Chapter Thirty-Six
Rendezvous at the Shrieking Shack
On Saturday morning Harry and Ginny went back to the Shrieking Shack, but the footprints had been obliterated by dozens of others. "It was Aurors, I bet," said Ginny from the porch. "They stomped all over everything."
"Do you remember what the prints looked like?" Harry asked; he was walking back and forth in the yard, peering at the ground.
"No, it was getting dark and I was a little nervous too. That was the only visible clue, and it's gone."
Harry grinned. "You should be an Auror."
Ginny shook her head. "Quidditch first."
"Do you think you would ever want to become one?" They started walking back through the woods to Hogsmeade, and Harry gave her an eager look. "You would be good."
Ginny shrugged. "I never thought of myself as a Dark wizard catcher. I prefer catching Snitches or you."
They came into the village next to Honeydukes and turned up the High Street. Harry nodded at two wizards passing the other way, members of Tony's Argentine construction crew. They both tipped their caps and smiled, and one said, "Buenos dias, Señor Potter."
Harry and Ginny walked a few more paces, but Harry stopped and looked back.
"What is it?" Ginny said, and turned in time to see the men disappear around the corner of Honeydukes, in the same direction she and Harry had just come from.
"Wait here!" Harry tore up the street towards the Hog's Head. Ginny hesitated and looked uncertainly in both directions, but after a moment dashed down the alley between Gladrags and the old Zonko's shop, and peered around the back of Zonko's; she could see the two wizards walking through the woods towards the Shrieking Shack. She watched them for a moment and ran back to the High Street.
Harry was trotting towards her with his hand covering a bulge in his jacket; Ginny guessed it was his Invisibility Cloak. She told him what she had seen and, after waiting for several people to walk past, they ducked into the alley and Harry threw the Cloak over them.
It wasn't easy to navigate walking side-by-side through the dense underbrush and low-hanging branches, and it took them some time to reach the Shack. There was no one in sight, but fresh footprints were clearly visible once again on the porch. Harry indicated that they should go up the steps, but before they could move they heard footsteps from the Shack, and they moved off to the side, away from the porch steps.
Seconds later one of the men peered out the door; he looked around, listening, and stepped onto the porch. He beckoned to his comrade, waiting just inside the door, muttered something in Spanish, and they quietly crossed the porch and walked off through the woods back to Hogsmeade. Harry and Ginny waited until they could no longer see them, and Harry took off the Cloak.
"What do you think?" Ginny asked. "Were they looking for something, or hiding something?"
"I don't know, but they're a strange pair of ducks to be visiting this place." He put a foot on the first step. "Shall we?"
"Absolutely."
Harry tucked the Invisibility Cloak back inside a pocket and they both took out their wands. The front door was hanging open on one hinge, and the vestibule had a coating of dust on the floor and was tracked with many shoe prints. As they went farther into the Shack, the dust became thicker and the cobwebs more numerous; Ginny put her hood up to keep the webs out of her hair. They didn't light their wands; there was enough gloomy daylight coming through the pane-less windows, and they didn't want to risk being seen by someone outside.
They went through the rooms on the first floor but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Harry pointed out the spot where Snape had died as he gave up the memories that helped save Harry's life; there was still a dark stain on the floor, and Ginny gave a little shudder. They poked inside closets and peered behind rotting furniture. They went carefully up the creaking stairs, pausing and holding their breaths each time an old board made a noise. The upstairs was filthier than the ground floor because in some rooms the windows were intact, and no wind could come in to blow away the dust and cobwebs. There were some footprints, but they could make no sense of them.
The spent almost an hour inside, and found nothing. But as they stood in the front hallway about to put the Invisibility Cloak back on, Ginny stopped. She walked over to the staircase, put her hand on the newel post, and jiggled the cap. Harry came over. "What is it?" he asked.
Ginny pointed to the banister railing, which was covered with dust despite being smooth and sloped. She put her finger on the newel post. "There's no dust on it. No one used the banister so it's covered with dust, but someone dusted off the newel post."
Harry twisted and pulled the newel cap, but it didn't move. He pointed his wand, whispered, "Alohomora," and the cap sprang up; it was hinged on one side, with a small metal catch on the other to keep it closed.
"I'm going to light up," Harry said, and Ginny moved closer to help block the light. He lit his wand and they both peered inside. There was an empty cavity about six inches deep; at the bottom were a few grains of a black, powdery substance. Ginny reached inside and pressed her thumb on the grains and held her hand up near Harry's wand.
"I know what this is," she said. "I saw it at the Burrow once, in George and Fred's room. It's—"
"Peruvian Darkness Powder," said Harry, examining her thumb. "But what would something like this be doing here?"
"Dunno." She wiped her thumb against the newel post, closed the cap, and looked at Harry. "Isn't Argentina near Peru?"
They put on the Invisibility Cloak, left the Shack, and walked a short distance into the woods where, after looking around to make sure they were alone, they took off the Cloak. Ginny drew a deep breath as if to clear her lungs, and brushed cobwebs from her cloak. "That place needs a house-elf," she said, and sneezed. "Or an army of them."
They went back to the inn and the Auror on duty, Sam Goldberg, said that Sagittaria and another Auror who had been called up from the Ministry had searched the Shack, but had found nothing. Harry told him about the two Argentines, and Goldberg gave them a sideways look.
"Those two have been going in there for months," he said. "You'd think it would be too cold."
"Oh." Harry looked at Ginny and she giggled. "But we also found a secret hiding place that had a trace of Peruvian Darkness Powder in it."
Goldberg's thick, white eyebrows arched. "I didn't hear Sagittaria mention that. I'll tell her when I see her."
Back up in the flat, Harry sent McPherson off with a letter to Ron, asking if they could get together this weekend. Ron's answer came back that he and Hermione would be there for dinner.
"So what shall we do this afternoon?" Harry said, handing McPherson an owl treat.
Ginny eyed him from the love seat. "Can I suggest a change of pace? We do have the rest of the weekend for what you have in mind."
At first Harry's face fell, but he quickly perked up as he sat down next to her. "If you put it that way, sure. What would you like to do?"
"A different kind of flying. When was the last time we went up together?"
He jumped to his feet. "Capital! I can borrow one of Rosmerta's brooms." He pulled Ginny up. "Let's eat, then we can get your Firebolt and a spare Quaffle. What a great idea!"
They went back to the castle after lunch, Harry carrying an old Comet that Rosmerta kept in a back room; for all he knew it was the same one he had used after his return from the cave with Professor Dumbledore. Ginny retrieved her Firebolt and a beat up Quaffle that she borrowed from Demelza. As they walked down to the pitch, she put her hand in her pocket and grinned at Harry. "If you guess what's in my pocket I'll give you a kiss."
"Um, Chocoballs?" She shook her head. "A ring? No?" Harry frowned in thought. "A Golden Snitch?"
Ginny's grin widened; she stopped, gave him a sloppy kiss, and took her hand from the pocket. The Snitch's wings beat slowly in her fist. "It's the one I caught in the Ravenclaw match, the first time we kissed."
"How did you get it? I thought they kept all the Snitches and re-used them?"
"Do you remember that detention I had last fall? One of the broom cupboards I cleaned out had a cabinet full of Snitches with tags on them. I found this one; it's romantic, don't you think?"
"Very." Harry took the little sphere; it vibrated slightly, and he grinned at Ginny again. "So you think you can catch it before I do?"
"Any day of the week, Potter. But if you do, you can give me back my kiss."
The Slytherin team was coming off the pitch as Harry and Ginny walked into the stadium, and although most of the players ignored them, one or two nodded in greeting. They mounted their brooms, kicked off into a clear sky with only a little breeze, and flew straight up until the pitch was a distant tiny green oval. Harry moved close to Ginny and they took each other's gloved hand and hovered for several minutes pointing to landmarks on the ground far below. They turned around and Harry traced with his finger the lane behind the inn where they had followed Turquoise Southeby. They could not make out the tiny cross path where she had disappeared, and a diffuse, low mist obscured the area around it.
Descending towards the pitch, they tossed the Quaffle back and forth for while, and then took turns attacking and defending a goal. After half an hour, Ginny took the Snitch from her pocket. "Ready?" she called. Harry nodded.
"Count to thirty," she said and tossed the Snitch into the air. It hovered in front of her for a second and zipped away across the pitch. It started climbing, and they soon lost sight of it. They both counted out loud, and at twenty-five Ginny shot skyward.
"Hey!" Harry shouted, and went after her.
Ginny's Firebolt easily outdistanced Harry's clumsy Comet, but by the time he joined her in a circling pattern about a hundred feet up, the Snitch was nowhere in sight. They kept circling, and Harry spotted it a few yards above one of the goals, but the instant he turned into his dive, he felt a jolt that almost knocked him off his broom, and he knew that Ginny was doing the exact same thing. They both pulled up and looked at each other. They were twenty yards apart and Harry flew over to her.
"What were you seeing?" he said. "I thought I saw it, but—"
"I saw it—"
"And I turned to dive—"
"And we were both diving—"
"And we were both diving."
They slowly circled down and landed. Ginny took out her wand and Summoned the Snitch; when it came she put it back in her pocket and they stared at each other.
"I don't know who saw it first," she said.
"Me either. I think only one of us was actually looking at it, but we both saw it at the same time."
Ginny laughed nervously. "So we can never play Seeker against each other."
"I guess not," Harry grinned, "but I get to give you back your kiss, anyway."
"Uh uh!" Ginny backed away, laughing.
Harry started chasing her around the pitch; she ran shrieking from him, but they stopped suddenly when they saw the Hufflepuff team standing in the tunnel entrance watching. Ginny waved to them and she and Harry walked off the pitch.
They went back to the inn and lazed around the flat until Ron and Hermione showed up shortly before dark. Harry told them what had happened and they all went to the Shrieking Shack. Ron had no explanation for any of it, so they returned to the inn for dinner.
"I'll bet that powder was hidden there and they took it," Ron said as they ate.
"But for what?" Harry frowned.
No one had an answer, and after they finished eating Ron and Hermione went home.
The next day Harry and Ginny buttonholed Sagittaria Slocum while she was sitting at the bar and asked her what she thought.
"Nothing," she said. "There's no law against visiting the Shrieking Shack. We also noticed that there was no dust on the newel post, but the fact that you found a hidden compartment doesn't mean that much. That place is full of secret spaces." She looked at Harry. "If I heard all the stories correctly, you made use of one last year during the battle."
"But what about the Darkness Powder?"
The Auror shrugged. "It could have been there for years. The newel post didn't have dust on it because someone put his hand on it, that's all. And the banister was still dusty because no one used it. It's that simple."
Neither Harry nor Ginny agreed, but they could think of no argument to contradict her that wasn't speculation or opinion, so they spent the rest of the day in the bedroom, doing what they had postponed in order to play Quidditch.
On Tuesday, Harry received an owl from the Office of Magical Transportation informing him that his fireplace was now connected to the Floo Network, and that his list of authorized users was now held in the Ministry's secure vaults. Harry rushed out to Dervish and Banges, bought a small pot of floo powder, and back in the flat stepped into the fireplace, loudly said, "The Three Broomsticks!" and cast a pinch of powder onto the grate. An instant later he stepped into Rosmerta's establishment; Harriet Smythe was staring at him in surprise.
"Don't worry," Harry grinned. "I'm just trying it out. I got hooked up this morning." He waved to her, said, "The Hog's Head Inn!" and cast the powder. But when he stepped out of the green flames, Harriet was still standing there gaping at him.
Harry looked around in confusion. "Where's the flat? Where am I?"
"You're still here," Harriet giggled. "It didn't work."
"Why not?"
Harriet just looked at him. Harry stepped back into the fireplace, shouted, "The Hog's Head Inn!" and threw down another pinch of Floo powder. Once again he emerged into The Three Broomsticks.
This time Rosmerta was standing next to Harriet with her hands on her hips. "Having fun, Harry?" she smirked.
"What the hell is going on?" Harry looked around, exasperated. "Why can I get here, but not get back?"
"Did you give them a list of people who can use your fireplace?"
"Sure, that's what they told me to do."
"Is your name on it?"
"Of course—" Harry stared at her. "You mean, I have to put my own bloody name on the effing list? That's the stupidest bloody thing I ever heard."
Harriet grinned and Rosmerta laughed. "If you'll be working at the Ministry of Magic, you'll have to learn to think like them. I guess you'll have to walk back. You can borrow a cloak if you want, it's freezing out."
Harry sighed. "Please don't tell anyone."
"Not a word," Rosmerta said solemnly.
Harry walked back to the inn, ignoring Stan's look as he came in wearing Rosmerta's lavender cloak trimmed with pink roses. He retrieved his own cloak, returned Rosmerta's, and went to the Post Office to send a Post owl to the Magical Transportation office, requesting that they put the name of Harry James Potter on the list. He waited for the response, and the return message informed him that he would have to submit his request on the proper official form, and it would have to be notarized by a proper official of the Ministry of Magic.
The absurdity of his situation quickly sinking in, Harry asked Mr. Rastlebuck, the old postmaster who was watching him curiously, whether he had the proper form and if he could notarize it. The wizard pulled a sheaf of parchments from a desk, shuffled through them, and handed one to Harry. He filled it out and signed it at the fourteen indicated places. Rastlebuck then took out a huge stamp that must have weighed ten pounds, and smashed it down on the parchment in at least ten different locations. Finally, with a grin at Harry, he rolled it up, tied it with a length of red tape, tied it to the leg of the owl which had been waiting patiently, and tossed the bird out the window. Harry paid him and went back to the inn, hoping that the bureaucracy would do whatever it had to do before Monday when he would be starting the program at the Ministry.
Not being able to play with his new Floo toy, Harry took a stack of training program books and parchments that Percy had sent him, and set them on his table down in the dining room. He spent the rest of the day studying cases written up by Aurors, and legal articles written by Warlocks of the Wizengamot. That evening, after Stan had closed up, he went upstairs feeling tired but pleased with his day despite his disappointment with the Floo Network. It was less than a week until he started, and his anticipation was growing.
Harry had told Professor Flitwick that he would not be continuing the Charms lessons because of the Auror program, but he still wanted to see Ginny during the week, so they decided that Harry would come to dinner on Wednesdays. They met the next day in the entrance hall, half an hour before the meal started, and headed up to the owlery to check out the nest.
"I want to keep track of my grandchildren," Harry joked as they climbed the stairs.
"They're still eggs, grampa," Ginny said, "and besides, it's too high up for you to see."
Dusk was falling, and dozens of owls were swooping in and out of the windows as they went out to hunt or came in carrying morsels in their beaks. Harry and Ginny held their lit wands up, and Ginny pointed to the nest high above; they could see two pairs of yellow eyes peering down at them. One pair rose, and a moment later McPherson was perched on Harry's arm, nibbling his ear.
Harry stroked his owl's back. "Hey, Pop, how's the family?"
McPherson clucked, sprang up, and flew out the window. He was soon lost in the gathering gloom, but Harry and Ginny waited until he returned ten minutes later with something dangling by its tail from his beak. He soared up to the high ledge and stepped back out of sight.
"He's a good provider," Ginny said as they descended arm-in-arm down to the Great Hall. "Hagrid was worried about the babies having enough food, but maybe they'll be okay. He did say he would figure something out if food was a problem."
They entered the Great Hall and Ginny pointed to the Slytherin table where Emma and Claire were seated next to Sean and Zoroaster.
"That's beautiful," said Harry. "Have any Slytherins sat at our table yet?"
"Only once. No one's as pushy as the twins," Ginny laughed. "By the time they're done there might not be any Houses at all."
Several Gryffindors greeted Harry as he sat; one of them was Dennis Creevey.
"I heard you were getting a Floo connection," he said. "That'll make it easy to get back and forth from here, I suppose."
"Um, yeah," Harry mumbled with his mouth full of meat loaf. "I'll also be able to Floo into work."
"Oh, yeah, that's right. You're in that Auror training program. I want to join when I leave school."
Harry wanted to continue that line of conversation rather than talking about his Floo connection, but Ginny spoke first. "When will it be hooked up? Weren't they supposed to do it this week?"
Harry felt himself getting warm. "Oh, yeah, that's right. Any day now, I suppose."
Ginny looked at him and started to speak, but something made her stop; she wasn't sure what it was, maybe a feeling she was getting from Harry or maybe it was the rising color in his face. He glanced at her, and for some reason it made her laugh. "You'll be sure to let me know when it's ready, won't you? And don't forget to put my name on your list."
"Now how could I possibly forget that?" Harry said indignantly. "I'd have to be a dunce to forget your name."
Dennis piped up again. "I heard that Neville forgot to put his own name on the list when he connected his flat in Lancaster. He Floo'd to The Three Broomsticks but couldn't get back; he had to Apparate. It took him ten days to get it sorted out. Pretty funny, if you ask me," he grinned.
'Yeah, that's hilarious," Harry mumbled again. "Ten days, you say?"
"Yeah, that's what Keesha said."
Ginny had been watching Harry, and now she put her face down next to her plate and started shoveling mashed potatoes into her mouth, but her shoulders were shaking slightly. Harry scowled at her and went back to his own food. Ginny kept glancing at him but looked quickly away whenever she caught his eye. Finally Harry put his fork down and looked at her.
Ginny looked back, not trying to hide her grin. "What?"
"What are you laughing at? All I did was ask them to hook up my fireplace."
"And?"
"And . . . well, and nothing."
"Hey!" Dennis exclaimed. "Did you forget your name too?"
Harry scowled at him and picked up his fork; it was loaded with potatoes. "Why do you think I did that?"
Ginny couldn't hold it back any longer. She took his arm and started laughing, and soon Harry was grinning back with a red face. Dennis watched with a smile, and soon Ginny's contagious laughter had a dozen Gryffindors around her looking and smiling.
"Oh, Harry," she finally managed to gasp, "I'm sorry. Did you get stuck someplace?" She looked at him sympathetically, but burst out laughing again.
"At The Three Broomsticks," Harry said when she finally got control of herself. "And now I know why Rosmerta knew why I couldn't get back. Neville."
Ginny wiped tears from her face. "Oh, dear. Well, at least you didn't have as far to go as he did. Weren't you cold, though, walking back?"
"Rosmerta has some very warm and attractive cloaks, so I was fine."
Ginny nodded, still grinning. "So you walked up the High Street wearing . . .?"
"A stunning lavender ensemble, trimmed with some kind of pinky flowers." Harry laughed. "Stan was a little surprised."
"I wish I had seen it." She leaned over and kissed him. "When will they fix the connection?"
"In ten days, I guess." Harry glanced at Dennis. "I'll just Apparate to work or use Ros's fireplace until it's done."
They finished dinner and went up to the common room where Ginny retrieved the books she needed. Harry left her in the library, and when he got outside it was well after sunset and overcast; there were no stars or moon. When the lights from the castle no longer gave him enough illumination, he lit his wand. He passed through the gates and, glancing towards the Shrieking Shack, saw a light.
He quickly doused his wand and peered around; no one else was nearby. He slipped off the path and moved slowly through the woods. He kept colliding with branches and low shrubs, and had to make detours in the dark. The only thing he could see was the light that seemed to be coming from inside the Shack; there was also a dim glow from the lights of Hogsmeade, but it was no help as he pushed forward. The light in the Shack was moving, as though someone was holding a wand and walking around inside.
It was very slow going, and he slowed down even more as he got closer. When he was about twenty yards away, and the woods were beginning to thin, he stopped, vaguely making out three figures emerging from the Shack. As they stepped onto the porch the light went out. They stood for a moment, and Harry could distinctly hear them speaking Spanish. One spoke loudly; it was the voice of a woman and Harry was certain he had heard it before; she also spoke Spanish, and one of the others, a male, answered in a deferential voice. The woman answered angrily.
Harry moved closer. There was a loud snap as he stepped on a large twig. The three figures looked in his direction and he froze. The woman's wand flared.
"There!" she screamed, and a red flame shot over his shoulder, missing him by inches.
"Expelliarmus!" Harry sent a spell towards the shadowy figure, but it went high.
"Potter!" she screamed again. "Kill him!"
Harry ducked down as, with loud bangs, red and white flames shot towards him; a green flame went well over his head.
He heard two loud pops, and the two wizards were gone. The witch swore, turned on the spot, and was also gone.
The woods went eerily silent. Harry stayed crouched low, trying to slow down his breathing and his pounding heart. After a moment he heard shouts from the village and he stood. He waited until the sounds of people crashing through the woods reached him and lit his wand. "Here!" he shouted, and sent up a shower of red sparks. Soon other lit wands were coming towards him, and Sagittaria Slocum, followed by a half-dozen others, emerged from the woods.
"They're gone," Harry said. "There were three of them." He saw Tony standing behind the Auror. "Two of them were from your crew."
The builder's face showed shock. Harry turned back to Sagittaria. "I'm pretty sure the third one was Turquoise Southeby."
Slocum's eyes narrowed. "How do you know that?"
"Her voice. I've heard her talk plenty of times."
"What were they doing? How well could you see them?
"I couldn't see much at all, just a wand moving around inside. When they came out, they spoke, but it was all in Spanish."
"Even the witch?" She turned to the people who had followed her into the woods. "Does anyone know if Turquoise Southeby speaks Spanish?"
They looked at each other; several shook their heads.
"I never heard her say a word in anything but English," Tony said.
"What do you think about that?" Sagittaria said to Harry.
"What am I supposed to think? I only know what I heard, and it sounded like her."
"Okay." The Auror gazed at the Shack shrouded in darkness. "There's nothing else we can do here right now." She raised her wand. "I'm putting a ward on this place. I don't want anyone to go near it until we check it out in daylight." She waved everyone back and began casting a spell. Tony grasped Harry's arm and put his face near Harry's.
"You're sure it was my men?" he said in a low voice.
Harry nodded. "They were speaking Spanish, and they were the same size as the ones Ginny and I saw last weekend. I'm sorry, Tony, but I'm positive."
Tony swore. "Well, it won't take too long to figure out who. I'm sorry too." He frowned and started back through the woods.
As Sagittaria finished her spell, the Shack momentarily glowed a dull orange that slowly faded. "That'll hold it. Everyone go home!" she said loudly to the group still standing nearby. "Nothing else is going to happen." She turned to Harry. "Let's go back to the Hog's Head. I want to talk."
They walked to the inn, but as they turned off the High Street into the lane, the front door of the inn flew open and Ginny stood there with Keesha and Luna just behind her. They were all holding their wands, and they stood for a moment, apparently uncertain what to do.
"Ginny!" Harry shouted, and ran towards her. She turned with a cry and a look of relief. Before she could move Harry was putting his arms around her, holding her close. "What are you doing here? How did you get out of school?"
"Are you okay?" Ginny ran her hand across his brow, brushing back his shock of hair. "I knew something was wrong. Someone saw spells near the village. We were in the library, and as soon as I heard, I knew it was you. We went to the Hufflepuff common room and Floo'd to the flat. No one in the dining room knew anything, so we decided to go look, and then . . ." She paused and took a breath. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine. You'll get in trouble again. You shouldn't have come."
"I don't' care. I knew you were in trouble."
"We'll all get detention together," Luna said as she put her wand away, "so it might actually be fun."
Ginny looked at her askance, but Sagittaria spoke. "I need to talk to Harry, so let's go inside. You can all listen in."
The dozen customers in the dining room watched curiously as they entered. Sagittaria pointed to a table in back and spoke briefly to the Auror standing at the bar, then came and sat next to Harry. He told her everything that had happened.
"Southeby!" Ginny put her hand over her mouth. "That whore! Harry, are you sure?"
"It definitely sounded like her. I didn't see anyone's face, though."
The Auror frowned. "You don't sound quite as certain as you did half an hour ago."
"I told you," Harry said, a little irritated, "it was her voice. Why don't you ask the two blokes who were with her?"
"Because they're gone," a voice said. Tony had come into the inn and was standing behind Harry; his foreman Carlos was with him. "They were staying in hired rooms outside the village. The Smythes were putting up one of them, and Harriet said he just came running in, grabbed a lot of his clothes and things, and Disapparated."
Sagittaria scratched her ear and looked at Carlos. "Can you tell me anything about them?" Tony translated, and Carlos nodded; Sagittaria stood. "Okay, it's not too late. Let's go to the Smythes' and see what we can see. Harry, I'll come get you tomorrow morning at eight and we'll check out the Shack."
She hustled Tony and Carlos out the door, and Harry looked at the three girls. "Thanks for coming. What will you do now?"
Ginny looked at the others. "I guess go back to school. Do you think if we Floo to our own common rooms McGonagall won't notice we were gone?"
"Even if she didn't, a dozen people saw us leave," said Keesha. "It's bound to get around."
"I guess we can't Obliviate them," said Luna. There was silence while everyone stared at her.
"Let's just go back," Ginny finally said. "I left all my books in the library, so we'll be in the corridors after hours, anyway."
They went upstairs and Harry handed each of them a pinch of Floo Powder. Keesha went first, then Luna. Ginny held back and came to Harry. "You didn't mind, did you?" She rubbed her hands on his chest and looked up at him. "I got a little scared when they told us something was going on in Hogsmeade."
Harry kissed her. "I am never sorry to see you. Hey, I came twice to rescue you, so you still owe me one."
Ginny grinned. "That's right. Well . . ." She played with the collar on his shirt. "Maybe I can pay off my debt this weekend. Will that be okay?"
Harry pulled her closer. "I'll let you know afterwards how okay it was."
The ensuing snog lasted until a popping noise came from the fireplace. They looked and saw Keesha's head. "Good God," she shouted, "will you two stop it? Ginny, get the hell back here!"
Harry laughed and pushed Ginny towards the fireplace. A moment later she was gone in a swirl of green flames.
Harry went back downstairs to tell Stan everything. When he finished, Stan brow was furrowed.
"What is it?" Harry asked. "Do you know something?"
"'Arry," Stan said after a moment, "you used that spell again. You gave yourself away."
"Expelliarmus?" Harry frowned.
Stan paused while he filled a mug of butterbeer for a wizard who had come to the bar. "Just like when you took a shot at me last year."
"Yeah, but that's what I wanted to do, disarm them."
"I know, but . . ." Stan shrugged and started cleaning glasses. "I guess it doesn't mean anything. I'm just mentioning it."
"No, I'm glad you did."
Harry thought about it until they closed up an hour later, but he didn't think it had mattered. Turquoise would have recognized his voice, no matter what spell he had cast, so he dismissed it from his mind, and went back upstairs. He sent McPherson off to Ginny with a package of peanut butter crèmes, and sat on the love seat with the Marauder's Map, awaiting Ginny's reply. She was in her room, and soon the owl was back with her letter.
Well, love, it's been an interesting night. We got back to the library where Professor McGonagall was waiting for us. She took us up to her office and we got a very stern lecture about the importance of obeying the rules, etc., etc. We all got detention, and I got two because this was the second time I left the castle (or was it the third, I've lost track). But we're having it with Professor Maxime, not Filch, so maybe Luna was right and it will be "fun." At least I don't think I'll be cleaning broom cupboards again.
The other interesting thing was that McGonagall questioned us pretty closely about what happened in Hogsmeade. I think she's worried. Remember that she brought Pester here because of what happened to the inn, and now this. I'm afraid that she's going to seal up the school. If that happens, I don't know what I'll do. I couldn't stand to be away from you.
I can tell that you are looking at me on the map. I love that feeling. Please keep doing it. I love you.
Ginny
Harry took the map into the bedroom. He got into bed, kissed Ginny's dot, and watched it until he fell asleep.
The next morning Harry ate an early breakfast; Stan was not there yet, so he ate in the kitchen with the elves. They were quiet, but did not seem overly worried about anything. Sagittaria arrived with a young Auror who Harry didn't know; she introduced him as Jordan Crown.
"I remember you, Potter," he said as they walked to the Shrieking Shack. "I was a seventh-year Hufflepuff when you were a first-year. You made quite a stir then, and ever since." He smiled.
"How long have you been an Auror?" Harry asked.
"Two years. I understand you're starting the new training program next week. Jolly good show, I must say. We're all highly looking forward to your working with us."
"Me too, I think," Harry grinned. "I have a lot to learn, though."
"Just do what you've been doing for all these years and you'll be tops."
They approached the Shack and the two Aurors drew their wands. The building glowed the dull orange of the night before and shuddered slightly. A few shingles fell from the roof and the three jumped back.
"Damn!" Sagittaria swore. "The spell was too strong. Well, at least we can be sure no one broke it." They went inside, and the first thing they did was open the newel post; it was still empty. They searched the rest of the house, even opening the entrance to the tunnel that led back to the Whomping Willow, but found nothing.
"They must have been here for a purpose," Sagittaria muttered as they went back outside.
"Perhaps they just needed a secluded place to meet," suggested Crown. "Normally no one comes near here, correct?"
"Maybe. What do you think, Harry?" She smiled, and Harry realized she was giving him a test. He thought for a moment.
"I would say that they were up to something more than a little chat. The two blokes were here on Friday, and now they're back five days later but with another person, someone we know has been causing trouble. And this place isn't all that isolated; you can see it from the lane, especially in the winter, and I would think that you can see it from some of the buildings along this side of the High Street. So if you wanted to meet someplace where no one would see you, this might not be the best choice."
Slocum smiled again. "Good. I agree. Now I have another question. How did the witch know it was you? You said she called your name."
"She heard me. Turquoise Southeby knows my voice as well as I know hers."
She glanced at Crown and he frowned slightly. "Harry, your Disarming spell is starting to gain a reputation. I do believe that it's been mentioned to you before, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's mentioned to you during your training. It's our consensus that Miss Southeby, if that's who it was, recognized you because you used the spell."
"You weren't there," Harry said. "If I could hear her voice, then she could hear mine. And how could she know anything about my spells? I Disarmed Stan Shunpike a year and a half ago, a couple of hundred miles away."
"You also used it against Lord Voldemort, not too far from here. I only mention it. It's something you might want to consider, that's all."
"Harry," Sagittaria said before he could retort, "I agree with Jordan. Just consider it."
Harry nodded. "Sorry," he said to Crown, "I didn't mean to snap at you. Like I said, I have a lot to learn."
"You'll never stop learning," Sagittaria smiled. "I know I don't."
They left the Shack, and Crown went to the Post Office to Floo back to the Ministry while Harry and Sagittaria returned to the inn.
Harry went up to the flat to be by himself and think. He had been put off by Jordan Crown's questions, but he knew that he needed to start listening to people like him and Sagittaria. They were trying to help him, and Harry had spoken some strong words in response. He had to stop that; these were people he was going to be working with, whom he might be depending upon to protect his back someday.
He was coming to feel a special liking for Sagittaria; she was personable and had a no-nonsense attitude and direct approach to the problem at hand. He wondered if she had a family, and how she had coped during the Death Eater regime. Maybe he could invite her to join him and Ginny for dinner sometime.
On Friday morning he received an owl from Jackson Bearcross telling him that his name had been added to his security list, and that he, Mr. Bearcross, had been happy to help expedite Harry's request. Harry jumped up, grabbed a pinch of Floo powder, and in a moment was once again in the main room of The Three Broomsticks. This time both Harriet and Rosmerta happened to be there. Harry grinned, blew them each a kiss, and stepped back into the fireplace . . . only to find himself, once again, still in The Three Broomsticks.
"What the bloody fucking hell is going on?" he roared, stomping around the tables in front of the fireplace. "Damnation!" He glared at the two women who were doubled over laughing, strode to the back of the bar, snatched the lavender cloak from its hook, and stormed out. Back in his flat he re-read the parchment he had just received from Bearcross, but balled it up in his fist and groaned. The name that had been added was "Harry Janes Potter."
After a brief exchange of owls and a string of apologies from an embarrassed Bearcross, Harry once again Floo'd to The Three Broomsticks and, finally, made the return trip back to his flat. He stepped out of his fireplace and grinned at McPherson. "Victory!" he proclaimed, and the owl hooted loudly and flapped his wings. Harry dashed off a note to Ginny, telling her that the fireplace was up and running, and he wanted her to be the first, aside from himself, to officially use it, ignoring the fact that she, Luna, and Keesha had come through it a few days ago. She replied that she would Floo from the Gryffindor common room at five o'clock.
Harry watched her on the map all afternoon and prepared his welcome. When he saw her walking across the common room to the fireplace, he moved into position.
The fire flamed green, and when Ginny stepped onto the hearth she shrieked and dropped her satchel.
Harry stood in front of her holding a huge bouquet of roses. Behind him stood Stan, Kreacher, and Winky, all wearing party hats—Kreacher's on top of his cap—and waving noisemakers. Confetti streamed from the ceiling, tiny fireworks exploded in the air, and McPherson was flying around the room trailing a banner that read, "Welcome to The Hog's Head Inn Ginny Weasley!"
She stood for a moment, watching with delight the fireworks and McPherson. Finally Harry stepped forward, the fireworks fizzled, and McPherson returned to his perch. Harry cleared his throat.
"We, the staff of the Hog's Head Inn, welcome Ginny Weasley as the first person to officially Floo into the Inn, except for me, her, and a couple of others, and I had to try it three times before it worked." He handed her the bouquet as Stan, Kreacher, and Winky cheered and lustily worked their noisemakers.
Ginny curtseyed; she held the bouquet in one hand and extended her other in a welcoming gesture.
"On behalf of myself, I thank you all most heart-feltedly. I will cherish the memory of this moment and your remarkable kindness and thoughtfulness in this moment of heartfelt graciousness and kindness and thoughtfulness. Furthermore—"
"Enough graciousness!" Harry kissed her, and the others applauded. Kreacher served them all pumpkin juice, and they toasted Harry's fireplace. Stan and the elves left, and Harry and Ginny stood grinning at each other. "Who was minding the store?" Ginny said.
"Harriet."
After Harry put the bouquet in a vase and set it on the mantel, they went downstairs for their meal and sat for a few hours with Tony and his wife. He told them that the two wizards who had been at the Shrieking Shack had disappeared; Harry guessed that they were now at Turquoise's house, hidden by the Fidelius charm.
Tony was upset, since he had given the two men jobs when they had shown up in Hogsmeade over a year ago.
"Carlos didn't know them," Tony said, "but they seemed like decent chaps. They wanted to travel a little, see the world, and that's why they came here. Everyone knew they were, you know, close, but no one gave a damn. They worked hard; I liked them." He sighed. "Carlos said they were afraid of what would happen if people knew about their feelings for each other."
"So you think they might have been blackmailed?" Harry had his arm on the back of Ginny's chair; in his other hand he held a butterbeer, and he took a swig. "Someone threatened to expose them unless they delivered Darkness Powder for them?"
"The word is 'outed,'" said Ginny. "I did a paper in Muggle Studies last term," she added when Harry looked at her questioningly. "When a homosexual Muggle is exposed, they call it 'outing.'"
"I thought that meant you were going on a picnic," Harry said. 'I guess not."
"You may be right about what happened," Tony continued. "I just can't understand why they would have become involved with people like that otherwise."
After Tony and his wife left. Harry and Ginny went up to bed and snuggled under the covers for a while; they fell asleep with their arms and legs tangled up.
The next morning Ginny reported to Madame Maxime's office; Luna and Keesha were already there, having what seemed to be a pleasant chat with the professor. She was wearing a lime green silk dressing gown and a green turban; she smiled when she saw Ginny.
"Ah, Miss Weasley, good morning. We were just discussing how I would like to decorate my office. Zat—that is what we will be doing this morning. Would you like some tea?"
Ginny saw a teapot and cups on a desk, along with a large plate of biscuits. "Am I in the right place?"
"I'm afraid so," Maxime laughed; she had a big, booming laugh like Kingsley Shacklebolt's. "Now, let's begin."
She produced lengths of colorful fabrics, paintings of Beauxbatons Castle, still lifes, landscapes of France, photographs of young witches wearing the Beauxbatons uniform, and two long wooden poles. The professor explained the latter.
"These are ancient Muggle jousting pikes, used during their Middle Ages when they fought on horseback. There is a legend that two Muggle lords fell in love with a veela who was attending Beauxbatons and fought for her using these two sticks."
"And what happened," asked Keesha as she tried to lift one; it was so heavy that she lost her balance and fell on top of it. They all laughed, and the professor picked up both pikes and affixed them to the wall behind her desk, one crossed over the other.
"They killed each other, of course. And the veela was already engaged to be married. In fact, Ginny, she was an ancestor of your sister-in-law, Fleur Delacour."
The morning passed quickly; when they were done, Madame Maxime stood at the doorway and gazed around approvingly. "This is very nice. It reminds me a little of my office at home. Now," she looked at the three girls, "shall we finish with a spot of tea, as I believe the saying is in England?"
"Professor," Ginny said as they sipped Earl Grey and munched ginger biscuits, "why did you decide to come here? It seems like a long way from home."
The Professor also took a sip. "Yes, it is. But I felt that I had an obligation to Albus Dumbledore and to this place that he loved so much. Hogwarts suffered bitterly during the war, and if you had not prevailed against the Dark Lord, there is no doubt in my mind that he would have crossed the Channel and tried to conquer us as well. Harry Potter is a hero in my country too, you know." She smiled at Ginny. "If you should ever visit France, you will see how we honor brave men. And women." She laughed again, rattling the windows. "You too, Miss Lovegood and Miss Baker. You should all come visit Beauxbatons. Everyone who was at Hogwarts that awful day would be our honored guest."
When Ginny returned to the inn for lunch Harry was still upstairs. She went to the kitchen and brought up a tray of sandwiches and a pitcher of pumpkin juice. After they ate in the little kitchen Ginny went back to the Hogwarts library and studied for the rest of the day.
On Sunday, they Floo'd to the Wheezes and brunched with Ron and Hermione. Hermione agreed with Harry that the two Argentine workers had been blackmailed by Turquoise Southeby or the Death Eaters, and had delivered Peruvian Darkness Powder to them. Ron, however, was skeptical.
"Why wouldn't they just go to Tony Trostle or that Carlos chap and report the blighters. They must have known that they were dealing with criminals."
"Because they were strangers in England and couldn't speak the language," said Hermione. "Or maybe the Death Eaters threatened their families. We don't know anything except that two seemingly innocent wizards are involved in something shady."
"So what do they want the Darkness Powder for?" asked Harry. "That's all I care about. If they went to all that trouble to get it, they're going to use it. But for what?"
"To blot out the light someplace," said Ron.
Ginny sniggered. "Thanks for that bit of enlightenment, Ron. I can tell you've been putting your training to good use."
"Speaking of which, mate," Ron said, ignoring Ginny, "I'm pumped about tomorrow. Where are you supposed to go first?"
"To Percy's office," said Harry. "Then I'll join your Evidence Analysis class at ten. In the afternoon I'll be with Saliyah."
"Wow!" Ron grinned. "They're dumping you right into it. E.A.'s a cool subject. Remember when Pester came to the inn after the weasel was thrown through the window? He went around the room with his wand, and some things glowed. He was using charms to see if magic had been used on anything. I can do some of that, but I still have to verbalize."
Ron went on, describing his courses as well as some of the cases he had already been out on with his mentor. All his cases so far were what the Aurors called "domestics," squabbles between husbands and wives, or boyfriends and girlfriends, that had ended up in St. Mungo's with one or the other sporting an alligator's snout or boils in places that could not be exposed in public. After a while Ginny and Hermione went out to do some shopping in Diagon Alley, Ron brought out a case of butterbeer, and he and Harry kicked back and reminisced about Gryffindor Quidditch matches and magical water balloon fights in the dormitory stairwell.
It was growing dark when the girls returned; Hermione had a new pair of dressy boots, and Ginny a blouse and a book about the current Holyhead Harpies team that she had bought at the little bookshop next to the jewelry store. The book had a section on the team's most common tactics on offense and defense, complete with moving diagrams. Ron looked it over and decided that tomorrow he would buy the same volume of the Chudley Cannons.
It was almost eight o'clock when Harry and Ginny returned to the flat. Harry started a snog, and they made love on the rug in front of the fireplace. After, Ginny hurriedly dressed, kissed Harry goodbye—he was still lying naked on the rug—and stepped out of the green flames in the Gryffindor fireplace as the school clock was striking nine. She went up to her room and got ready for bed. When McPherson arrived with a package of Chocoballs, she sent a letter back to Harry describing in minute detail every savory sensation she felt while slowly eating one. The magical warmth from the Marauder's Map washed over her, and she fell asleep, as she often did of late, with a smile on her face.