7. The Reunion begins.
"Are you two ready yet?" Ron complained.
"Nearly." Sirius said, packing some more things into the bag he was taking. When Ron had asked about the bag he'd been given the gruff response that it was all merely precautionary.
The three of them were apparating to Hogsmeade, where buses would be waiting to take people to the school.
"It's a pity that Charlie can't get back for the reunion." Harry said to Ron as they waited for Sirius.
"I know. He wanted to of course, but they've been having problems over there and he can't really afford to leave. Besides I think his wife is getting nervous about the baby. Which reminds me, I heard from Fred the other day, and I don't think Ginny is going to be the only one getting married this year!"
"Fred's getting married?" Harry asked, trying to imagine it.
"Well he didn't say so as such of course, but he hinted at it." Ron said, and then Sirius stood up ready to go.
"What are we waiting for? Let's get going, otherwise Lupin will be wondering where we are." Sirius said. Harry and Ron grinned at each other.
*****
Hogsmeade had probably never seen so many people converge on it at the one time, Harry thought with a grin. He spotted a few familiar faces, and then he nudged Ron. "Look it's Neville!" Neville Longbottom had been a member of Griffyindoor with the two boys, and Hermoine. He was something of a klutz, and had a terrible memory, but nonetheless he ended up proving himself!
Neville spotted them both at the same time and hurried over, nearly tripping over his shoelaces as he did so. "Ron! Harry!" He said. "How great to see you both!"
"It's good to see you too Neville. It's good to see some things never change also." Harry replied, glancing at Neville's undone shoelaces.
"What have you been up to?" Neville asked. "I've been working for the England Quidditch team the last five years in a management role. It's hectic at the moment with the next world cup coming up. And holding it in Ireland of all places!" He shook his head.
Harry grinned. "It should be good though. I work for the Ministry of Magic in the Misuse of Magic department. Ron's in the Muggle department."
"I was speaking to Dean before-did you know he opened up his own shop in Quidditch supplies? He wanted to know whether I could get him a good deal on any England memorabilia." Neville grinned. Dean Thomas had been another of the four Griffyindoor boys in their year. The fourth, Seamus Finnigan, currently lived over in Ireland, and wasn't coming to the reunion.
"Have you seen any of my family?" Ron asked.
"Fred and George caught the bus before you arrived. They gave me this.." He held out a sweet. "But I was too scared to try it."
Ron grinned. "Good idea. They never actually opened up their joke shop, but it doesn't mean they don't spend their spare time inventing things-and hiding it from Percy! He's still the same old stick in the mud. Poor Harry has the misfortune to be working under him!"
"What do they do then?" Neville asked.
"Both work for the Ministry in the magical inventions department, if you could imagine it!" Ron replied. "A hazard if there ever was one."
"I heard Hermoine is working at Hogwarts. DADA teacher!" Neville said, impressed. "She always was very smart."
"Sometimes too smart." Ron muttered darkly. Harry knew that Ron had received an owl from Hermoine the other day saying that she thought the two of them needed to talk, but Ron had not replied. "Forget it!" He told Harry. "She'll probably just give me a lecture!"
"Here's the bus!" Harry said, changing the subject gratefully. "We better jump on quickly."
They got on the bus, and seated themselves. Harry glanced around. There seemed to be Griffyindoors, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws, but there were no Slytherins. He pointed this out in a low tone to Ron, who looked around and nodded.
"You're right. Maybe they aren't coming!" He suggested hopefully.
"Malfoy miss a chance to brag about what a big shot he has become since school? I don't think so!" Harry replied. He noticed his godfather, and Lupin seated up near the front deep in conversation, and frowned. The way they were acting made him slightly nervous, as if they expected something was going to happen at the reunion.
"I can't wait for the feast. I've not been to a feast like Hogwarts ones since we left!" Neville said, and Ron laughed.
"You'll have to compete with Fred and George remember?" He reminded his friend.
"Oh I'm sure there will be plenty to go round." Neville replied. "Hey Harry- I forgot to ask you, do you know whether Hagrid will be there?"
Harry shook his head. Despite his promise to keep in touch with the gamekeeper he hadn't really. The last he heard Hagrid was over in France with Madame Maxine, and they had two children. Harry had laughed at the thought of two giant children! "I shouldn't think so."
The bus arrived at Hogwarts and they all got off. Suddenly Harry felt himself being tapped on the shoulder and he turned around, and then turned bright red.
"Cho..how are you?" He managed. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Ron and Neville grinning.
"Not too bad." Cho Chang replied. "How are you?"
"Not too bad either." Harry replied.
"So, what do you do with yourself?" Cho asked.
"Do?" Harry asked.
"For work?" Cho explained. "I saw you playing Quidditch once before your knee problem. I wanted to come over and congratulate you, but I thought I'd just look like a groupie or something!"
"You should have come over!" Harry told her. "I work for the Ministry at the moment-in the misuse of magic department. What about you?"
"I actually work as a legal advisor to witches and wizards who have gotten themselves in trouble with the law in the muggle world. The muggles have a very weird legal system you know! It's so complicated, so they need someone to help them out there!" Cho explained.
"Interesting." Harry replied.
"Um, Harry, don't you think we should get inside?" Ron asked, and Harry realized his friends were still standing there waiting.
"Oh sure. It was nice to see you again Cho." Harry said.
"Yes, it was nice to see you too. I don't suppose you want to do something one night? I'm living in London at the moment, and you work there right?" Cho asked.
"I live there too." Harry replied, and then he felt Ron nudge him. "Sure, I'd love to do something sometime!"
"Great!" Cho replied, brightly, and then she went off to see some of her other classmates, and Harry, Ron and Neville entered the hallway.
"Harry has a date. About time." Ron said.
"It's not a date." Harry muttered embarrassed.
"It could be if you wanted it to be. I saw the way Cho was looking at you. The famous Harry Potter scores again!" Ron teased.
"When you work out your own love-life then you can tease me!" Harry told him, and Ron frowned. Then they noticed Hermoine waving to them, and hurried over to her.
"Are you two ready yet?" Ron complained.
"Nearly." Sirius said, packing some more things into the bag he was taking. When Ron had asked about the bag he'd been given the gruff response that it was all merely precautionary.
The three of them were apparating to Hogsmeade, where buses would be waiting to take people to the school.
"It's a pity that Charlie can't get back for the reunion." Harry said to Ron as they waited for Sirius.
"I know. He wanted to of course, but they've been having problems over there and he can't really afford to leave. Besides I think his wife is getting nervous about the baby. Which reminds me, I heard from Fred the other day, and I don't think Ginny is going to be the only one getting married this year!"
"Fred's getting married?" Harry asked, trying to imagine it.
"Well he didn't say so as such of course, but he hinted at it." Ron said, and then Sirius stood up ready to go.
"What are we waiting for? Let's get going, otherwise Lupin will be wondering where we are." Sirius said. Harry and Ron grinned at each other.
*****
Hogsmeade had probably never seen so many people converge on it at the one time, Harry thought with a grin. He spotted a few familiar faces, and then he nudged Ron. "Look it's Neville!" Neville Longbottom had been a member of Griffyindoor with the two boys, and Hermoine. He was something of a klutz, and had a terrible memory, but nonetheless he ended up proving himself!
Neville spotted them both at the same time and hurried over, nearly tripping over his shoelaces as he did so. "Ron! Harry!" He said. "How great to see you both!"
"It's good to see you too Neville. It's good to see some things never change also." Harry replied, glancing at Neville's undone shoelaces.
"What have you been up to?" Neville asked. "I've been working for the England Quidditch team the last five years in a management role. It's hectic at the moment with the next world cup coming up. And holding it in Ireland of all places!" He shook his head.
Harry grinned. "It should be good though. I work for the Ministry of Magic in the Misuse of Magic department. Ron's in the Muggle department."
"I was speaking to Dean before-did you know he opened up his own shop in Quidditch supplies? He wanted to know whether I could get him a good deal on any England memorabilia." Neville grinned. Dean Thomas had been another of the four Griffyindoor boys in their year. The fourth, Seamus Finnigan, currently lived over in Ireland, and wasn't coming to the reunion.
"Have you seen any of my family?" Ron asked.
"Fred and George caught the bus before you arrived. They gave me this.." He held out a sweet. "But I was too scared to try it."
Ron grinned. "Good idea. They never actually opened up their joke shop, but it doesn't mean they don't spend their spare time inventing things-and hiding it from Percy! He's still the same old stick in the mud. Poor Harry has the misfortune to be working under him!"
"What do they do then?" Neville asked.
"Both work for the Ministry in the magical inventions department, if you could imagine it!" Ron replied. "A hazard if there ever was one."
"I heard Hermoine is working at Hogwarts. DADA teacher!" Neville said, impressed. "She always was very smart."
"Sometimes too smart." Ron muttered darkly. Harry knew that Ron had received an owl from Hermoine the other day saying that she thought the two of them needed to talk, but Ron had not replied. "Forget it!" He told Harry. "She'll probably just give me a lecture!"
"Here's the bus!" Harry said, changing the subject gratefully. "We better jump on quickly."
They got on the bus, and seated themselves. Harry glanced around. There seemed to be Griffyindoors, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws, but there were no Slytherins. He pointed this out in a low tone to Ron, who looked around and nodded.
"You're right. Maybe they aren't coming!" He suggested hopefully.
"Malfoy miss a chance to brag about what a big shot he has become since school? I don't think so!" Harry replied. He noticed his godfather, and Lupin seated up near the front deep in conversation, and frowned. The way they were acting made him slightly nervous, as if they expected something was going to happen at the reunion.
"I can't wait for the feast. I've not been to a feast like Hogwarts ones since we left!" Neville said, and Ron laughed.
"You'll have to compete with Fred and George remember?" He reminded his friend.
"Oh I'm sure there will be plenty to go round." Neville replied. "Hey Harry- I forgot to ask you, do you know whether Hagrid will be there?"
Harry shook his head. Despite his promise to keep in touch with the gamekeeper he hadn't really. The last he heard Hagrid was over in France with Madame Maxine, and they had two children. Harry had laughed at the thought of two giant children! "I shouldn't think so."
The bus arrived at Hogwarts and they all got off. Suddenly Harry felt himself being tapped on the shoulder and he turned around, and then turned bright red.
"Cho..how are you?" He managed. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Ron and Neville grinning.
"Not too bad." Cho Chang replied. "How are you?"
"Not too bad either." Harry replied.
"So, what do you do with yourself?" Cho asked.
"Do?" Harry asked.
"For work?" Cho explained. "I saw you playing Quidditch once before your knee problem. I wanted to come over and congratulate you, but I thought I'd just look like a groupie or something!"
"You should have come over!" Harry told her. "I work for the Ministry at the moment-in the misuse of magic department. What about you?"
"I actually work as a legal advisor to witches and wizards who have gotten themselves in trouble with the law in the muggle world. The muggles have a very weird legal system you know! It's so complicated, so they need someone to help them out there!" Cho explained.
"Interesting." Harry replied.
"Um, Harry, don't you think we should get inside?" Ron asked, and Harry realized his friends were still standing there waiting.
"Oh sure. It was nice to see you again Cho." Harry said.
"Yes, it was nice to see you too. I don't suppose you want to do something one night? I'm living in London at the moment, and you work there right?" Cho asked.
"I live there too." Harry replied, and then he felt Ron nudge him. "Sure, I'd love to do something sometime!"
"Great!" Cho replied, brightly, and then she went off to see some of her other classmates, and Harry, Ron and Neville entered the hallway.
"Harry has a date. About time." Ron said.
"It's not a date." Harry muttered embarrassed.
"It could be if you wanted it to be. I saw the way Cho was looking at you. The famous Harry Potter scores again!" Ron teased.
"When you work out your own love-life then you can tease me!" Harry told him, and Ron frowned. Then they noticed Hermoine waving to them, and hurried over to her.
