Harry Jr. and the Ministry's Secret Chapter 02 Disclaimer: I don't own J.K. Rowling's characters, locations, or ideas.

A/N: Thanks for all of the helpful reviews! follow that monkey!, remember that Arthur and Molly Weasley had eight kids, too. Also, if you've read Relic of Power, then the "breeding like rabbits" thing makes more sense. (Not that you need to read R of P to understand this story).


Chapter 2: The Hogwarts Express

"Quiet everybody, Mum's talking," said Harry James Potter, II urgently.

Harry's seven siblings all hushed up and turned their attention to the television screen.

Harry quickly scanned the room around him from his perch on the right arm of a long, brown, leather couch. The Blacks' living room was high on accomodations, partly because the couple expected to baby-sit the Potter children nearly everyday. The light blue carpet was vacuumed every afternoon after the Potters were picked up. There was a fragrant odor of varnish from the shining wood table on which the children had their toys and the homework that their teachers, their parents, had assigned.

Harry met the smiling eye of one of his role models, Sirius Black. Sirius's intelligence and energy made him a wonderful story-teller, and the stories he told of daring escapades and triumphs over Dark wizards fascinated all of the children. Harry Jr., usually called just plain "Junior", and his siblings never knew their grandparents, and so they were constantly interrogating Sirius as to what James and Lily were like. They didn't hesitate, knowing that Sirius loved to reminisce on those days at Hogwarts.

Sirius' wife, Katie Smith Black, was the sensible one in the couple. She made sure that the children ate reasonably and severely restricted their television watching. Watching this conference was one of the exceptions.

Harry watched his mother on the television screen. She carried herself the same way as she always did and spoke quite eloquently. Of course, she was speaking on a matter that she understood well--wizarding medicine. Cho had been teaching Transfiguration at Hogwarts since the retirement of Professor McGonagall, but Junior's Mum also was a skilled physician in the case of emergencies that Madame Pomfrey, the school nurse, couldn't handle on her own. Her main qualities were showing on the television screen: her intelligence, patience, and gregariousness.

Hermione Weasley began to field some questions. Harry considered Hermione a great friend who often seemed impatient to give advice, but who could be a great listener when she made the effort. The brilliance had clearly been passed down to Hermione's daughter Jenny, a friend of Junior's, but Harry actually found Jenny irritatingly condescending at times.

"Mrs. Weasley," came a voice with a heavy Russian accent from offscreen, and the camera centered on a black-bearded man. "You have all mentioned something called Defense Against the Dark Arts, and I was wondering if you could explain exactly what this discipline entails," the man said.

"Er, yes," said Hermione slowly. She looked offscreen, apparently across the room, and nodded at someone. "Yes, that sounds like a question for Harry Potter," she said.

Suddenly, the sound of whispers appeared to fill the room, and some of the children were now leaning on the edge of the couch.

"That's Daddy," whispered four-year old Maggie Potter excitedly.

"Harry . . Harry Potter?" echoed the questioner uncertainly.

"Yes," said a voice that Harry recognized to be his father's. "My name is Harry Potter, and I teach Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts school." He winked across the room, and Harry knew the wink was towards Hermione. "I'd be happy to answer your question."

Harry and his siblings listened half-heartedly to the content of their father's speech, focusing mostly on the reactions of the crowd. Cameras flashed from all around the room. After Harry Sr. concluded his summary, he was assailled with various questions from people who Junior knew could only be Muggles. Questions about his battle with Voldemort, and his days at Hogwarts, and various others.

"Does anyone want something to eat?" asked an eight-year old Bobby Potter. "I was going to get some potato chips."

"Let me do that, dear," Harry heard Katie Black say. And she must have smiled to Bobby before Junior heard her leave the living room to get some chips for them.

Harry was thinking about his Dad: so confident, strong, and noble--not to mention still madly in love with Cho. Please, no more siblings, he thought suddenly. He only wished that he could someday accomplish at least half of what his father had.

An hour later, there was a sea of unintelligible voices, the people on the TV screen rose, and some music emanated from the television speakers; there was evidently a break in the talks for lunch, and a series of commercials began.

"Everybody into the kitchen," said Sirius merrily. The children got up stiffly, Junior turned the TV off with a remote, and they all started chatting away about what they had just seen and heard.

***

The Potter kids and the Blacks enjoyed a hearty lunch. The kitchen table was round and solid oak, with a thick, white tablecloth, fine china plates, and metal silverwear. The Potters didn't have so many luxuries at home, so they took advantage of their options. Sirius was already slicing the ham when the children entered. Harry sat next to Sirius, and Sirius handed him plates with slices of ham to pass around.

Bobby sat next to Harry, Emily next to Bobby, and the other children sat around the table in a random order.

After everyone had a piece of ham and some potatoes, they said grace. It was coincidentally seven-year old Grace Potter's turn to lead, and before she did, her siblings playfully teased her about it. "I like my name," she said in a dignified tone, and then she went on to lead. After that, everybody began to eat.

In all the conversation, the boys marveled at the scale of it all. "All the important people were there," said Bobby. Several siblings mouthed their agreement.

Ten-year old Emily Potter had seemed a bit distracted throughout. "Sirius," she finally said, "why can't they just treat our parents like regular people?" She looked at her caretaker apprehensively.

"The Muggles need to gradually get used to our world, Emily," said Sirius patiently. "They've all heard of Harry Potter, if they've heard of anybody. So they'll learn about our world through learning about him."

"Why don't they just read the history books?" asked Grace impatiently. "It's all there. Or better yet, they could read Harry, Ron, and Hermione's series about what really happened."

"Gracie," began nine-year old Jessica Potter, "they want to hear it from the man in person."

"I know Jes," said Harry with resignation. "But you know that Dad doesn't want all this attention." Junior washed down some ham with a gulp of orange juice. He was just as frustrated as they, but he knew they couldn't do much about it.

"So Harry J.," began six-year old Thomas Potter, "where do you think you'll be sorted?"

Harry appreciated the change of subject, and Sirius was apparently relieved, too, based on his facial expression.

"Sorted to," said Emily. Everyone looked at her. "Sorry," she said.

Harry looked back at Thomas. "Er, Gryffindor I guess, Tommy. If not, then maybe Ravenclaw," he said and shrugged. He didn't think much of it.

"That's what I would think, Junior," said Emily matter-of-factly, "especially since Dad's the heir of Gryffindor and Mum might be the heir of Ravenclaw." She looked around. "Well, that's what Lindsay McCourt said at least," she added sheepishly. (A/N: see Relic of Power for more details).

Katie nodded respectfully. "I wonder if the Sorting Hat will tell you whether you really are a dual heir, Harry, " she said.

"Hmm. . . " said Bobby. "They can't very well place him in two houses," he said.

That's obvious, thought Harry. No one pointed it out, though, and he would be the last one to do so. Bobby was his closest sibling, and he would miss him along with the others. He looked around. Katie was helping out Maggie and her three-year old brother Joey with their food. Emily was secretly reading a book; the Blacks discouraged reading at the table during mealtimes. She looked up at him suddenly and put a finger to her lips. Harry flashed her a mischievous smile.

***

The conference had resumed long before the Potters and the Blacks returned to the table.

"Though it is beneficial to learn from the success of the past," Professor Snape was saying as the children took their seats on the couch and the Blacks stood behind the couch to watch, "it is imperative that we maintain constant vigilance in the case that another Dark wizard takes the place of Voldemort in the present."

***

Harry was reading while sitting on the floor with the others when he heard the doorbell ring. It was the middle of the afternoon, and the conference had ended a few hours ago. Harry and the others rushed happily to the door, but Sirius had already opened it. Harry Sr. and Cho had arrived to pick up their litter, which always made the Blacks feel relieved. Harry turned around to see, as usual, that potato chips and pop cans were scattered all over the living room--especially the silk carpet.

***

Harry finally arrived with his family at Platform 9 3/4. Though Harry's parents taught at Hogwarts school, they preferred to live in Godric's Hollow and fly to work every morning. That way, the Potter children would have to take the train to get to school, which Harry's parents had assured them would be a rewarding experience.

Harry saw Jenny Weasley and William Malfoy talking on the platform, and made his way over to them. "Hi Jenny and Will," said Harry brightly.

They turned around and greeted him merrily. They had known each other for their whole lives; though they only saw each other at most once a week, they wrote often.

They had recently seen each other, though. The three families met together at Diagon Alley the previous week to buy supplies for the children. The parents talked incessantly--even Ron had found time to be there with them--while the children bought books, wands, cauldrons, and other necessities. Harry's wand at Fluorish and Blotts turned out to measure 7.2 inches, have a core of Holly, and it contained the feather of an Antarctic dove. That was interesting, considering his mother's Animagus form. Also, Harry's friends Jenny and Will had "been selected by" longer wands, with phoenix feather at the heart of Jenny's and Chinese Fireball whisker at the heart of Will's.

"Aren't you excited?" asked Jenny, and it was obvious that at least she was.

"Of course I am!" exclaimed Harry. He looked back at his family suddenly, and let them talk a bit with his friends.

***

"Goodbye," said Harry as he waved to his family and the Blacks, and they waved back and said the same, his sisters and parents saying it in much more affectionate terms.

Harry boarded the red train from Platform 9 3/4 with his eleven-year old friends Jenny Weasley and William Malfoy, his caged owl Hedwig Jr., and an overstuffed suitcase. He and his freads heard the whistle of the train a few minutes before it ascended into the air to take them and a thousand other students to Hogwarts.

***

They found a compartment with a few other students and made the acquaintance of Charles Chapman, Melissa Thompson, and Julie White.

Charles was a rather scrawny, shy boy who smiled easily and said little. His parents were both Muggles, and though the prejudice against "Mudbloods" had only the fraction of strength it had in the previous generation, he felt truly embarrassed of his parentage.

"Don't be ashamed of it," said Julie sympathetically. She was a stunningly pretty pure-blood with straight, shiny black hair that ran down her back. "Look at Jenny's Mum. Hermione Granger is one of Hogwart's most illustrious graduates."

Charles smiled weakly, and the encouragement of Harry and Jenny wasn't even enough to make him much happier.

"Leave him be," whispered Will to Harry, and Harry decided that the advice made sense at this juncture.

Another new acauantaince, Melissa, was quite excited with the opportunity to meet the children of such famous parents. "How does it feel to know that your Dad saved the world?" she asked Harry enthusiastically.

"Multiple times," added Will quickly.

"Er," said Harry. "It feels good," he said, not knowing what to say really.

"Did you see the conference a few weeks ago?" asked Will to everybody else.

"Your parents and mine attended," said Jenny to Harry.

Harry nodded. "I saw it on the television." Everyone else said they had seen it as well.

"Your Mums are real pretty," said Melissa to Harry and Jenny.

"Thanks," said Jenny awkwardly. Harry awkwardly echoed Jenny's words a second later.

For no good reason, Harry's eyes turned to watch Jenny. She was talking animatedly with Julie, and so she didn't notice. Jenny's features weren't as striking as Hermione's. Jenny had brown eyes, a small jaw, and brown, bushy hair. She was also taller than Harry was by three inches or so.

Melissa's eyes lit up and she suddenly turned to Will, who had been staring out the window at the clouds. "Will!" she exclaimed. He turned around, startled. "Aren't your parents Draco and Ginny Malfoy?"

"Er, yes," said Will. He certainly looked like a blend of the two movie stars. He was taller than average, with light hair and fair complexion. Harry realized, oddly, that Will's ears looked much like Ginny's.

"What's your favorite movie that your parents have done?" asked Melissa eagerly.

"Um, I don't like romances much," said Will quickly. All of the girls started to tease him about it as they tried to pry an answer out of him. "Okay, okay," he said. "'A Night in Paris' or 'Chocolate Soup'."

The girls burst into laughter. Jenny was pointing at him with her right hand and muffling her laughter with her left. "You like 'Chocolate Soup'? You?? That's the fluffiest one of them all!"

Will looked at Harry, who was trying to contain himself. Help me out, is what Will's facial expression said to Harry. Harry sighed. Will would owe him for this. "I like 'Chocolate Soup' as well," he said loudly, trying to be convincing.

The girls stopped laughing for a second with eyes bulging out of their sockets, and then they erupted into hysterics, pointing at both him and Will. Harry's mood brightened though, despite the color rising in his face, because he saw that Charles Chapman was chuckling quietly.

***

They were still talking after half an hour. "Do you like Quidditch, Harry?" asked Julie. She seemed to be awfully interested in him, but Harry rather enjoyed her attention. She was quite pretty, he thought to himself. "Of course you do," she added quickly. "Your parents broke records. I hope to play for the school."

Well, Cho didn't exactly break records, but Harry Sr. had obviously gone undefeated save his loss to Cedric Diggory, which everyone admitted wasn't a true loss. Cho had almost beaten Harry Sr. a few times, but Sirius had joked that it was just because Harry Sr. couldn't keep his eyes off her in the last few years.

"So do I," said Jenny Weasley enthusiastically. Harry and Will suddenly turned their heads towards her.

"You do?" said Will incredulously. "How come you never told us?"

"Because I've just decided," Jenny said a bit quickly. A stray lock of hair fell in front of her face, and she brushed it away angrily with the back of her hand.

On that note, the Hogwarts Express stopped at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

***

A/N: I'll speed up the pace in the following chapters. As far as answering how Harry Sr. beat Voldemort, Hawk Eyed Reviewer, I guess that's for another time.

Yes, this was influenced a bit by Alicia/Sue's An Unlikely Coven.

Can anyone think of a cool nickname for Harry, Jr. so that I don't have to say Harry Sr. every time I mention his Dad? Or should I just refer to Harry, Jr. as "Junior"? I know it sounds a bit like Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, but rest assured that Harry, Sr. and Harry, Jr. won't be riding off into the sunset on horseback at the end.