Chapter 37 – Now We're Cooking

Harry stopped by the garden to pick a few stalks of celery and some other things to make the dish with. Mrs. Weasley watched the two enter the kitchen.

"Reach an agreement then?" Mrs. Weasley asked her daughter.

"Harry and I talked and we are too young to get really serious with one another" Ginny stated. "We agreed that hugs were ok but we're not going to be doing that mushy kissing stuff with each other any time soon. We think there's something there between us and if we end together in the future, that's great but it's also ok if we don't. We'll stay friends either way. Do you think anybody will have a problem with me and Harry like that?"

"Seems like a good solution to both your situations. You needn't hurry into anything. I have no problem with that but your brothers might not even like somebody, even Harry, getting that close to you. They don't want you getting hurt."

"I understand Mum, but I've still got to decide on who my friends will be. Even as young as I may be. And sometimes that involves taking a risk. I think Harry is worth that risk to me. And I'll going to need your help with him anyway." Ginny finished this last sentence with a wink at her mother.

"Hey," Harry, "I'm still in the room here!"

"It's not enough that I already have a pair of troublemakers with Fred and George," Mrs. Weasley mockingly complained. "Am I going to have to watch out for the two of you also?"

"No, Mrs. Weasley" Harry said from behind Ginny. "We'll try to behave."

"As much as we can Mum!" said a giggling Ginny. Mrs. Weasley glared at the two for a second but gave into a smile and hugged them both.

"If you can spare a half dozen eggs or so, I can start that cooking lesson now Mrs. Weasley. A couple of sandwiches for Ginny and me, and a nice side dish for all our suppers if I can keep the twins from tampering with it."

"I'm sure we have at least a dozen you can use Harry. Ginny, why don't you go get George and Fred? It'll be nice watching them fix a meal for a change instead of them watching me."

Ginny hurried up the stairs in search of the twins. Harry turned and went to stand in front of Mrs. Weasley. "You had something to say to me that you didn't want Ginny to hear ma'am?"

Mrs. Weasley just nodded in agreement. "I like you Harry Potter, but you be careful with her. Guest or not, if anything inappropriate happens between you and Ginny, you'll be out of here before you can even say Dumbledore!"

"Understood, Mrs. Weasley!" Harry gulped at the serious expression on her face.

Just then Ginny and the twins came down the stairs. Harry turned around and just pointed everybody to the table. When the three had seated themselves, Harry gave a stumbling explanation of what they were going to be learning – egg salad. Ginny remained for a bit when Harry sent everybody off with specific tasks of gathering ingredients and pots and bowls.

'You look worried Harry. Did something happen?'

'Just a stern warning from your Mum! Your brothers aren't the only overprotective ones in the family.'

'Sorry.'

'It's ok- I was sort of expecting it!'

Mrs. Weasley was impressed how Harry conducted the cooking lesson. He didn't yell or demand or do everything himself. He let the twins and Ginny each do tasks and answered questions in a quiet manner when they came up. Fred had decided to take notes during the whole lesson so he could 'maybe impress a girl or two with my knowledge' and Harry said he would review it after they finished much to Fred's surprise.

Harry showed the Ginny how to hold a knife correctly so she wouldn't cut herself. Even the twins who had a couple of years of potions experience learned a little knife technique due to Harry. Everyone got to make their own batch of egg salad from Harry's directions. Harry tasted each one before he used part of Ginny's batch to make sandwiches for himself and Ginny.

Harry explained a couple of variations on the basic recipe and all the other extras that could be added to the sandwiches to make it more individualized. Fred and George were attracted by the experimental challenge of making their own personal style of sandwiches but Ginny was greatly disappointed when Harry and Mrs. Weasley both told her she couldn't add chocolate to her egg salad sandwiches!

After the twins thanked Harry for the lesson and headed back to their room, Harry and Ginny ate their sandwiches. Mrs. Weasley sat down next to Ginny and congratulated Harry about how well he had done as an instructor. Harry stammered some but told her he had lots of practice making that particular meal as Dudley was often hungry and wanted lots of quick food!

Taking the remaining mixtures, Harry combined them in a big bowl. He then gathered a few things from the pantry and set up making the side dish he had promised Mrs. Weasley. Ginny and Mrs. Weasley listened as Harry added a bunch of seemingly random ingredients to the mix and added some more seasonings to the dish to make a sort of curried egg salad. He talked easily about his experiments with food and how he found out what ingredients could be mixed together to make some things taste better. When he finished with the dish, Mrs. Weasley tasted it and immediately asked Harry to write down the recipe for her. She thought it was very tasty and told Harry that she would do what little cleanup remained!

Harry and Ginny retreated to the family room to play a little gobstones while they were waiting for Mr. Weasley to come home and eat supper. Harry felt good enough after doing well on the cooking lesson that he slowly explained to Ginny why the Hogwarts letters were addressed to the 'Cupboard under the Stairs'. Mrs. Weasley, working in the kitchen, didn't hear the mental shouts of horror and outrage that came from Ginny or see the tears that fell from both their eyes. It was a terrible hour for Harry and Ginny but he felt better at the end for sharing that awful part of his past with Ginny!

The two were pulled away from their unfinished and really unstarted game when Mrs. Wesley came in and told Harry there was a big owl that had landed on the fence outside. Ginny followed Harry outside to find that the owl was carrying a package for him. Harry gave the messenger a couple of owl treats that he had been carrying in his trouser pocket. The owl ate the treats and then flew away.

Harry walked back into the kitchen, unwrapping the package as he went. He sat it down on the table and read the letter that came with it.

Harry,

I'm sorry you have had some difficulties at the Weasleys. I've enclosed a book that has been a great help to other students such as you. Feel free to come to Hogwarts with Miss Weasley this Friday morning if you'd like to discuss anything with me. The other matter we discussed may also start then.

'Other matter, Harry?'

'Some defensive training on my own, remember?'

'Right.'

I've also kept my promise to visit your previous guardians and spoke to them strongly about their conduct in caring for you. If it is ever your choice to go back to 4 Privet Drive, you should find a more hospitable attitude. I hope you enjoy the little souvenir I got for you while I was there.

Sincerely yours,

Albus Dumbledore

Ginny read the book title over Harry's shoulder 'Magical Cores and the Mental Arts'. "This should be helpful I would think" Harry said. "I'll start reading it after supper."

'Maybe this will also explain this mental thing Harry. Harry?'

Ginny couldn't get Harry's attention because he was staring at the other item in the package. He looked at it and looked at it again. He picked it up and turned it over in his hands and looked at it from a couple of different angles. He set it carefully back down on the table and then collapsed on the chair holding his sides and laughing.

Mr. Weasley came home at that moment to find Harry helpless with laughter while Mrs. Weasley stood by unable to explain what had affected Harry. It took a couple of minutes for Harry to stop laughing; every time he slowed down and saw what was on the table he started laughing all over again. Ginny finally put the item in her pocket to hide it from Harry's sight.

When Harry finally got control of his voice again he apologized to the people in the room. "I'm sorry but I've just got to show you something. Ginny?"

Ginny dutifully took the item out of her pocket and handed it to Harry. "This has given me the best sense of satisfaction ever. Or justice, I'm not sure which. Professor Dumbledore went to visit the Dursleys and he sent me back this." He handed the object to Mr. Weasley.

Mr. Weasley held the object up close to his face to get a good look at it. "This looks like a muggle automobile, Harry."

"It is Mr. Weasley but not just any auto. This auto… This car belonged to Vernon Dursley! It's his pride and joy other than his son. He might report it stolen but I don't think even the insurance company is going to believe a wizard took it! He hates taking the bus or the train and he has spent any savings he had on his wonderful son Dudley. This is so…" Harry fell over laughing again and this time Ginny and Mr. Weasley caught the joke and joined Harry in his laughter.

Supper that night was a happy occasion for most of the participants. Mr. Weasley also liked the dish that Harry had whipped up with his children's help. He apologized to Harry and said that he would be unable to go with them shopping as the Minister had scheduled some last minute meetings he had to attend. After a little family discussion, it was decided that only Harry and Ginny were going to Diagon Alley to do their school shopping with Mrs. Weasley. Mrs. Weasley would get the supplies for Ron also and Mr. Weasley would go the next week with the twins and Percy.

Harry read the book from Dumbledore for a while and went to sleep that night with a smile on his face imagining his Uncle Vernon's face the next morning when he tried to leave for work!