Chapter 35: Change In Holiday Plans
Beta-read by Frustr8dwriter
It was a blissful reunion at Platform Nine and three-quarters. Unlike the previous year, the Grangers and Mrs. Weasley were at the platform waiting for their children. Mrs. Weasley fussed over her two youngest children and they tolerated it quite well.
"What have you two been up to?" asked Mrs. Weasley in astonishment when she saw the twins up close. They looked very different – they were almost as sturdy as their elder brother Charlie. They easily lifted the four trunks and stacked them onto two trolleys before allowing themselves to be embraced by their mother.
"Show-offs," Ginny muttered with a teasing smile, in a voice loud enough for George to hear. "Too bad Angelina isn't here."
He turned to his sister and regarded her with a raised eyebrow.
"You can always carry your trunk by yourself," said George, folding his arms.
"I'll be a nice sister and give you more chances to flex your new muscles." Ginny replied with mock solemnity. Unable to keep up the façade, she burst out laughing.
"Mum, we've been horsing around with Harry of course." Fred explained, with amusement in his eyes, drawing away from Mrs. Weasley's embrace, turning to watch the other families.
The Grangers and the Potters were the closest to them and it was clear from the adults' expressions that they were very pleased to see the young couple. Jean drew Harry and Hermione into a tight hug, as Dan hovered near them protectively.
"It must've been very difficult term for both of you." Jean said sympathetically, finally letting go of them.
"It's been okay, mum. At least the competition will be over by February," assured Harry, smiling. "When the tournament ends, we can finally take a breather."
"Yes, we'll all be able to relax." Jean agreed. Harry knew that the adults had been worrying about him since his name appeared out of the Goblet of Fire. The Grangers were anxious to ask them several questions but the platform wasn't the right place for it. They knew the importance of secrecy so they couldn't say too much in public for fear of eavesdroppers.
"What's all this I've been hearing about Fleur Delacour and Viktor Krum?" Dan asked curiously, looking at the teenagers.
"Rumours," Harry replied, putting his arm around Hermione's waist after putting Hedwig's cage and Crookshanks' carrier on the trolley.
"Suitors," corrected Hermione indifferently, shrugging. "We're all friends now. In fact, you'll have the chance to meet Viktor sometime soon because Susan's invited him over."
Being ever observant, Jean lifted up Hermione's hand to observe the Celtic knot ring on her finger. "So this is what you got her. It's a beautiful and meaningful ring, Harry," commented Jean with a tender smile as she turned to look at him. "Your hearts, souls, and minds eternally intertwined in a never ending knot. It is a fitting ring for commitment."
Hermione liked the ring very much but she only had one complaint. "He gave it to me in front of the whole school," grumbled Hermione lightly, knitting her brows at the memory. "It was absolutely embarrassing."
Harry cocked a brow in surprise as he turned to gaze at his wife.
"Bollocks, I'm certain that you were touched by the gesture, not at all humiliated as you claim. It was mortifying on my part. Why, my knees were buckling beneath me as I was walking up to you," claimed Harry.
The frown cleared up as the corner of her lips quivered. "Then you did a brilliant job of appearing confident," replied Hermione.
The Grangers couldn't help chortling in amusement at their exchange of words.
"Nevertheless, for a boy who a year ago didn't know he had to take his love out for a date and didn't know how to go about planning said date, you've sure learned a lot," said Dan, his eyes gleaming with laughter.
Truth dawned upon Hermione.
"So you're the one who suggested he needed to take me out on our first date? I've been wondering who had kindly pointed Harry in the right direction. I know my husband quite well – he'd never have thought of planning a date on his own." Hermione exclaimed, grinning at Dan "Thanks, Dad!"
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Harry was feigning an expression of hurt.
"Anything for you, sweetheart," Dan replied, returning a fatherly smile, watching his daughter nudged Harry in the ribs with her elbow.
"Harry's actions just reminded me that your father has never done anything remotely as romantic," commented Jean, eyeing Dan with narrowed eyes. Dan gave a nervous and mirthless laugh as he scratched the back of his head.
"Sorry Dad," Harry said, laughing out loud.
The Weasley family, led by Molly, approached to exchange pleasantries with them. Mrs. Weasley was unusually reserved with the Potters - she didn't know how to interact with them, after the incident last year. A humbled and uneasy Mrs. Weasley was one the Potters have never seen.
"Harry, I'm sor-"
He lifted up his hand to halt her from finishing the sentence.
"There's no need for another apology when we've already forgiven you," interrupted Harry firmly, speaking for Hermione and him, even though the matriarch of the Weasley family wasn't aware of it. The air of authority that surrounded him fitted him well. With a ghost of a smile on his lip, he continued. "Besides, you did provide me a sanctuary for me for one summer."
It didn't matter if Molly Weasley had some kind of motive behind the move, but the fact that she did momentarily relieve Harry of the terror of living with his relatives at a point when he was still at their mercy made Hermione somewhat obliged to her.
Her eyes grew misty, unable to believe that Harry would forgive her so easily. Ron, lingering behind Mrs. Weasley, was watching Hermione and Harry closely, with an inscrutable expression on his face.
"Thank you," said Mrs Weasley finally, clutching his hand. "Thank you."
"Mrs. Weasley, I'm sure you're well aware of the holiday arrangement we've offered to Fred and George," said Sirius, interrupting into the moment. Mrs. Weasley blinked continuously in surprise as the twins looked on in interest.
"Yes, Lord Black."
"We've decided we won't be celebrating Christmas in Bones Tower. We're heading to tropical climes for our Christmas and New Year holidays. Will you allow both Fred and George to join us?" asked Sirius. "You don't have to worry about their expenses because we'll cover them," offered Sirius. Sirius appreciated Fred and George's company since they were essentially birds of the same feather.
"I'll leave the boys to decide for themselves." Mrs. Weasley replied finally, surprising everyone. The Mrs. Weasley they knew would have made the decision on their behalf and declined his offer.
The twins exchanged astonished looks with each other, thinking over their options. It didn't take them too long to come to a decision.
"As much as we'd love to go, we'll give it a pass. Christmas is a time for families -" said George, looking at their mother. The large smile on her face told them that they'd made the right decision.
"- And you have as much right to spend time some time alone with your family, Harry. Besides, we miss pranking the berk," Fred continued with a cheeky grin. "I don't know how he got a job in the Ministry of Magic. I'm sure Dad wouldn't have pulled strings." They were, of course, referring to Percy.
"No, but your brother did do well on his NEWTs," defended Mrs Weasley, uncomfortable at the idea.
"And, he would've been too proud to accept a job if Dad really did pull some strings," continued George, shrugging.
"You'll hardly see him – he's been working very hard to prove his worth. As for your father putting in a good word for him – well, I think that Percy would've appreciated any help he could get if it were the only way he could work at the Ministry. After the huge scandal last year, it can be considered a miracle that he managed to land a job there and Percy is fully aware of that." Mrs. Weasley explained, with worry clouding her eyes.
Hermione raised her brow in surprise at the news while Sirius looked slightly uncomfortable at the disclosure.
Mr. Weasley was right – Percy had difficulty getting a post within the Ministry. No one wanted to employ him after he was seriously disgraced last year. They were all fearful of offending the Four Ancient Houses. Even though the Heads had forgiven the entire family, there were still many who would not place him in a prestige position unless they were out to challenge the authority of the Ancient Houses. That Fudge's government would actually employ someone who had a past conflict with the Head of the Ancient Houses suggested that Fudge was out to get the Ancient Houses by stirring quiet political undercurrents, she thought. It was a move, no doubt, to save his own hide especially since he'd put one of the Heads of the Ancient Houses in Azkaban. Hermione wouldn't be too concerned about the government if Amelia, another one of the Heads, was working directly with him. Unfortunately, Aunt Amelia was frequently out of the office, which put her in a precarious position.
It would spell trouble in the future if they did not keep an eye on Fudge.
Hermione made a mental note to discuss the matter with the Heads when they had the time.
After chatting for a while, the Weasleys bade them goodbye, and left the platform.
Our holidays will be very different without the twins, commented Harry, watching them depart.
Well, they're happy, answered Hermione. After all the problems last year, they've gotten closer to the other members of their family. During difficult times, stronger ties are usually forged between family members.
"So it'll be just the four ancient families then?" Harry asked, turning to Sirius.
"Yes - Neville and Luna wanted to spend their time with their families. Hagrid didn't want to leave the castle for more than a day for some odd reason. Lupin can't make it because of his 'furry problem' so he'll be staying with Tonks and her family. With the twins going home, it'll be just us," replied Sirius, with a smile, putting his hands on Harry's shoulders. They were finally doing something as a family. "You're alright with the plan, Jean and Dan?" asked Sirius.
"Yes, but how are we getting there?" asked Jean. "I don't think that you'll be doing it the Muggle way, will you? Do you have passports?"
"We have a magical equivalent that will allow us to travel and we'll be heading there using portkeys. You don't have to worry about converting your currency. The credit card that Gringotts provided can be used there and we won't need much at all," said Sirius. He handed them a key. "Activate this portkey at exactly three this afternoon and we'll meet you at the Arrival Hall of our destination."
"Hold your Hippogriffs, where exactly are we going, Sirius?" Hermione queried.
Sirius gave a Marauder-worthy smirk. "You'll find out when you get there."
At exactly three, the Potters and Grangers gathered at Potter Mansion with their luggage and activated the portkey. They landed gracefully on the ground, the sound of the footsteps muted by the lush carpeted ground. They found themselves in a large, brightly-lit and welcoming room. Captivated by the modern decorations of the Arrival Hall, they could tell that the country spared no expense in the decor. It was classily adorned with blooming purple and white orchids and pieces of art.
Oswald, like Sirius and Amelia, ditched his robes for business clothes. Susan, Daphne, Cedric, and Astoria were talking excitedly among themselves, quite impressed with the room they were in.
"Now that we're all here, we'll need to go through customs. By the way, we're not allowed to use wands here since their magical community frowns upon the use of wands." Sirius announced.
Cedric, Susan, Daphne, and Astoria cheerfully greeted Harry and Hermione, excited that they were travelling together.
"Anyway, I doubt you'll find yourself in need of protection," said Sirius. "Singapore is famous for her security, besides her cleanliness, and her love for fines."
Hermione's eyes widened in shock - they were actually in Singapore.
She remembered being curious about the smaller Asian countries on the Indian Ocean. These countries were once kingdoms rich with customs and culture before they were mercilessly plundered and destroyed for their natural resources. Their people were treated no better than second class citizens. It was a great loss since those Kingdoms were great believers of Ancient Art of Magic. Most of their culture was lost when their colonial masters imposed their rule upon them, usually abolishing the monarchies that held the country together.
They were in the most successful example of a once-colonised country, since most of the neighbouring countries were still fighting to come with terms with themselves. They were successful in coming up with a political system that would be more suited to them than the structures left by their colonial masters.
She was interested in the small magical community residing among the non-magicals. The social tapestry of the migrant country was so rich, the practices of magic so varied, that it was impossible to pin-point the kind of magic the magicals in the country practiced. There was the idea of Yin or Yang of the Chinese, and that magic generally stemmed from the four natural elements, while the indigenous people generally believed that magic lies in the gift of calling and using the spirits in Nature like tree spirits. There were other schools of thoughts regarding magic and the thing that surprised her was that all of them managed to find a common ground between all of the strains of thought, despite the disparity, thus the ability to coexist. It was their keen knowledge of the Ancient Magic that Hermione would love to know. Hermione believed it would be an enriching experience to learn the ways of the concealed community.
"So it was alright that you spend your holidays with us?" asked Harry, looking at Cedric.
"Yes, they were good about it. Well, they understand that I have the right to decide how I want to spend my holiday," replied Cedric. "Besides, we'll only be spending a week here. We'll be returning home on the 26th of December."
The wizards and witches hastily stowed their wands and went through the stringent checks. They were warmly welcomed before they departed the Hall. They were impressed by the sleek lines and general beauty of the airport. They split themselves into three groups, got into three separate taxis, and headed straight to their hotel. They welcomed the temporary relief from the sweltering heat. It was sunny and bright outside, unlike Britain.
Lush bushes of bright red flowers continued to line the straight road they were on. The road was unusually well-maintained. When the Control tower, a large tower that looked as if a large spaceship was resting on it, had fade away from sight, they began to see more of the city. Large tall concrete buildings dotted the landscape, large trees and plants were planted along the roadways.
They were soon brought to the heart of the country, where malls huddled next to each other and large crowds of finely dressed people paced the wide streets. There, the traffic grew thick and it was a riot of noise as they stared at the Christmas street decorations. The street lamps were fashioned to look like mouth-watering candy canes. Large, silvery-blue plastic snowflakes hung from the towering trees that stood along the road. According to the driver, the area they were driving through was known as Orchard Road. It would continue to be richly decorated for the season. The malls didn't seem to pull any stops in their holiday décor - with magnificent statues of Santa Claus in his sleigh - full of gifts or being pulled by reindeers.
"It's a pity that it's still daytime," said the driver. "It's really pretty when the lights are up. Orchard Road is really a good place to shop especially with all the Christmas sales."
"I can tell from the number of malls." Jean commented, peering out of the window at the streets. "I'm just curious, what would you advise a tourist to do, other than shop?"
He smiled. "Well, the Mandai Zoo is a nice place to go to, just remember to go early so that you'll have the chance to look at all the exhibits. Well, if you prefer to visit at night, then you can experience the Night Safari. Tourists typically head to Little India, Chinatown, Geylang Serai, and Arab Street to get a taste of Singapore's multi-ethnic society. There are lots to see, try, and eat. If you like to eat, then Singapore is the place for you. You can find good food at cheap prices all around the island if you know where to look. I'm sure the hotel would be most helpful in directing you."
"So are there any dishes that you'd recommend?" Harry inquired.
He frowned slightly in thought as if he was asked a particularly difficult question. "I would guess Chilli Crabs, Chicken rice, Laksa, Roti Prata, and Satay."
"What is this Roti Prata or Satay?" asked Hermione curiously, leaning slightly forward.
The taxi driver chuckled at the way she pronounced it.
"Roti Prata is an Indian Pancake and the more creative stalls sell them with many different fillings like banana, onion, or cheese and you eat them with curry. Satay is barbequed meat on skewers served with peanut sauce."
"Are they difficult to find?" asked Dan, turning to the driver.
"Not at all, you can find them easily at any hawker centres. You need to ask around for the really delicious ones."
Harry noticed that the places of worship belonging to different ethnic groups were built beside one another- an Indian temple was set next to a large Chinese temple and the Chinese and Indians were seen intermingling and entering both sacred places.
The sight gave him hope.
It wasn't an impossible dream, Harry mused, thinking about the discrimination back at home. The four Ancient Families were already planting the seeds, intermingling, and entering both Magical and Non-Magical Britain.
Hermione turned away from the window to look at him. Placing her hand over his, she assured, "The day will come." It had to, lest another Riddle would rise up. After all, Riddle was a product of the class prejudice rampant in the Magical society so really they had to find a solution to nip the problem in the bud.
The landscape of the buildings began to change - instead of the tall modern buildings, the streets were now filled with shorter and older buildings which were very common around Singapore in the old days. They were told that these two stories buildings were called shophouses. The shop keepers and their families would live in the apartment above the shop in the past.
Their hotel was situated in the Civic District, where there were many reminders of British rule. Singapore, along with Malaysia, Burma, and India used to be part of the British colonies. They spotted several old colonial houses as rode on to the hotel. They soon approached a large, white, nineteenth century Neo-classical Bungalow fondly known as the "Grand Old Lady". A doorman, dressed impeccably in a crisp uniform, politely opened their door when the taxi finally came to a halt at the grand entrance. He helpfully took their luggage out of the boot and carried them into the large three-story bungalow.
They walked through the trademark white arches into the large and airy lobby. The furniture that adorned the ground floor keenly reflected the diversified culture of Singapore, with its oriental rugs, large imposing teak coffee tables and side tables with intricate carvings, and beautiful and regal Peranakan-styled furniture.
Oswald, Amelia, Sirius, and the rest of their company were already waiting patiently, chatting as they sat at the plush armchairs and lounges. They were clearly impressed with the service and the hotel.
"Welcome to Raffles Hotel," greeted the staff politely when they spotted the Grangers and the Potters. They were led to the counter for registration where they also met their butler. They were taking three Grand Hotel Suites since they boasted of two bedrooms, a private balcony, and a pantry. The three suites were large enough to house all of them comfortably.
"I bet the twins will regret not coming with us. I was told that Singapore is practically a food paradise," said Harry, smiling when he met up with his friends. They were taking in the structure of the building, admiring how well-maintained the hotel was.
"The hotel was built in 1887 hence its distinctive nineteenth century design. It was refurbished in 1991 to enhance its look. If you're interested in learning more, you could always pop by the Raffles Museum where you can find out about the history of the hotel," explained one of the staff when they noticed the group's keen interest in the architecture of the hotel.
"Is this one of the oldest hotels in Singapore?" Harry asked curiously.
"Yes," answered the staff politely. "It's known as one of the national monuments because of its long history."
"Thank you," said Harry, impressed by their knowledge.
The hotel porters took their luggage to their respective suites so that they could freshen up and change into lighter clothing. They were all eager to go out and experience the city.
Their air-conditioned suites left them completely astounded since they spoke of comfort and luxury with rich Oriental carpets on the teak floors, elegant-themed furniture, and brilliant art pieces that depicted scenes from old Singapore, as well as china that reflected the unique heritage of the country. As soon as the porters delivered their belonging to their respective rooms, they began to change into suitable clothes, noticing that Singaporeans dressed very casually.
Oswald had all the arrangements down pat and they made their first stop at a small coffee shop located on a small lane nearby. They could see many shops and restaurants on both sides of the small road, facing each other.
"Apparently, they sell really good duck rice here," said Oswald, leading his party to sit at a large round table near the stalls. Several braised duck, chunks of fried pork belly and meat were displayed by the small stall which sold duck rice. A mouth-watering scent drifted from that stall and they decided to order a duck and a large portion of fried pork belly. Plates of brown rice, cooked with yam were served, together with those dishes. The bones of the duck had been removed, cut into smaller pieces, drenched with brown gravy and garnished with sliced Japanese cucumbers.
They were surprised at how delicious it was despite the fact that the dishes were relatively simple fare. After a very satisfying meal, they set off for the Mandai Zoological Garden, one of the hottest tourist attractions and spent the rest of the day there. It was not difficult to tell why it had appealed to the masses with the 'open zoo' concept as walking through the gardens took them to various places in the world: the African savannah - a grassland in which the lion reigns king, the high ridges of the Himalayans which the mountain goats climb easily, the tropical rainforest where a diversity of animals live, and the air-conditioned enclosures imitating the colder climates for the animals of the Arctic Circle.
The barriers that separated the visitors from the animals were almost invisible - wet moats or vegetation lay below their eye level. They could get up close to animals that posed no danger - like the golden lion monkey. Its flaming orange fur and the brilliant 'mane' around its neck gave the monkey its name. It perched on a tree near them, watching them with great interest, as if the humans were the exhibits not the other way around.
They saw the highlight of the zoo, Ah Meng, the Matriarch of the family of Orangutans swinging in their enclosure.
The adults laughed when they watched the other teenagers anxiously pressing their faces up the glass fronted enclosures of polar bears after they moved away from the Primate Land.
Peacocks with their colourful feathers in full blossom, strutted freely around the garden, adding to the charms of the garden.
With the reservoir and the forest as its backdrop, the zoo was a picture of tranquillity.
They caught some of the feeding shows and had an opportunity to ride on the elephant. The elephant would lower its body to the ground at the command of its keeper then steady itself when the visitors were on its back. It was a short ride around the fence, but it was an experience so novel that Harry didn't think he would ever forget it.
They saw some people taking photographs with a large local python. There was a photographer on hand to take the picture for a fee, and all proceeds were promised to go to the maintenance of the zoo. They were watching a family cautiously carrying the large python from a distance. The snake looked so bored that Harry laughed.
Hermione arched a quizzing brow.
Harry leaned in so that he was whispering into Hermione's ear. "The snake is feeling very bored from keeping so still."
There was an impish grin on his face suddenly and he addressed the rest of his family.
"I think to commemorate our time here, why don't the Slytherins take a shot with the symbol of their house? It's not everyday where you can carry a snake." suggested Harry gesturing to the python. "After all, we all can't squeeze into a photograph."
Oswald eyed him suspiciously.
"No, thank you," answered Daphne flatly.
"It looks fun! Let's do it. Let me see. Daph, Dad, Mom, and I are Slytherins. Are there any other Slytherins in the group?" Astoria searched the faces of the group and found no more.
"You ought to include Cedric since it looks like a Greengrass family portrait," said Susan, nudging Daphne.
Daphne promptly ignored her but Cedric blushed red.
"Let me talk to the person in charge," said Harry, hurrying off to speak to the keeper of the python. Hermione spotted him bending his head slightly so that he could speak to the snake. The snake tipped his head as if listening to him and nodded its head occasionally.
What are you up to now, Harry?
Harry gave them a thumbs-up and gestured them to join him.
Felicia and Oswald exchanged a look with each other. However, seeing that their youngest daughter was so excited, they did as told.
"I'm not a Slytherin!" Cedric protested when Susan shoved him towards the seats where the keeper stood ready with the python. Astoria took it upon herself to grab him by his wrist and dragged Cedric to accompany them.
All five of them managed to squeeze into the seats provided and the keeper gently handed the python to them. The python seemed to have a mind of its own, slithering across the shoulder of Oswald as the others supported the heavy snake.
Oswald appeared to be uncomfortable with the snake getting so close to his face but he straighten himself, looking as dignified as ever.
The keeper looked mildly surprised that it had moved.
"All of you look set for a shot," said the photographer with a smile. "On my signal, three, two, one…"
The jaws of the audience nearly touched the ground when they saw the python in a striking position and enlarging his jaws so that it looked as if it was going to swallow Oswald's head whole after giving his shoulder a little squeeze. The result was quite comical - Oswald's eyes nearly budged out, his jaws hanging open as he jumped slightly from the constriction.
Once the shot was taken, the snake became its usual mild self. Hermione could swear she saw the snake give Harry a wink.
Harry, Sirius, and Dan howled in laughter at the sight.
Harry had to applaud the python's timing - the camera captured that surprising moment precisely.
"How did he do that?" asked Dan after he recollected himself.
"Harry can speak to snakes." Hermione replied, glaring at Harry.
"That was a good one, pup!" said Sirius, wiping the tear off his cheeks. He laughed so hard he was in tears.
Oswald was shooting daggers at Harry with his eyes after he saw the photograph. "You couldn't resist, could you Harry?" The other Greengrasses were laughing at the sight of their father.
"No, the snake and I were bored. It's not exactly my fault. He had a choice between Cedric and you and apparently, he felt that you were the better deal," said Harry indifferently.
When they walked to the House of snakes, they egged Harry to use his ability to charm a large handsome black King Cobra to dance like Indian Snake Charmers.
The dignified snake stood erected, his hood expanded, watching Harry closely. No, even though I'm called a King Cobra, I'm hardly one. It motioned to the sign on the enclosure.
"The King Cobra, despite its name, isn't a cobra at all. It does not have the mark of a cobra, double eyes or single eye stripe pattern on its neck, instead it has inverted 'V' like marks."
"The other cobras are asleep," said Harry, gesturing to the other enclosures.
I can see that, answered the King Cobra sarcastically. Contrary to popular belief, my eyesight's quite good. And I'm not one who would entertain others like a circus animal.
Harry rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "So what's the price?"
You want me to dance? You'll have dance along too.
Hermione was stifling her laughter with a hand covering her mouth as she watched their interaction.
"It's time to let down your hair, isn't it?" said Harry, letting out a sigh. "Go easy on me. Hit it, pal."
The reversal of roles was extremely entertaining, the King Python was the charmer while Harry was its snake, imitating its actions, and his family began laughing loudly.
The heat of the day soon dissipated as night began to fall upon them but the city remained unusually bright with all its street headed over to Orchard Road in the evening for some shopping and dinner. The street was indeed beautiful when it was lit up and it enhanced the festive spirit. They began their Christmas shopping straight after a lavish dinner at a Japanese Steak House.
The large Christmas tree they had at the shopping mall rivalled their own in Britain. It was about five stories high, beautifully decorated with a large glowing star sitting on the top of the tree. There was a faint pine scent in the building.
"Are you sure that's not done by magic?" asked Amelia, admiring it from the second level. "How do they put all those lights on the tree?"
"I can't really answer that. We already have difficult decorating one smaller than this with magic," said Hermione.
They strolled through the shopping mall, picking up presents along the way.
When they had finally returned to the hotel room, it was very late. Harry and Hermione put their shopping bags aside and crashed.
They woke up in the morning to a traditional breakfast consisting of two half-boiled eggs, toasted bread with kaya (a coconut egg jam)and butter, and shredded Chicken congee. They lounged around at the beautiful palm garden of Raffle Hotel for a few hours before they started on their next part of the journey.
They decided to explore Chinatown, the ethnic quarter of the Chinese. They were advised to check out the smaller lanes where most of the treasures lay. There, they could find good food and interesting trinkets if they were willing to hunt for it. True enough, they came across many interesting shops selling a variety of things, ranging from Chinese calligraphy to furniture.
Harry, much to Hermione's chagrin, wanted to buy a large granite bench. Harry had to have the interesting bench since it looked as if two granite monkeys were supporting it. He also admired the fine handiwork. He couldn't imagine carving something like that without magic.
"It's a good buy. A lot of people have been interested in it but they didn't buy it because they don't have the space," said the shopkeeper excitedly.
"No, we can't bring that back." Hermione warned fiercely, tugging Harry's arm. "We can't exactly transport it."
Harry had to admit that his wife was right and he turned down the tempting offer.
"The Chinese must revere Dragons a lot," commented Harry when he saw grand portraits of dragons hung at a stall. The pictures the Chinese artists drew were different from the dragons they were familiar with. The Chinese dragon had horns like a deer; eagle-like claws, a long scaly body like a serpent, and it looked grand. They saw them on engraved on the roofs of buildings and were told that dragons were symbols of protection. There were other Chinese paintings of plants like bamboo, orchids and chrysanthemums. They learned that Chinese scholars of the past loved to draw these three items since they were supposed to represent good character traits. To illustrate, bamboo is usually associated with perseverance and the orchid symbolized grace.
Walking into the brightly-lit shop, they saw an aged artist, sitting at a large desk, drawing. He was using a large calligraphy paint brush to complete a picture of two horses on boundless grassland.
The horses were made alive at the hand of the artist, they looked as if they were really prancing and playfully challenging each other, as they galloping across the field. Their long manes whipped wildly from the winds as the horse turned to and regarded each other. They could sense the freedom and even the camaraderie these horses felt in the vivid way they were portrayed.
The two horses were racing together towards an unknown, enjoying each other's company, and living in the moment.
It was the same freedom they were now experiencing. Here, he was just another face in the crowd, not Lord Gryffindor, the Head of an Ancient and Noble family. He had the freedom to go out with Hermione in public, hold her hand, and light-heartedly sneak kisses with her behind Dan's back. Even Daphne and Cedric were quite surprised at how affectionate they were.
It was a liberty much denied to them back in Britain. The aged artist was putting the final touches to the landscape, writing a line of Chinese characters with a firm hand before stamping his name at the bottom of the piece.
"Sir," Harry interrupted. "How much do you want for this piece?"
The wizened man looked surprised. "I can't sell it now. It will take some time for it to dry," answered the old artist, gesturing to the line of wet Chinese characters.
"How long do you think it will take?" Harry questioned politely.
"It'll take a while," replied the old man with a wisp of foreign accent. "I have other paintings of horses, though." The old man stood up and gestured to the other paintings with his gnarled hands. They were beautiful but they did not seem to captivate him as much as the one the artist had just finished.
"I can see that your mind is set." said the old man, watching him closely. "If you're determined to have it, you can come back in a few hours. It'll be ready by then."
The sweltering heat of the topics had them perspiring from all the walking as they wandered around Chinatown. They stopped at a famous Hawker Centre for lunch, which was a place where many food stalls are congregated. They tried many locality specials before proceeding to walk around the stopped at a small dessert shop and tried some of the local desserts like Gui ling gao, a cold herbal dessert with syrup, and Mango Sago when they felt thirsty. The teenagers had found many unique trinkets in the small stalls that lined the road and decided to buy some of them for Luna.
They soon wandered away from the tourist areas onto a quiet lane. Bicycles stood along the lane, on the dull grey cement grounds. Steel gates were bolted shut and they could hear the echoes of the hustle and bustle from the other busy streets. It was as if this lane was a world of its own, far away from the other parts of Chinatown.
A line of old shophouses huddled together in that lane. Most of them were closed with an exception of a particularly old shop that stood at the end of the row.
"Do you think we should turn back?" asked Susan, looking around. "There isn't anyone on this street."
Harry spotted a dirty yellow banner with a picture of palm hanging on the gates of the only shophouse that seemed to be open for business.
"Let's have a look around," said Hermione, curious about the lone shop.
The old shop turned out to be offering palmistry services and it looked very old. Traditional green ceramic tiles filled its ground. Most of the sunlight was blocked out by the five-foot veranda so it was very dark.
There was a large wooden table in the centre of the room, and wooden stools surrounding it.
Harry and Hermione could sense faint traces of magical energy in the place. Two wooden-flap doors stood separated the place for business from the private quarters. The wooden-flap doors were pushed open suddenly, revealing an old Chinese man.
The aged man was bald and had a long silver beard. He was dressed in a traditional black shenyi. He smiled at them cordially. Harry could feel the aura of restrained magic resonating around him. "Welcome. Do you want your palm to be …?"
His smile disappeared from his face when he spotted Harry.
"You bring a dark spirit into this place, young one," said the old man gravelly, hold his gaze.
With a flick of his wrist, the metal gates crashed down, shutting them inside. None of his companions noticed it since his declaration left them wheeling in shock.
"You really don't need those," continued the old man calmly. With another wave of his hand, his shrunken sword and Hermione's wooden pistol flew onto his outstretched hand. Harry blinked continuously, surprised that his Gryffindor Sword and Hermione's pistol were summoned away from their anti-summoning holsters.
The teenagers brandished their wands immediately, with a spell on their lips as they eyed the old man carefully.
"I don't like being near weapons. Put those away, we've much to talk about, Harry and Hermione," instructed the old man calmly, even though five wands were pointing in his direction.
Harry lowered his wand slightly. "How do you know our names?" asked Harry guardedly.
"I sense a unique bond between you and her, so I hazarded a guess. I've been waiting anxiously to meet either of you. I didn't expect the abomination."
A sparkle of interest lit Hermione's eyes.
"An abomination?" Harry echoed, raising his brows in surprise.
The elderly nodded solemnly. "A deviant from the natural. An evil spirit. A parasite. It feeds on your life force. I believe we can talk more inside. Come with me," said the old man, turning around.
Hermione promptly lowered her wand, seeing that the old man meant no harm and the other teenagers follow suit after coming to the same conclusion.
"Wait, how do we know that you won't harm us?" Amelia asked, eyeing him cautiously.
He grew slightly impatient. "How would I know you won't hurt me?" The old man returned, meeting her gaze. "I'm severely outnumbered and you're still armed with your wands. "
They had no arguments against that so they followed him into his private quarters. However, the adults did not lower their guard.
There, they saw diagrams of the Chinese five elements and Yin-Yang. He gestured all of them to take a seat at the round wooden table and politely offered them some Chinese tea. Not even for a second, did his eyes leave Harry.
"I'm Cheng Tze." The Chinese wizard said finally. "May I?"
Before they could register his request, he grabbed Harry's right hand and Hermione's left hand. A tiny furrow appeared between his eyebrows as he scrutinised their palms.
The adults immediately pointed their wand at him but lowered it when they realised that he was reading their palms.
Everyone seemed to be holding their breath, waiting for him to speak.
"Yes, a heavenly match." Cheng Tze proclaimed with a smile, lifting his head to look at them. "Both of you are joined in the heart, spirit and mind. It's exceedingly rare and a heavenly match usually appears when a catastrophe is befalling us. You're the pair that I was supposed to meet in this lifetime."
His smile faded away and the furrow on his face grew deeper. "It's strange that your union can't expel this parasite out of your body," continued the aged man, looking at the couple. "I would've expected the power of your joining to be forceful enough to get rid of it."
"What is this it?" Hermione asked, her brows furrowing into a frown.
He blinked continuously in surprise. "I'm referring to a piece of spirit unnaturally linked to Harry's spirit."
Hermione lifted her brow in surprise and her breath hitched. "Do you mean that there is another soul connected to his soul, other than my soul?" demanded Hermione.
"A small piece of soul crudely joined to his," replied Cheng Tze, contemplatively, stroking his long silvery beard. "I wonder," he mused. Suddenly, he trained his eyes on Harry again. "Was there a premeditated attempt on your life, young man?"
"Why would you ask such a thing?" questioned Amelia, finally speaking. "What makes you so sure that he has a piece of soul connected to his?"
"There is an imbalance in the energies because of how unnatural this piece has attached itself to the young man's soul and the presence of the evil soul are stirring up a lot of yin vibes around here," answered the old man coolly, looking at Amelia. "I mean no offence but it is something, I won't expect people like you to pick up since you're not taught to be in tune with the energies," continued the old man, sipping his Chinese tea.
"Chinese believed that magic are energies that stem from the five classical elements and yin and yang." Hermione explained, seeing their blank expressions.
"Not a specific attempt on his life, but someone wanted his whole family dead," said Oswald, frowning in thought.
"Yes, there was an attempt," answered Harry in a quiet voice, looking up so that he could meet the piercing gaze of the old man. The room fell still immediately. "It happened when I was just one year old. One of the darkest wizards of all times entered my house, with the sole intention of taking my life." Harry could hear the gasp of shock at the revelation. Most of the wizards believed that Lord Voldemort entered the Potter residence in Godric's Hallow, with the purpose of wiping out his opponents, namely Harry's parents. He clenched his fist and continued in a firm voice, "He didn't expect that my mum would use her body to shield me when he tried to kill me after killing my dad and when he turned his wand on me again, the spell rebounded on him and he sort of died."
He was conscious of the way Hermione held his hand to lend him support.
While the other Heads of the Houses were wheeling from that shock, the old man stood up suddenly. He stared at Harry with a wide-eyed expression.
"He sort of died?" questioned Cheng Tze sharply.
Harry was slightly taken aback by his tone but he answered him. "Most of them believe that he died, but I've met him recently and he was just reduced to a spirit."
"A spirit you said? What about the body?" continued Cheng Tze.
"Destroyed by the killing curse," said Harry.
The old Chinese man frowned. Sensing the confusion of the other occupants in the room, he began to explain.
"The Chinese has always been fascinated with immortality. In the past, Emperors would commission sorcerers to discover a way to prolong life so the sorcerers began to research souls, the essence of us. A group of them made headway into the idea of mortality. They believed that we die because our physical body can no longer house our souls. There was some talk about transferring a part of the soul into another vessel so that even if our physical bodies were destroyed, we would not die. The records of those works were believed to be completely destroyed. The sorcerers understood the danger of leaving such works behind - they would create an immortal monster on the throne." The old man explained as he paced around the room.
"Do you mean that Lord Voldemort, the man who tried to kill him, transferred a piece of his soul to Harry?" demanded Amelia, stunned.
Cheng Tze turned to look at her again. Stroking his beard, he answered, "It would appear to be the case."
"So we have an immortal and powerful monster on our hands?" asked Cedric incredulously.
"If that myth was true, then he could die if all his soul is destroyed." Sirius interjected.
"Now, if a part of his soul is joined to Harry's, wouldn't there be a mental and emotional link?" Hermione inquired sharply.
The old man stopped in his pacing to fix his attention on Hermione. A ghost of a smile appeared on his lips at her astuteness. "You're wise, Hermione. Yes, an unsound and weak link will exist between him and Harry. However, the connection would be very weak since he has no physical body."
The dream that Harry had during the summer holiday was more likely a result of the unstable link between them, thought Hermione. The images were vivid-as if she was looking out of her own eyes.
"Could he have passed some of his power to me when he left a piece of his soul in me?" asked Harry, remembering the conversation he had with Dumbledore on his second year.
For a moment, Cheng Tze looked impatient, as if Harry was asking an obvious question. "Yes, your spirit holds the ability for you to do magic." Harry just needed a confirmation; he had come to that conclusion when he realised his magical powers had increased as soon as their soul bond was completed.
"It won't harm you. In fact, I would think it's a good thing because you'll be able to hear his thoughts. After all, the Chinese has always believed that to win a war, you need to know the enemy as well as knowing yourself." answered Cheng Tze, giving a smile that showed his teeth.
"There are other ways to gather intelligence and we need to get rid of the soul if we want to destroy him. Would it be dangerous if we attempt to remove that piece of soul?" questioned Hermione.
"I don't know of any rituals to do so, but I know it'll be too risky. I believe that the errant soul is so imbued into Harry's soul that it's now a part of his, as much as both of your souls are a part of each other. Both of your souls might be destroyed if we attempt to separate it."
"So we can't get rid of him without killing ourselves," summarised Harry in a deadpanned voice. Yet, we've to get rid of him.
"I would say yes, if the soul is too connected to yours," replied the old man, stroking his beard. "We believe that the once the soul is connected to something, it is almost impossible to break that connection."
"Look, don't you need to break the connection to the physical body so that you can put a piece of soul in another person?" ventured Hermione thoughtfully.
"No, the connection is not broken when the soul splits, in fact, it will destroy a part of the body," said the old man. That statement seemed to have some truth since Lord Voldemort did not look remotely human when he came for him that night, thought Harry.
The rest of the room grew silent at his answer.
"So Lord Voldemort does not know that Harry has a piece of soul in him?" asked Jean.
Hermione grew thoughtful at her mother's words. "Riddle isn't stupid - he won't put a piece of his soul into another body since it might be easily destroyed. Yes, I don't think he even knows of the connection Harry has to him," said Hermione.
"If we could use the link without alerting him, we could gather a lot of intelligence," said Oswald, stroking his chin contemplatively.
"I don't know how to. I'm not even aware of the presence of the link between him and me until Cheng Tze pointed it out" Harry replied. "Though, I would love to find out the faithful servant hiding in Hogwarts."
"Ah, you two have interesting rings." The old man said suddenly, staring at their left hands. "May I?" He asked before waving his hand over their left hands so that the simple gold bands suddenly appeared on their fourth fingers.
"How did you do that?" demanded Hermione, absolutely certain that what the old man would do will not ceased to surprise her. Everyone was equally shocked to see golden rings on their fourth fingers. Jean and Dan had only seen them once - on the day of the wedding when Harry and Hermione exchanged rings. They didn't think they'd worn it this whole time.
"I wield the element of metal," said Cheng Tze. "With enough practice, your element can respond to your wishes like an eager puppy. There is no need for such crude devices to create a bond between your element and you." With another wave of his hand, the rings slipped off their fingers and fell onto the table with soft 'cling'.
Their eyes widened with surprise - Edmund had told them it was charmed never to leave their fingers.
"I believe you were asking me how I removed the charms. I didn't - the charms in the ring are irremovable so I added charms to overcome them temporary," explained Chen Tze. "Let's move on to some basic practices. Harry, why don't you give it a try?" offered the old man patiently. "Try to reach out and connect to the candle flame. When you finally feel it, concentrate what you want it do and believe that it will."
Harry and Hermione exchanged unsure looks with each other. Finally, he climbed onto his feet. Harry walked over to the lighted candle. With an intense frown of concentration on his face, he waved one of his hands over the naked flames. He gingerly tried to reach for the flame and could feel the heat coming from the small flame.
He was perplexed.
What was he exactly suppose to feel?
He cleared his mind of his doubts and uncertainty and tried again. He could feel the warmth of the small flame, as it danced about on the wick. He detected a power that seemed to be resonating from the small harmless flame - an energy that could destroy or save, depending on the will of the user. He felt a sort of enthusiasm from that ball of energy, an eagerness that of a willing worker, waiting to be put to work.
"Try changing its colour, Harry," said Cheng Tze, watching him with interest.
The smoky orange–red flame flickered on the wick a little before flaring in a brilliant green, leaving the rest of the family dumbstruck. An excited smile appeared on his face. It soon transformed into a myriad of colours, at the hand of Harry. Harry finally settled on a blue in the same shade of Hermione's trademark portable waterproof flames.
It was unusually effortless.
Cheng Tze smiled.
"Try sustaining the flame in your hand, Harry," encouraged Cheng Tze.
Harry nodded. He did not faltered for a second as he scooped the flame into his palm easily. The blue flame floated and wavered slightly above his palm. Harry teasingly swiped his friends with the flame and they ducked nimbly.
"We'll get you for that, Harry!" said Susan, her eyes gleaming with amusement, dodging away from the flame.
Harry began to play with the flame - tossing it to and from between his two hands like it was a ball.
"It's enough, Harry," said Cheng Tze. "Your bond is still weak, so you can't sustain it for long."
At that command, the flame on his palm was put off immediately.
"You can take the attributes of a flame too, like producing a lot of heat or providing light," said Cheng Tze, illustrating by hardening his fist so that they would be as hard as steel and punching the wall. The wall crumbled from the impact immediately and he repaired it with a wave of his hand. "Conjure your element," said Cheng Tze, conjuring a thick metal shield from thin air. "Hermione, it's now your turn. Try it. Water is all around you, feel its presence."
"I'll take much long since I'm not as intuitive as Harry," said Hermione, closing her eyes.
There was a frown on her face for a while.
When she finally opened her eyes a few moments later, she was surprised to see a ball of water gathered in her hand. Effortlessly, she shaped the ball of water into a variety of shapes.
She playfully tossed it at Daphne, who ducked and summoned it back with her will, so that it would hit Susan at the back of her head.
There was a squeal when she was wet and the rest of the family dissolved in laughter. Harry good-naturedly dried her, using a drying spell.
The hilarity died after a while.
"What is your purpose in teaching us?" asked Hermione, eying Cheng Tze suspiciously.
He arched one of his white brows in surprise. "I see it as my duty to correct you. It is clear that you are practising ancient magic, no matter how unsophisticated your methods are. Elemental magic, unlike other magic, works better when your bond with the elements is strengthened. You should be working in harmony with or be one with the element. Otherwise, you will require a lot of your magic to force the element into your control, even with your ring which amplifies your control over the element."
"How do you strengthen this link?" asked Harry.
"By getting to know the element better. You can do practices like the exercise you've done just now."
"Can any of us establish this bond with an element?" Amelia questioned curiously.
"I'm afraid not. Their soul bond makes them more receptive to form connection with animal spirits or any one of the five elements, skipping at least thirty years of hard work to develop that sort of awareness." Harry and Hermione slipped on their wedding rings as they spoke at length about the properties of elemental magic.
"If you don't mind, could you please remove the charms you placed on our rings and return our weapons back to us," said Harry.
Cheng Tze did as he requested. They could understand why he didn't like to be in the presence of weapons since he was very in tune with the metal element.
Hermione and Harry transformed their weapons into their original form before changing it back and storing them.
"Cool pistol, Hermione," commented Sirius, grinning.
"We'll speak about it when we return to the hotel tonight," said Amelia sternly, eyeing Harry and Hermione. Cheng Tze stepped between them so that he could speak to Harry.
"Your lesson with me is done, Harry and Hermione. I'm sorry I can't do much about the abomination in you, Harry. However, I have a good friend who would like to meet you. His beliefs are slightly different from mine and he might be able to shed more light," answered Cheng Tze.
"Another Chinese wizard?" questioned Harry.
He smiled as he shook his head. "No, a Javanese Shaman by the name of Tun. I believe it will be an enlightening meeting."
"I've heard that they are well adept in using the spirits to perform magic to harm others." Hermione quipped. "Is that true?"
Cheng Tze gave an indulgent smile. "Magic is like a sword - it can be used to harm or protect, depending on the will of the user. The shaman believes that magic is a gift to communicate and link to the different spirits. Tun firmly believes that magic is a gift he should use to bless others."
"I wouldn't mind meeting him," said Harry. "I would rather only have a soul in my body."
"Wait here, he will be here promptly." answered Cheng Tze, walking into one of the rooms, no doubt to call on his friend.
"You've been keeping a lot of secrets, Pup. I had no idea that you could use elemental magic." Sirius said.
"We discovered that we had a bond to an element when our soul bond was finalised." Harry explained indifferently. "Whatever you learn here, must stay within these walls until further notice."
"Merlin's Beard, it's a lot of information to digest." Sirius admitted, drawing his hand through his hair tiredly. "It doesn't help knowing that Riddle is practically invincible until all his soul is destroyed."
"No, it doesn't help knowing that Harry has a piece of that soul in him," added Jean.
"No, it doesn't. We're not backing out, no matter how tough it is. He is still attempting to kill Harry and he has successfully killed most of our loved ones. We can't let him continue." Oswald declared.
The other adults nodded in agreement.
"There's got to be a way out," said Harry contemplatively. For his and her sake. "We'll just need to find out what it is."
Cheng Tze returned with another man with darker complexion. He didn't look anything extraordinary, in fact Harry wouldn't even notice him in a crowd, yet Harry could feel that there was something different about him. His piercing black eyes swept across them and settled on Sirius. "I'm Tun. You're linked to a spirit of Canis, a big black dog," said Tun, looking at Sirius.
"I guess you could say that. I can take the physical form of a dog." Sirius admitted uneasily.
His attention was fixed on Harry's lightning scar.
"An evil spirit resides here," said Tun, tracing the scar with one of his fingers. Harry had to fight back the urge to shudder from his touch. Suddenly, the Javanese Shaman turned contemplative.
"The price to remove the soul is death and you're not ready," murmured Tun. There was a troubled expression on his face. "This is but a small fragment of his soul. I sense that he has split his soul a few times before this and this is the final piece. You should keep it if you wish to find the others. It tends to attract the other pieces of soul."
"Merlin's beard, a few times?" Oswald declared, scrubbing his face with his hand and it was apparent that he knew about certain dark rituals. His family had always bordered on the darker side of magic, thus making him more aware.
"What do you know about it?" asked Amelia.
"There are certain dark rituals to divide the soul. I've heard of them briefly. How would a person Lord Voldermort get his hands on such information? They are well kept secrets of the dark ancient families."
"Yeah, the access to those libraries is limited." Sirius answered with a look of confusion. "Even I've never had the permission to enter that library when I was young."
"Well, he's an heir of Slytherin through his mother's side," said Harry, remembering the brief conversation he had with the memory of Riddle.
Oswald looked distressed at the declaration. "Merlin's Beard, he's one of us."
A/N: Hi for the wonderful reviews. I'm sorry for the long delay and I bet you didn't see this one coming. I know some of you were looking forward to a Christmas with Krum but I felt that the four ancient families just needed thee time together. It's really fun writing this chapter since I took the chance to experience these areas myself. The information is historically accurate and I kept it in the timeline so you don't have the newer attractions in Singapore.
Have a blessed week.
Just a little information about Southeast Asia
It consist of countries like Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar ( Burma), Cambodia, Thailand, The Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, East Timor and Indonesia and they are located South-east of China.
All countries except Thailand was once colonised.