Not-Chapter 7: Omake
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A/N: I've been having PC problems lately and had to do a full reinstall of my system, so I couldn't write or edit a full chapter for this week.
To make up for the lack of a chapter, some views from the rest of Britain :)
Omake = "extra or bonus". For this story that means the snippets may not actually be canon, you'll see in the upcoming chapters which are and which are not.
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Tonks' flat, London
'Droma' Tonks hadn't heard from her daughter in a few days, not in itself that unusual, but usually her daughter would at least send a note about her new love interest by owl.
'Could she really have gone for the Potter boy?' Droma thought to herself. Deciding to check for herself, she apparated to Bethnal Green late that afternoon.
She and Ted both had a key to Nymphadora's flat, 'just in case', so she let herself in... and found herself stopped by an unfamiliar House Elf in the small entrance hallway.
"Who is yous? The Master and Mistress is not being ready for guests," the diminutive being spoke.
"I am Andromeda Tonks, Nymphadora's mother. Who are you Elf? My daughter didn't tell me she had bonded one," Droma said in a stern tone. Her parents had had House Elfs, but she and Ted had never taken one into bondage. Ted felt it was wrong somehow.
"I is being Dobby, servant to The Great and Powerful Master Harry Potter Sir," the Elf said proudly.
"Oh... so Harry Potter is in here with my daughter?" Droma got a smile on her face.
"Master Great Harry Potter Sir is making little wizards with Miss Just-Call-Me-Tonks," Dobby nodded. "Should Dobby tell Master Great Harry Potter Sir and Miss Just-Call-Me-Tonks Madam that Miss Just-Call-Me-Tonks Madam's mother is being here?"
"Making little wizards?" Droma raised an eyebrow, then let out a small laugh. "Oh no Dobby, don't interrupt them! Just tell my daughter that she and her beau are expected for tea this weekend."
"Dobby is tellings them later... they is makings a lot of noise now," the Elf apologized. Laughing softly, Droma left.
–-
Privet Drive, Little Whinging
"I say Pet, the Boy has been rather quiet," Vernon mused as he was reading his newspaper. The Dursleys had arrived back home the previous day to find their home as they had left it, and the Boy had been in his room.
Petunia snorted, "As long as the Freak doesn't bother us, I say we let him be. The last thing I want is tongues wagging about how sad he looks."
"Quite right Pet, quite right. Shows how rotten that branch of your family is, if you don't mind me saying. Now Dudley, that is a fine young lad!"
Up the stairs, in Harry's room, the simulacrum was staring at a wall. It had limited intelligence and only a vague copy of the real Harry's memories, but looking at the plaster felt nice.
In the back garden, Sturgis Podmore hid under an invisibility cloak. As far as Order assignments went, this one wasn't too bad: all he had to do was check on the Dursley home and see if anything was going on. And other than the whale, giraffe, and baby hippo returning, everything was fine. Harry stayed in his room, and no other wizards or witches were anywhere near.
A few streets of Wisteria Walk was a small park, which once had been a nice place to play for the children of Little Whinging. Dudley Dursley and his gang were currently in the process of breaking the last swing into pieces. Just as Dudley got a nice kick in that splintered the wood, Piers called over: the joint he had been rolling was ready.
–-
Bones Manor, Yorkshire
Amelia had a rare day off, and was catching up with Susan. Susan's best friend Hannah was staying over as well.
"Susan, I was hoping Hannah and you could tell me about the end of your school years so far," Amelia asked the girls.
"What do you want to hear auntie?"
"Just what happened at school, as far as you know."
"Oh, well as I recall, first year ended with the snakes winning the House Cup, but at the last moment Professor Dumbledore gave an immense number of House Points to his favourite Gryffindors for no reason," Susan offered.
"They were dead last before, but ended up winning. Sure, they beat Slytherin, but it was hardly fair," Hannah added.
"I see. Didn't they explain why?"
"No, just some vague stuff about 'a good chess game', and 'bravery'," Susan recalled. "Other than that, not much I can think of. Unless you count Professor Quirrell disappearing."
"And he was never found," Amelia nodded. "And your second year?"
"Well, there was the whole Chamber and Heir thing, as I wrote in my letters," Susan looked over at Hannah.
"We thought Harry Potter was the Heir for a bit, as he turned out to be a Parselmouth, but then that Granger bint got petrified, and we know Harry'd never hurt a friend. Did we ever apologize to him for that Susie?"
Susan winced, "No... anyway auntie, Professor Dumbledore got suspended, then we heard a student had gone missing, but the next morning Professor Dumbledore was back, and the year ended as normal."
"Except that Professor Lockhart was taken to the hospital," Hannah added.
"Yes, he's still in St. Mungo's," Amelia checked with her notes. "And third year?"
"Susan got her first kiss," Hannah blurted out.
"Hannah!"
"Oh? Was it that Macmillan boy?" Amelia said with a smile.
"Erm... yes..." Susan blushed, so Hannah took up the tale. "Other than that, that mass murderer Sirius Black apparently was in the school, although nobody outside Gryffindor ever saw him. There was some trouble with the Dementors," both girls shuddered, "and they nearly killed Cedric and Harry during the Hufflepuff-Gryffindor Quidditch match."
"Oh, and at the end of the year the rumours said Professor Snape had rescued Harry Potter and his two friends from Sirius Black and a werewolf, but nobody had any details," Susan offered. "At the closing feast Professor Lupin was gone, and they said in the train that he had been the werewolf and had helped Black escape."
"Who said that?" Amelia asked.
"The Head Boy, Percy Weasley," Hannah recalled. "Not sure where he got his info from."
"And fourth year?"
"Well there was the tournament, and the Yule Ball," Susan and Hannah both got dreamy smiles as they remembered the magical dance. "Harry cheated somehow and got into the tournament, and actually did very well."
"Cedric was great though," Hannah said in a sad tone.
Susan nodded, and continued, "The tasks were a bit boring other than the first one. We sat at the lake for over an hour and saw nothing, and the third task we were just looking at a maze. There was a lot of panic when Harry returned with Cedric de– dead..." she trailed off.
"That was horrible," Hannah shuddered. "The rest was confusing. Professor Dumbledore said Cedric had been murdered by You-Know-Who and that Harry had fought him off, and then Professor Moody was suddenly in St. Mungos, and everybody was scared and confused."
"The Prophet says Harry and Professor Dumbledore are liars," Susan stated. "Aunty, do you know the truth?"
"Not yet girls, but I'm starting to find out," Amelia took out her monocle and rubbed it. "Be careful though. There are many signs Harry may be telling the truth.
"Now, why don't you two go to the back garden and work on your tan? Susan, you want Eddie to be drooling over you when you get back, don't you?"
Susan's face suddenly got as red as her hair.
–-
Grimauld Place, London
Ronald Weasley had overheard his twin brothers earlier that summer:
"Oi Fred, got into Angelina's knickers yet?"
"Not yet George, but she'll give up her charms to this wizard soon enough," Fred had laughed. "How about you, any luck with Alicia yet?"
"A gentlewizard never tells, but I did get to see the treasure she has in hers," George had boasted. Sadly Ronald had not gotten any more information as then was when his mother had found him listening at his brothers' door, and had set him to work.
It was not fair that girls got to hide treasure in their underthings! He had never had more than two Knuts to rub together, and now he found out that all girls got stuff for free!
Two weeks ago he had almost found Hermione's, he was sure. He had been rummaging through her trunk to find what she was hiding, but only found her bras so far. What she used them for puzzled him, so he had been trying out how to wear one when his mother had come in the girls' room. Apparently it was not allowed for him to wear Hermione's bra on his head, but how else was he supposed to find out if they could serve as ear muffs!
And last week he had been caught again. He had been trying to get back in Hermione's trunk, but she had locked it somehow. And the bloody unlocking spell wouldn't work, no matter how hard he yelled 'Open the door-a'! Come to think of it, all that yelling might have been how he got caught...
But this time he would not fail. While cleaning the house he had found a knife, and now here he was back in the girls' room, and used it to pry open the lock to Hermione's trunk. Revealed before him were her clothes, the treasure would be his! Ron reached for her clothes to move them out of the way and reveal her knickers... but as soon as his hands reached inside, he was blasted straight up in the air, and stuck to the ceiling of the room.
A loud noise started from the trunk: "Panty raid in progress! Panty raid in progress!"
Ron didn't need to be a genius to know he was in deep trouble now.
–-
"Thank you boys," Hermione beamed at the twins. The new alarm system they had designed for her had worked perfectly: Ron was now stuck cleaning up the attic room that doubled as the hippogryff's pen, after an hour long screaming rant by Molly, and Arthur had promised him a long chat after Ron was ready with his first of many tasks.
"Our pleasure Hermione,"
"And we really don't want that git,"
"We unfortunately have for a brother,"
"To make you think all Weasley men are pigs," the twins said in tandem.
"Honestly, I don't know what got into him," Hermione grumbled. "Why on earth is he so intent on getting in my trunk?"
"Well..."
"That is to say..."
"It's not that strange,"
"Not really..."
"Oh? Why on earth not?" Hermione sounded intrigued.
The twins looked at each other, and communicated silently.
"Hermione Granger,"
"Our brother may have only realised it recently,"
"But to some of us it's always been clear you're a girl."
"And not just any girl..."
"But a girl any bloke would be lucky to be dating,"
"We just failed to teach him how to properly woo you."
"Woo me?" Hermione blinked twice. "You are making fun of me, aren't you? There's no way any boy'd be interested in me like... that."
"For such as supposedly smart witch,"
"You sure can say the stupidest things," the twins said in a soft tone.
"Oh this is just perfect," Hermione rolled her eyes. "As if it's not enough Ronald keeps trying to get his paws on my clothes, now I have you two make fun of me as well? Honestly, are all men in this family disgusting pigs? I really should – Hmmhf!"
Her rant was broken as one of the twins' lips met hers. Hermione stiffened, but after just a slight hesitation relaxed, being held by the one brother as the other kissed her still. Finally he let go.
"Oh... wow..." Hermione softly brushed her hand over her lips.
"You're an amazing kisser... and a seriously sexy young woman," Fred-or-George said in a serious tone for once. "Any bloke that you decide to let close will be a lucky one."
"Just open your eyes and accept it Hermione," the other twin said, walking around her. "Merlin I'd love to see if you and I could work myself, but Angelina and I are getting serious..."
"And I apologize for kissing you out of the blue, but I just had to do it," the first twin said with a smile on his face. "If I weren't trying to date Alicia, I'd go for you in a heartbeat Miss Granger."
Hermione stared after the two as they left her room, feeling more confused than she'd ever been in her life.
–-
Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire
Snape rushed up the stairs to the Master Bedroom, Potion flask in hand.
"I'm here Master," he breathed out as he rushed through the doors. Propped up in the Malfoys' bed was the Dark Lord Voldemort, looking miserable. Narcissa Malfoy stood by the bed acting as a nurse, and was keeping his head cool with wet cloth.
"Did you bring me Headache Potions Severus?" Voldemort weakly asked.
"Yes Master, the strongest ones I can brew. May I?"
Voldemort nodded, and Snape poured the one he had been holding down the not-so-impressive-looking Dark Lord's throat.
"Severus... I know this is Potter's doing," Voldemort said in a weak tone. "He has found a way to turn our connection against me... I've been feeling immense pain through it for the past fortnight. You will find a way to sever the link for me..."
"Yes my master," Snape bowed. "If that will be all?"
"Leave me," Voldemort whined. As Snape got out of the room he couldn't help but compare Voldemort to his godson Draco... both seemed to be little more than whiny brats at the moment.