. Did you know that, Ginny?" Bill asked his little sister.
"Yes, althougth not a lot of the details. Commuting from London keeps me a little out of the loop. But lots of the girls are really looking forward to it and Ms. Hapnafl wants us to keep an eye out for any promising female players. Any pro team that doesn't have someone there is going to be at a disadvantage when it comes time to recruit," Ginny said and then she looked at Harry. "See, Harry. You were right when you said it was ok to come up with an idea and let someone else run with it."
Bill looked at Harry with a raised eyebrow. Harry proceeded to tell Bill what he had been thinking about the other morning while he was lying in bed. When he finished Bill looked at him with a smile on his scarred face.
"Well done you, Harry. That's an important thing for a leader to realize. Can you imagine Professor McGonagall or Kingsley Shacklebolt trying to do everything themselves? In many ways all the things that you've been doing the last few years adds up to just as large an effort as either of those two. Let us help you get things done. In fact, Charlie and I were just saying the other night that we should find a way to thank you for coming up with a way for us to get back into Quidditch in such a big way."
"No need, Bill. I'm glad you're enjoying it so much," Harry said with a grin.
"How's everything else going, Harry? Any issues with the animagus situation?" Bill asked seriously.
"Well, no troubles at the moment. I haven't felt the need to make the change and I haven't found any situations that made it happen, well sort of."
"Sort of?" Bill asked.
Harry explained to Bill that what he was told happened when he was in the midst of the 'fire storm'.
"I wonder if it was the fire storm prompting the dragon or the dragon reacting to the illness and trying to control it," Bill said thoughtfully. "Harry, I know things like this bother you but speaking as a teacher and having done a fair amount of research when I was working as a curse breaker, I think you really need to think about preserving your unique position in the magical world for posterity."
"What are you talking about, Bill?" Harry asked.
"I think you need to start writing down your experiences, your insights and your understandings so that they will be available to those that come after you."
"What, like an autobiography or something?" Harry asked incredulously.
"Yes, exactly," Bill said.
"No, I don't think that would work, Bill," Ginny said to the surprise of her brother and her husband.
"Why not, Ginny? You don't think that all that Harry has done and learned and will do in the future isn't important?" Bill asked.
"Oh, no, I think you're absolutely right about how important it all is, Bill. In fact, it's too important to leave to Harry," Ginny said seriously.
"What's that supposed to mean, Ginny?" Harry said with some heat.
"Calm down, Harry. I simply mean that your tendency to downplay what you do would most likely spill over into trying to write all this amazing stuff down. No, I think it would be better if someone else was to do it and I think I know who. Me."
"You?"
"Yes, my dear, me. You know I like to write and with what happened with the Prophet I might not have as much to do for a while so I think I'll buy myself a journal and start," she said. "Thanks, Bill. I think you just gave me a really interesting project."
Harry looked over at Bill, not exactly outraged but certainly not all that pleased. Bill looked back and smiled and said,
"Sorry, Harry. Greatness has its price."
Harry rolled his eyes and shook his head. As the sun began to set Harry and Ginny snuck one more peek at the sleeping mother and child and then bade Bill farewell and headed for home. When they arrived they were, as always, welcomed at the door by Kreacher and then directed to the kitchen where he served them their dinner. They ate in silence for a few moments and then Ginny said,
"Are you really that upset by this, Harry?" Ginny asked quietly.
"I don't know that I'd say I was upset but I guess maybe it's that I'm not comfortable with the idea, love. It just seems like I'm bragging or showing off or something," he said.
"Sweetheart. Don't think of it that way. Look, you don't hesitate for a minute to get up in front of a group of people, not matter how big or small, to talk about what you've learned about Defense Against the Dark Arts and you always do it with the best interest of the students and the rest of the magical world in mind. You're not bragging, you're teaching. That's what this is. You'd make all that knowledge available to anyone who can read it, even long after we're gone. Does that make it sound more like the great idea it is?" she asked.
"Well, I don't know that I'd call it a great idea, but put that way I guess it's one I can deal with," he said.
Ginny smiled brightly. Harry promised that he would stop at the stationary store in Diagon Alley and order her some supplies for the project. They went to bed soon after dinner as Ginny needed to be at Holyhead early and Harry thought he should be at the office early after his absence.
When Harry arrived for work the next morning he made his way straight to the Director's office. The secretary looked up at him and said,
"Mr. Potter, you're looking well this morning."
"Thank you, is the Director in?" Harry asked.
"Yes, sir, I think he should be available."
Harry walked over to the office door and knocked.
"Yes?"
"It's Harry Potter, sir."
"Come in, please," the Director called out.
Harry opened the door and walked in. Mr. Grimsson waved Harry into the chair across from him.
"Harry, good to see you looking so well," Grimsson said with a smile.
"Thank you, sir. I'm afraid the stories of my impending death were somewhat exaggerated," Harry said with a smile.
The Director rolled his eyes and looked at Harry seriously and said,
"You can imagine that article in the Prophet created quite a stir. When Maxwell and Milligan returned I made sure that the word got around that you were fine and would be back in few days. I just wonder what they thought they'd gain from this. The Prophet took such a drubbing after the truth about you finally came out the last time," the Director said.
"Well, they have a new editor so maybe he has to learn the lesson on his own. Plus he's probably trying to increase readership and nothing sells like a scandal, or so I'm told. And it's a plausible story what with all the time I've spent laid up in the last few years, starting with Hogwarts. I intend to head over to Diagon Alley later this morning and have a walk around. More than enough people should see me to prove them wrong. Anyway, I just wanted to stop by and let you know I was back and in one piece."
"I'm glad you did, Harry. I endorsed Milligan's report on his trip to Paris and I'm sending it up to the Minister with a strong recommendation that we participate in the conference this summer. I think you need to seriously consider attending and accepting the invitation to present. My guess is that the Minister will strongly support the idea as well," the Director said.
"You're probably right, sir. It's most likely not a bad idea so I'll start thinking about how we'll put something together for it."
"Good. I've also got confirmation on the intern that will be assigned to your office. He's a Hufflepuff sixth year with some very strong performance in DADA and charms. Have you given any thoughts as to what you'll have him doing?" the Director asked.
"Yes, sir. I'll assign him part time to assist the deputy chief. I'm finding Tom to be of immense help and I'm sure Maxwell can also use a hand with the details. I think I'll also have him do some work with Milligan sorting through data, compiling reports, that sort of thing. We're trying to establish a more effective way of looking for patterns in the evidence we turn up. This current business was scary enough that I don't want us caught napping again," Harry said.
The Director merely nodded and then said,
"I think that covers all I have, Harry. If you don't have anything else why don't we get to work? Oh, one last thing. I'll give some thought to the conference and see if there's anything the Minister or I think you need to include but I'd imagine you'll cover it well enough on your own," he said with a smile.
"Yes, sir. I'll keep you advised as I pull it together," Harry replied as he rose and then left the room.
He made his way down to his office and he wasn't there more then ten minutes when Tom Medford knocked on the doorframe.
"Tom, good morning. How are things going?"
"Good, sir. I have some things for your signature and a request from the Director of Magical Games and Sports asking for some of your time when it's convenient. Word is that he's taking a lot of grief over your Quidditch camp idea. Apparently it got out that the department wasn't supporting it and he's been getting messages from fans, retired pros, broom and equipment suppliers demanding why they aren't promoting an attempt to improve and expand the popularity of the sport," Tom said with a small smile.
"I'll go through the things you need signed first thing and then I'm going to see if Hermione is in this morning. I'll get around to Games and Sports when I can," Harry said.
He had been giving the article in the Prophet some thought and he had an inkling about where the Ministry information had come from. Tom left the stack of parchment on Harry's desk and went back to his own little office. Harry spent the next hour catching up on what was going on and when he was done he placed the stack of signed reports on the corner of his desk for Tom to find later. He walked up to see if Hermione was in. He noticed she tended to keep her door closed whether she was in or not. He knocked.
"Yes, who is it?" came the voice.
"It's Harry."
He heard a chair bang into a file cabinet and a few rapid footsteps. The door swung open and there was Hermione, her smile bright and wide.
"Oh, Harry, it is so good to see you. How are you feeling?" she asked as she pulled him into her office.
"I'm feeling much better, Hermione. The cold is gone and I've gotten my energy back so no problems."
"Ron and I should have come to see you Harry but I started to wonder if maybe with the newspaper article the less fuss the better. I don't know if it was the right thing to do," she said, biting her lower lip a bit.
"It's ok, Hermione. That took me by surprise, too. It was almost like the old days. Ginny quit writing her articles for them. I have a feeling I know what's going on but I need to do a little snooping first. Anyway, did you get out to see Fleur and the baby?"
"Yes, isn't she the cutest thing ever? We were there on Saturday. Fleur was wondering when you were going to get there," Hermione said with a little grin.
"I was just trying to be careful. You know that newborns need to be protected from germs and stuff," Harry said.
"Yes, Harry, I know."
"So what about you and Ron? Did your mum and mine get it straightened out? I just thought being the best man I should know where to show up," Harry said with a lopsided grin.
"In a manner of speaking. We are going to have a very private wedding. Bride and groom, best man and matron of honor and parents. Then we'll have a reception party for my muggle family and another one at the Burrow for our magical family," Hermione said.
"Are you ok with that, Hermione? Don't you want something bigger?"
"Harry, I'm going to let you in on a little secret, we'll maybe a big secret. I've been absolutely terrified of the idea of standing up in front of a big group of people and saying vows and all the rest. Do you remember when I walked up in front of the Great Hall to get my scroll for the Special Act award?"
"Yes."
"It was all I could do to keep from fainting," Hermione said quietly.
"I can't believe that, Hermione. You're one of the bravest people I know. All that time we spent together tracking down horcruxes you never missed a beat."
"Thank you, Harry. I know it's an irrational fear but it's still a very real one for me. One of the things I admire most about you is the way you can get up in front of a big crowd of people and lecture and answer questions and you make it look so easy. To me, that's as brave a thing as any time you've faced off against Voldemort."
"Wow, I never knew, Hermione," Harry said, truly amazed at this revelation. "Um, where would you like me to show up?"
"It'll be easy, Harry. You and Ginny just need to be at the Burrow by noon on the last Saturday in June."
"Ginny? Ginny is going to be your matron of honor? When did you ask her?" Harry asked.
"Last week before you got sick, Harry. I guess it got lost in all the excitement."
"Well, Hermione. I can't tell you how happy I am that you got it all worked out. I like the idea of my two best friends being married," Harry said with a big grin.
"Thanks, Harry. I kinda like the idea myself," she said with a bigger grin.
"Ok, now that we've handled all the family matters, what do you say we deal with some work?" Harry said.
"Wow, Harry. I didn't think I'd ever see the day when you'd be the one suggesting we get to work," Hermione said with a laugh.
Harry left Hermione's office about half an hour latter and made his way to the lobby and Disapparated to Diagon Alley. It was a warm day and he knew he'd enjoy the walk, definitely if things worked out the way he wanted them to. He began a slow stroll making his way toward Weasleys Wizard Wheezes and he noticed several people looking at him. He smiled and nodded toward them as he approached the door to the shop. He stopped when he heard a voice from behind him.
"Harry, Harry Potter."
Harry turned and found Angelina's dad, Mr. Johnson hurrying up to him. As he came to stand before Harry he wore a broad grin but his eyes were questioning.
"Harry, it's so good to see you up and around. I read that ridiculous article in the Prophet but Angelina assured me you were just down with a bad cold. How are you doing, my boy?"
"I'm doing fine, Mr. Johnson. Angelina was right and the Prophet wrong. I did have a bad case of chills the one night and Ginny didn't want to take any chances, considering my past history, so she sent for help from St. Mungo's. But the story in the Prophet was quite a bit overboard in describing my condition," Harry said with a grin.
Mr. Johnson shook his head and said,
"I wonder what those idiots are on about this time. You'd think the embarrassment of the last time would have taught them a lesson."
"They have a new editor apparently. I guess he has to make his own mistakes," Harry said.
"Quite probably. Well, anyway, it's great to see you're looking so well. Take care of yourself, Harry."
"Yes, sir. I will," Harry said as the older man hurried off on his business.
Harry opened the shop door and stepped in. There were only two customers and George was behind the counter. He looked up when he heard the door chime sound.
"Harry. You're looking pretty chipper. Or have you discovered some way to make the living dead look good?" George said with a wide smile.
"I'm feeling good, George. The cold is gone and I'm back to normal, whatever normal is," Harry said with a chuckle. "I was just telling that to your father-in-law outside."
"So what are you up to today, Harry?" George asked.
"Just doing a walk around, haven't done that in a while. Plus I promised to pick up some writing supplies for Ginny. I just wanted to stop in and say hello," Harry said.
George gave a knowing smile and wave as Harry turned and left the shop. He continued his walk until he arrived at Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop. He stepped inside and cast about looking for journal books and parchment.
"My word, it's Mr. Potter. Welcome to my shop, sir."
"Good morning, Mr. Scrivenshaft. I could use some help."
"Certainly, sir. And may I say you're looking quite well today. Now, how may I be of assistance?" the slender wizard said.
The current proprietor of the shop was the latest in a long line of Scrivenshafts to operate the store. He had the pinched expression of someone who spent a lot of time focused on small words just a short distance away. His finger tips were permanently dyed black from ink.
"I need a couple of blank journals, some new quills and ink. My wife is taking on a writing project."
"Ah, yes. Please come right this way. We should have everything you need."
Harry spent the next half hour or so examining various quality journals, goose quills and inks. In the end he settled on two leather bound journals containing several hundred pages of fine, thin parchment. He also bought half a dozen new quills and a good supply of ink. Since it turned into a fairly substantial purchase with a certain amount of bulk to it, he requested they hold it aside until he returned later in the day.
His next stop was Flourish and Blotts were he skimmed the shelves and chatted with the clerk and the few customers. All were pleased to see him and looking in good health. Next was Angelina's and a look at the new baked goods arrangement. As he entered, his tall dark skinned 'sister' looked up from her work behind the bakery counter and she smiled wide.
"Harry, oh my goodness, it is so good to see you," she said as she hurried out from behind the counter.
There were several customers in the store and they stood and watched with bemused smiles as the two shared a heartfelt hug. As usual Angelina then held him at arm's length and gave him a thorough once over. Then with a long arm over his shoulder she led him to a table near the counter and had him sit while she returned to servicing her customers.
Harry sat and looked at the display counter full of breads, rolls, biscuits and a cake. The smells were very enticing.
"So, Harry," Angelina called from behind the counter. "You're looking pretty good considering you were practically dead last week."
"Thanks, sis," Harry said with a grin. "I'm feeling fine and my condition last week was greatly exaggerated. It was a bad cold and some chills, that's all."
Harry could see that the customers were paying close attention while trying to appear disinterested. When Angelina had finished with them she grabbed a small plate, put some biscuits on it and brought it out to Harry and then went and made two cups of tea and then joined him at the table.
"So, brother mine," she said with an impish grin, "did we convince them?"
"Convince who of what?" Harry said with a straight face.
Angelina laughed and shook her head.
"That innocent face of yours hides a very devious mind, Mr. Potter. You know darn well what I'm talking about. You're here in the Alley making liars out of the Prophet, again. There was a lot of talk when that article came out. A lot of very worried faces too. And here you are today looking in fine fettle nonchalantly mentioning a cold. The word will spread and once again you beat the Prophet at its own game," the last said with a smile.
Harry just smiled and shrugged. He knew Angelina wouldn't hit him like Ginny or Fleur would for doing it. He took a bite from one of the biscuits and he closed his eyes and savored the buttery, lightly sugared taste. It was heaven.
"Good, huh, Harry?" Angelina said, watching his reaction.
"Oh, yeah. And then some. Would you put a dozen of these in a box for me to take home, please?"
"Of course, Harry. This is really turning out to be a great idea. I get a lot more customers in just for the bakery stuff and now that the weather is warming up, they grab a cone on the way out," Angelina said.
"I'm glad it's working out. So, have you been out to see Fleur and the baby yet?"
"Not yet, Harry. We've been trying to spread the visits out to give Fleur some time to rest and recover. George and I will be going out tomorrow after the shops close. Mrs. Weasley is going to make us all dinner."
"Victoire is a real beauty, even at this early stage. Fleur was kinda mad at me at first because I wouldn't touch her or the baby but she got over it soon enough. You can give her an extra hug for me," he said with a smile. "Hey, by the way, are you going to be able to spend any time at the Quidditch camp in August? I know it's a busy time for you."
"I've worked it out with Charlie. One day each of the two weeks. My extra staff is more than able to handle the place for a day without me. I wouldn't miss it for the world."
They spent some more time talking about the camp and then Harry indicated he needed to be on his way. He took the box of cookies from Angelina and handed her the coins in payment. As usual she just smiled and shook her head. With a parting hug Harry was out on the street again and making his way to the Cauldron for lunch. As he passed the store front for the Prophet he stopped and looked in and when he saw the clerk behind the counter, he rapped on the window with a knuckle. The man looked up a bit startled but his eyes bugged out when he saw Harry standing there, who in turn gave the clerk a big smile and a wave. When he saw the clerk wasn't going to respond beyond gawking, he went on his way.
He opened the portal to the back of the Cauldron and then made his way into the dining area through the back door. He looked around until he saw Hannah and waved to catch her eye.
"Harry!" she exclaimed. "How wonderful to see you. I thought you were ill."
Harry could see the mischievous little grin on her face as she hurried over to him.
"Just a bad cold and the chills, Hannah. I'm all recovered," he replied.
"Passing through or staying for lunch?"
"Oh, lunch for sure. I've built up quite an appetite," Harry said.
Hannah led him to a table that was in plain view from just about anywhere in the Cauldron. Harry gave an inward smile and thought to himself that either he was extremely transparent or his friends and family were natural born conspirators. Hannah explained the menu for the day and then took a seat for a moment to chat with Harry.
"So you're really doing ok, Harry?"
"Yes, Hannah. It was a cold and some chills. Nothing that bad. It looks like someone is taking a run at me. I have an idea but nothing concrete yet," Harry said.
"So we're going down that road again. I have to tell you, Harry, with all the garbage the Prophet used to print about you it was so hard to figure out what was going on. I'm surprised you didn't find some way to get back at them," she said.
"But we did, Hannah. We, well Hermione mostly, found a way to get the truth printed and once it became obvious what was going on it all fell down around them. I understand they almost went out of business readership was so low," Harry said.
"It should be interesting to see what falls out of this latest episode once the word gets out you've been out and about today. Which I assume is what you had in mind all along."
"Who? Me? I just wanted to get out and get some fresh air after being cooped up all last week," Harry said with wide eyed innocence.
Hannah laughed and gave his arm a little slap and then took his order and hurried off to the kitchen. While he waited for his meal he looked around and as he made eye contact he would pause to smile or nod. As always the meal was excellent and as was becoming common, Harry left nothing behind. After he settled his bill and left Hannah with a hug he went back to the stationary store to collect his purchases. He made a quick stop at his house to leave the packages with Kreacher and then he Disapparated back to the Ministry. He was in his office and working on an outline of the proposed presentation for the Paris conference when Milligan popped his head in the door.
"Got a minute, Chief?"
"Sure, Milligan, come on in," Harry said.
The tall wizard stepped in, shut the door and sat down. He looked at Harry and then said,
"I've been digging around the place trying to turn something up on that dragon you tangled with. What I can confirm is that it was taken down into the spooks hidey hole in pieces. What they've been doing with it is anyone's guess. I've picked up some tidbits about them looking for information on muggle biology studies and genetic sciences but nothing specific yet," the investigator said.
"Based on what I've seen about how they've worked in the past, my guess is that they'll try and figure out how it was done and then do it themselves. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if we see another on of those nasty buggers flapping around again in a few years. You might want to save up your strength just in case."
Harry was decidedly not happy about this news. The idea that someone in Mysteries might be trying to regenerate the mutated dragon was disturbing to say the least. He'd have to find a way to approach the Minister about this. He was drawn back to what Milligan was saying when he heard the words 'Paris conference'.
"Yes. I spoke with the Director this morning. He supports us participating and he'll run it past the Minister for final approval. I'm supposed to put some form of presentation together so why don't you jot down some notes based on what you heard during your visit and we'll get together Wednesday morning and draft up an outline."
"Yes, sir. I'll bring a pile of parchment and we'll see how much of it we can ruin, I'm not much of a writer."
Harry laughed because he didn't think he was either.
"Hmm, I guess we should look around for a pile of scrap parchment and write on the unused side. We'll work something out. I'll see you on Wednesday."
"Yes, sir."
After Milligan left he sat back and thought on the idea of scrap parchment and note taking. A thought occurred to him and he smiled. He got up and let Tom know he was leaving the office for a bit. He went up to the lobby and Disapparated home. Kreacher let him in and Harry went to his study and took a box out of his desk drawer. This contained his supply of muggle money that he kept for just such occasions. He placed some notes in his pocket and went back out to the porch. After a brief walk he was standing outside a muggle stationary store.
He also looked at the store next door and had another thought but first things first. He went in and about fifteen minutes later exited with a well filled bag. He then walked into the other store. This visit lasted longer but he left empty handed but with a small smile. He dropped off his new purchases back at the house and then returned to the Ministry to finish out the day working on ideas for his presentation and pondering the idea of dragon experiments.
He returned home around six thirty and found Ginny had already returned. She greeted him with a big hug and kiss. Taking hold of his arm she led him into the kitchen where dinner was being laid out. Harry realized he was quite hungry. As they ate Harry told Ginny about his tour of the Alley. She was grinning from ear to ear by the time he was finished.
"Oh, Harry, I wish I could have seen the look on the face of the clerk at the Prophet. But Angelina was right about you. Those beautiful green eyes behind those big glasses conceal a very complicated mind. You'll make liars out of the Prophet without ever really confronting them. That's brilliant," Ginny said with admiration.
Harry just smiled and continued to demolish his dinner. After a dessert consisting of the great sugared buttery biscuits and tea, Harry led Ginny to his study to give her the supplies he bought. She loved the journals and the rest but regarded the material from the muggle store with a questioning look.
"It was something the Milligan said about wasting a bunch of parchment when we start drafting up a presentation I have to come up with. It got me thinking about a cheaper alternative for making notes and drafts. I used them when I was going to the muggle school before I got my letter to Hogwarts. These are note books and pens from a muggle store. Try it out," Harry suggested.
Ginny opened one of the muggle note books and picked up one of the ball point pens. She wrote a few words and crossed one out and wrote some others. She nodded and then looked at Harry.
"Thanks, Harry. These should work out great for working things out before committing them to the parchment. For someone who isn't so crazy about this project it was nice of you to think of this," she said with a smile.
"I think it had more to do with you than the project, love," Harry said with a smile.
*************
Harry stood in the backyard of the Burrow dressed in his formal robes. He was keeping an eye on Ron who was showing definite signs of groom nerves. Harry was keeping track and Ron had asked what time it was seven times, what was taking them so long five times and was his robe straight no fewer than eight times.
"Ron, mate, relax," Harry said. "They'll be out when they are ready and not a minute sooner. What's the big deal, you have a date or something later?"
"What? Of course not, Harry. I'm just nervous and want to get going. What's taking so long?" Ron asked.
"Six."
"What?" Ron asked.
"Nothing, mate, nothing."
Fifteen minutes later a signal from the window of the kitchen door told the little wizard who officiated at seemingly all wizard weddings that the bride was ready. At his prompting Ron and Harry took their places to one side. The door opened and the parents of the bride and groom hurried out to take their places on either side of the impromptu aisle. Without any accompanying music Ginny came out of the house at a slow walk, wearing a new robe bought specifically for the wedding. It was green, not the deep green of the robes she wore during her seventh year but of a shade that set off her red hair beautifully. Looking at Harry she smiled widely. She had come nearly abreast of Harry and Ron when Hermione made her appearance at the door. She looked stunning. As she had for Harry and Ginny's wedding, her usually bushy hair had been straightened out and styled and some make-up tastefully applied. Her robe was white with no embellishments but all the more eye catching in it's simplicity. Harry could hear Ron's sharp intake of breath.
It was also painfully obvious that Hermione was just as nervous, if not more so, then Ron. Her face was flushed and her hands trembled slightly. She maintained a slow step but she was keeping her eyes firmly fixed straight ahead. Harry could only marvel at how the usually self confident young woman could be having such a case of nerves but out of nowhere came the memory of how nervous she had become when it was time to approach the sorting hat that first evening at Hogwarts. He continued to watch her approach and when she came up even with Ron they all turned to face the little wizard. When it came time to recite the vows Ron and Hermione faced each other, holding each other's hands. As they repeated the words the nervousness was clearly evident in their voices but they made their way through without mishap. On cue, Harry produced the two plain gold bands and the bride and groom made the exchange. And then with a kiss it was over, they were now Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Weasley.
Harry and Ginny shared a group hug with the newly married couple while the mothers-in-law shared a rather weepy hug of their own. Mr. Weasley and Mr. Granger shook hands and the wedding party took their leave of the wizard minister and retired to the kitchen for some celebratory snacks and beverages. Both Ron and Hermione looked extremely relieved. Harry could only shake his head.
"You know, you two have been through so many life threatening situations before, I can't believe that that small ceremony had you so wound up."
"What can I say, mate? I've never been much good at performing in public and it is a pretty big step to take," Ron said as he sat holding Hermione's hand.
"Yes, Harry. Remember what I told you the other day," Hermione said.
"Yeah, you told me you were deathly afraid of being in front of a big crowd. Today was what, four people?" Harry replied with a crooked smile.
"Yes, four very important people, Harry. My parents and my very soon to be in-laws. I was terrified that I'd make a fool of myself like falling down or messing up the vows. I still don't know how you can be up in front of all those people and not throw up," she said, a look of panic and revulsion on her face.
"Well, I guess that wrecks that idea then," Harry said mournfully.
"What idea was that?" Ginny asked.
"I was going to suggest Hermione come with me to the conference in Paris later this summer so she could give a presentation on her work revamping the laws dealing with the other magical races. Oh well," he said with a perfectly straight face.
Hermione's eyes went wide and he could see Ron trying to hold back a laugh. Ginny was giving Harry one of her 'I know you're kidding me' looks and he responded with a slow wink exactly like he had when he and Ginny had gone face to face when he revealed his dragon self. She began to giggle and then laugh followed by Ron and finally Hermione reached over and slapped his arm and laughed herself.
They spent a pleasant afternoon relaxing and enjoying the refreshments and each other's company. It was revealed that for the time being Ron and Hermione were going to take the top floor of a three story stone house on the other side of Ottery St. Catchpole. The landlord was the elderly daughter of a squib who was friendly to magical folk. The party at the Burrow was to be in three weeks which would allow Abagail to be present as she was due to arrive home on Wednesday of the week upcoming. Harry was already committed to having Abagail appear at the Ministry the very next day.
As the little party wound down and everyone prepared to leave for their respective homes there were many hugs and handshakes but probably the most significant was between Harry and Hermione. She had pulled him down and had her arms around his shoulders and her mouth near his ear so she could whisper to him. She said,
"I know you'd never admit to it in public, Harry, and most likely not even in private or to yourself, but we all owe you so much for the happiness we've been able to enjoy and will be able to in the future. We all love you, Harry, more than you could possibly imagine."
When they pulled apart a little both had tears streaming down their faces. Hermione brushed the tears off his cheeks and then kissed him lightly. Ron had a little smile on his face and with a final handshake they went their separate ways. Separate but inseparable. Ginny hooked Harry's arm in his and watched as the couple got into the back of the Grangers car for the short drive to their new home. She then looked up at Harry and pulled him down to kiss his cheek.
"Let's go home, sweetheart," she said in that tone of voice that always made the hair on the back of his neck stand up.
He smiled wide and nodded.
Right on time in the evening of the following Wednesday, Harry was standing on the platform of gate nine and three quarters as the Hogwarts expressed chuffed to a halt with a billow of steam. Harry kept his eye on the doors of the coach he figured was where the fourth years were riding. It took about five minutes but the diminutive figure in dark robes and darker hair hurried down the steps to the platform. She caught sight of Harry and rushed through the crowd to meet him. As she flung her arms around him she said,
"Oh, Harry, it's so good to be home."
"It's good to have you home, little one. Let's collect your luggage and get going, Ginny should be home soon and she'll be anxious to see you."
Abagail smiled at Harry and nodded. They made their way to the baggage coach and after a brief wait were able to collect her trunk. Harry placed it on the trolley he had secured and they made their way through the crowd. Abagail had relinquished her borrowed owl as Harry indicated that they would look into one of her own this summer. As usual a ministry sedan was waiting and in a matter of moments they were on their way smoothly through the traffic. Shortly they arrived at the house on Grimmauld Place and Abagail only made it two steps into the house before she was swept up in Ginny's embrace.
"It's so good to have you home, sweetheart," Ginny said once they released each other.
"I'm so glad to be here. I love school but it's really nice to be home for the summer," she said breathlessly.
"Well, we have dinner waiting so why don't we go into the kitchen while Kreacher moves your trunk to your room. We can unpack after we eat," Ginny said, casting a knowing look over Abagail's head to Harry.
"Hmm, great, I'm starving," Abagail said.
The seated themselves at the table and Harry began serving.
"So, did the year end well for you, Abagail?" Ginny asked.
"Mmmm Hmmm," she began. "My exams turned out great and all my professors are pleased with how well I'm doing. They figure I shouldn't have any trouble with my OWLs next year. Once the weather warmed up I was able to get more practice in on my broom so I should be able to show you some real improvement over last year. I'm going to miss Norbie though. He and I got pretty close this year. He's such a big sweetie," she said and then suddenly stiffened. "Oh, gee, I'm sorry, Harry, I'm supposed to give you this from Hagrid."
She reached into her robe which she was still wearing and pulled out a wrinkled piece of parchment. Harry took it and unfolded it. In Hagrid's scratchy scrawl was the following:
Cheers Harry,
If you get the chance to come up this summer make sure you drop by the hut for a chat.
Hagrid.
"What is it, Harry?" Ginny asked.
"He wants me to come up for a chat when I can. He'd probably say it if it was about the Centaurs but maybe he's heard something he thinks I should know. I'll try and go up next week. I could use a visit with the Heads and Neville as well. It's been a bad spring that way. I feel a little out of touch."
Ginny just nodded. She thought about how much Harry was involved in and she was hoping once her commitment to the Harpies' was up she'd be able to help him with things. They finished dinner giving Abagail a description of Ron and Hermione's wedding. She was looking forward to the party and seeing all her friends and 'family'. Once dinner was finished they got up and Ginny said,
"Ok, young lady, let's go get you unpacked. Why don't you go up and we'll be there in a minute."
"Ok, Ginny," Abagail said and she hurried forward and Harry and Ginny followed at a deliberately slow pace.
They could hear her bound up the first flight of stairs and run down the hall for the second. They proceeded up the stairs themselves and were very near the top when they heard what passed for a loud scream from Abagail. They stood in the middle of the corridor near their room and heard the second scream and then the sound of footsteps coming back toward the top of the second stairway. The footsteps were followed by the sound of 'omigod, omigod, omigod,' repeatedly until they saw a dark haired blur streak towards them and launch directly into Harry's arms. From the vicinity of his chest he heard a repetition of 'thank you's.
"What's all this about, little one?" Harry said seriously.
"You know and I know you know," Abagail said as her feet touched the floor again and she began tugging them back in the direction she had just come from.
Her eyes were wide and bright and misty. Harry and Ginny just smiled and followed in the wake of their little tugboat. When they entered through the still open door of her room they stood and looked as she let go of their hands and slowly walked in. What had caused all the commotion was the result of Harry's side trip to the other store next to the muggle stationary store. In one corner was an easel with a blank canvas. Against the wall nearby was an assortment of blank canvases of various sizes. Against the other wall nearby was a small table/desk that was similar to what used to be part of every engineering office before computers took over. The desk top tilted and along the top was a rack that contained an assortment of colored pencils and markers as well as charcoal sticks. A large artist sketch pad was laid on the table top.
She slowly walked up to it and ran her hands reverently across the smooth polished wood. She opened the drawers and found more drawing supplies and equipment. One drawer contained the paint tubes for use on the canvases as well as a palette and an assortment of brushes. She stood with her back to Harry and Ginny for a few moments as she took it all in. Then she turned to them with tears streaming down her cheeks. She wiped them away with the back of her hand and then walked over to stand directly in front of Harry. She took his right hand in both of hers and looked up at him.
"Thank you so much, Harry. But why?" she asked.
It wasn't what he was expecting but he did have an answer. He picked her up and sat her on the edge of her bed and sat down next to her. Ginny sat on her other side and placed an arm around her shoulders.
"For several reasons, little one. First and most important because I, we, love you and it makes us happy to see you so happy. Second, you have a great talent and such talent should be encouraged to grow. And because I do intend to have you work with me and the Aurors and I'm afraid that there will be times when you will see things that are going to be pretty unpleasant. I wanted you to have this so you'd have a place to come to and forget about those things and be able to create beauty to replace the ugliness."
She looked up at him and smiled and put her arms around him and hugged him tightly. While she leaned into him with her head on his shoulder he brought up the matter of her schooling.
"Speaking of you coming to work for me, I really would prefer that you finish your schooling, Abagail. There is still a lot that you could learn that would be a benefit. You could take part in the intern program after your sixth year and I think I could work out a way that you could help with investigations while you're still at school. I'd like you to think about it and we can discuss it during the summer. Ok?"
She pulled her head back and looked up at him and remained silent for a while. Then she said,
"Ok, Harry, I'll think about it but maybe you're right. When I said that before it was mostly because I was in a hurry to want to help you with those smugglers and things but you seemed to have wrapped that up pretty much. If we can work it out that I can help you and still go to school that might be best. There is so much to learn," she said quietly.
Harry looked over at Ginny and said,
"I always knew she was a very smart girl. And smart girl," Harry continued as he looked back down at her, "you're coming with me to the Ministry tomorrow so don't stay up late. It will be an early day."
"Ok, Harry, I can't wait."
He kissed her on the head and then stood up and left Ginny and Abagail to the task of unpacking the trunk. Kreacher was standing outside the door to take whatever needed washing down to the laundry room. When Ginny came looking for him he was in his study working his way through an rather old and heavily worded tome on magic. He was hoping it might contain some more information on the murky world of animagic. He looked up to see Ginny looking at him with an odd, but soft, look on her face.
She walked over to stand in front of him and she gently took the book out of his hands and placed it on his desk. She sat on his lap and put her arms around her shoulders and pulled his head close.
"That was a wonderfully thoughtful thing you did for her, Harry. She's absolutely floating around her room. In fact, I think she's suffering from a bit of overload. She can't figure out what she wants to do first."
"Everyone needs a hobby, Gin, it's good therapy."
"What about you, Harry, what's your hobby? I have my writing, Abagail her art, what about you?" Ginny asked.
"I thought that was obvious, Gin. Magic."
"Magic, Harry? That's a hobby? It's your work, your life, how could it be your hobby?" she asked.
"You are right, Ginny. It is my life. It saved me from a horrible life by giving me an alternative to the Dursleys. It gave me a sense of accomplishment with flying and playing Quidditch and now it gives me the chance to do a lot of good for a lot of people. But when I went back for my seventh year, there was so much I hadn't known about and it became more than just something to learn to keep me alive. It's so fascinating. All those books that Professor Dumbledore suggested have opened up a whole world that even most wizards and witches don't know about. And now this business with the dragon. I don't know, maybe it's like a musician that plays a certain kind of music for a living but also finds lots of other music interesting and plays and learns for the enjoyment of it."
When he stopped Ginny leaned back so she could look into those deep green eyes and she silently marveled at what there was hidden behind them. She leaned in and kissed him warmly. Then she slid off his lap and tugged on his hand and led him from the study to their room. They both had an early day tomorrow but she wanted an early start to their night.
The following morning, after a good breakfast and bidding Ginny good bye for the day, Harry and Abagail walked to the Ministry and took the phonebox elevator to the lobby. Abagail had left her wand at home and so they skipped registration and went straight to his office. When they arrived Harry found a message on his desk that requested his presence in the Minister's office and he should bring Miss Westwood along. They exchanged looks that clearly said, 'I have no idea' and then proceeded up to the Minister's office suite.
"You can go right in, Mr. Potter," the secretary said.
"Thank you," he replied and then knocked on the door.
"Yes?" came the deep voice.
"Harry Potter and Abagail Westwood to see you, sir," Harry responded.
"Come in, Harry, come in."
Harry swung the door open and he let Abagail precede him into the room. The Minister rose and came around the big desk with a smile.
"Abagail, this is Minister Shacklebolt," Harry said by way of introduction.
"Hello, sir," Abagail said in her quiet voice as she looked up at the Minister who stood towering over her.
"I'm very pleased to meet you, Miss Westwood and please, don't be nervous."
"Abagail is naturally very soft spoken, sir," Harry offered in explanation.
"I see. Well, Miss Westwood, please, sit down here and make yourself comfortable," the Minister said and then he looked to Harry. "Actually, Harry, it's really Miss Westwood that I wanted to meet and talk to you about."
"Yes, sir?" Harry asked.
The Minister took his seat behind the desk and looked across at the two of them.
"Yes, Harry. First, I wanted the chance to meet her and thank her after all the help she provided with the investigation on the smugglers and so forth. Secondly, I'd like to talk to her about accepting a commission from the Ministry."
"A commission, sir?" Abagail said.
"Yes, Miss Westwood. I've had the opportunity to see some samples of your art work and it is very impressive. The work you did at the ice cream shop in Diagon Alley and Arthur Weasley brought in the portrait you gave him and his wife for Christmas and they are all quite amazing."
"Thank you, sir," she said breathlessly.
"As you are probably aware, Miss Westwood, we've been working very hard here at the Ministry trying to change the way the magic community has done things for a long, long time. One of those is how we witches and wizards relate to the other magical races. As Harry can tell you there used to be a statue, a fountain really, in the lobby that was a very good illustration of the way we thought about that relationship in the past. A witch and wizard surrounded by a Centaur, a Goblin and a house elf, all looking at the two humans with looks of adoration. Not exactly an accurate depiction," the Minister said wryly. "If nothing else the fight that Harry and his friends had here that one night helped to rid us of that ridiculous piece of stone. What I would like you to consider, Miss Westwood is taking on the task of creating a mural on the wall in the lobby near where the statue once stood that more accurately reflects that true nature of our place in the magical world, shared with these other sentient races. Would you be interested?"
"I need to see the wall and how big it would be. If I think I can do it this summer, I will," Abagail said.
"Excellent. What do you say we go to the lobby and have a look?" the Minister asked.
"Yes, sir," Abagail said.
They all rose and Abagail walked alongside the Minister once they exited his office. Harry trailed along behind with a bemused smile on his face. He could see how the Minister dwarfed his ward but Abagail apparently wasn't showing any signs of being intimidated by his size. Anyone walking past couldn't help but look at the mismatched pair as they made their way to the lobby. The fireplaces that linked the Ministry to the Floo network took up a large amount of the wall space but there was still a fairly large area that was unencumbered.
"Here we are, Miss Westwood. I thought that if we put new paint on this section of wall it would be a fine space for a mural. Any visitor arriving or leaving would be able see it. What do you think?"
"I think it would be very nice, sir," she said quietly. "It seems though that it would be pretty busy in here most of the time. That might be a distraction and make it hard to concentrate."
"I think we might be able to deal with that, Miss Westwood. We can put a screen around the area," the Minister replied
"That might work. It might also be an idea to do it on some large individual canvases and then mount them side by side on the wall. That way if could be sort of a surprise and make a bigger statement," Abagail said thoughtfully.
"Statement?" the Minister asked.
"Yes, sir. Isn't that what you wanted to do? Make a statement about the new way of thinking that you're trying to get the magical community to consider."
The Minister looked over at Harry with an odd look on his face.
"You are still considering having this young lady come to work here at the Ministry, aren't you, Harry?"
"Yes, sir. We discussed it last night. I still want her to finish a full seven years at Hogwarts but I'm going to work on a way to have her work on things here while still at school," Harry said.
"I'm glad to hear you say that. I can only imagine how valuable an asset she could be to us here," Shacklebolt said and then turned back to look at Abagail. "How about we try this, Miss Westwood? Would you sketch up a few ideas on how you would portray the idea I suggested and bring them to me and we'll go from there?"
"Yes, sir, I can do that. Harry set up a complete art studio in my room so I'll be able to do something pretty quickly."
"Well done, Harry, and thank you, Miss Westwood," the Minister said with a smile.
"You're welcome, sir and um, Mr. Minister, you can call me Abagail if you'd like."
"Thank you, Abagail, I will," he said with a big smile. "Ok, Harry, I'll let you get to work. I'm sure there are quite a few people that would like to see Abagail."
"Yes, sir, and some of them can get quite cranky," Harry said with a wry smile.
The Minister smiled and with a wave headed back to his office. Harry smiled at Abagail and with his arm around her shoulder led her to his office. Abagail sat down in one of Harry's guest chairs and looked at him as he sat down at his desk.
"So, who first, little one?" Harry asked.
"I think I'd like to see the Aurors first. I haven't seen them since last summer."
"Ok, I imagine quite a few are probably in their break room right now so…" Harry was saying when a familiar figure appeared in the doorway.
"Word was we had a special visitor this morning, Chief, and I see the word was right, for once," said Milligan. "Hello, Miss Abagail."
"Hi, Mr. Milligan. How have you been?" she asked with a smile.
"The Chief has been keeping me busy. I believe there are some people that would like to say hello. Do you mind, sir?"
"Not at all, we were just discussing that very thing. You're saving me a trip down to the break room. Just have her back in time for lunch," Harry said.
"Will do, sir," Milligan said. "Ma'am, if you would do me the honor?"
Abagail jumped up and with a wave and smile to Harry walked out with the lanky Auror. Harry could only smile and shake his head.
It was the beginning of a busy few days for Abagail. That night she spent the time between dinner and bedtime sketching ideas for the Ministry's commission. The next day she took the floo network to the Burrow and then from there to Shell Cottage with Mrs. Weasley to visit Fleur and the baby. She brought along a sketch pad and pencils and by the time she was ready to come home Fleur had a beautiful pencil rendering of her and the baby. Abagail was amazed at how strong those slender arms were when she got a farewell hug before she went home.
She returned on Friday to the Ministry to show Kingsley Shacklebolt her idea sketches. He liked what he saw but they spent over an hour discussing possible variations and embellishments until they settled on a design. It was agreed that she would do the work on large individual canvases that would then be revealed as a completed work as she had suggested. They also agreed to a fee, with Harry helping negotiate. While not exorbitant it was significant. Harry took her back to the art store to arrange for the canvases. It appeared that the young artist was in for a very busy, interesting summer.