Summer Surprises

Chapter 18

They all trudged through the dark house down to the kitchen. Lee-Lee kept correcting them as they went. "No, wight, no, weft."

When they entered the kitchen Harry was shocked to see Mrs. Weasley handing a bowl full of potatoes to a rather plump looking house elf. The elf looked around and noticing them, levitated the potatoes onto the table.

Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Figg, Bill, Remus and Alex were already seated at the table. "Sit, sit." Mrs. Weasley told them. Lee-Lee floated out of Harry's arms and into Alex's. She sat her down in a high chair beside her. They all filled in the extra seats leaving three.

"Where is he?" Mrs. Weasley said sounding irritable. "We aren't starting with out him." She tossed some floo powder into the fire place, "Severus, we are waiting for you. Severus?"

"We are here, Molly." Snape said from the door way.

Everyone turned. Snape was standing in the doorway holding Selena's arm. There was a collective gasp. Harry thought she looked even more like an angel in person. Mrs. Weasley was the first to recover. "Budge over Ginny. Let's make room for them."

Dinner was fantastic. Harry had never been so happy for Mrs. Weasley's cooking. Of course he was happy that Dudley was on a healthy diet, but Harry felt he needed some good old fashioned fattening food.

The conversations were heavy during dinner. As they always are with the Weasley's. Bill and Mr. Weasley were talking about the Ministry. Ron, Mrs. Figg and Ginny were talking about their favorite Quidditch teams.

There were two conversations in particular Harry wished he could hear a bit better. Fred, George and Snape were talking quietly amongst one another. Harry could Fred say something about puss filled boils and can't manage to work around them. Snape laughed, and said something about bum. Fred and George scowled causing Snape to laugh even harder.

On the other end of the table Alex and Mrs. Weasley were talking about the Ministry's uproar, because Dumbledore had appointed Alex to the Defense against the Dark Arts job. "It's disgusting!" Mrs. Weasley said angrily. "It was ok for you to be a single mother while you were an auror, but now that you are going to be a teacher it isn't?"

The table quieted. Everyone's heads turned to listen.

"I don't think it is so much that I am a single mother, Molly. Fudge is mad because The Headmaster went over his head." Alex said calmly.

"They won't be able to keep you from teaching us will they, Alex?" Ginny asked.

"No, Dumbledore won't allow it. The Ministry is not allowed to interfere with Hogwarts." Mr. Weasley said, "And that is why he is making such a big deal in the press. He is hoping that the parents will stand up against Dumbledore's decision."

"With her education and training I don't think parents can argue that Alex is a superb addition to the staff." Snape said.

"Malfoy has a lot of influence in the community. He is going to help Fudge make things difficult." Bill said spearing a potatoe.

"He can't." Lee-Lee said looking around the room for something and ignoring her dinner.

"No he can't." Selena said.

Every one turned to face her. Apparently, none of the Weasley's had ever heard her speak before.

"We haven't heard a word from Lucius." Snape said trying to avert their attention.

"My brother knows I would never forgive him if he caused trouble for Alex." Selena said softly.

"Brother?" Fred and George said loudly.

"Lucius is my brother." Selena said.

Ron, Ginny, Fred and George all gave Harry a dirty look. He shrugged.

"He would never cause trouble for Severus's family. They are my family now as well." Selena said.

Mrs. Weasley nodded. "Family should always come before politics." Harry noticed the pained look on her face. "But sometimes it can not be helped."

"Lee-Lee!" Alex cried causing everyone to turn their heads. Lee-Lee had a large pie in front of her. Apparently, it was blue berry, because her face was covered in blueberry filling.

"What?" Lee-Lee cried indignantly over a mouthful of pie.

"How did you? Never mind! You are grounded young lady. No flying for you." Alex said sounding exasperated. She cleaned the little girl with a flick of her wand and sent the pie hurtling into the rubbish bin. "You have ruined dessert for everyone else."

"Nuh-uh" Lee-Lee said crossing her arms. "Dere is a stwabewwy one over dere." She pointed toward the counter.

"I'm so sorry Molly." Alex said turning to Mrs. Weasley.

Mrs. Weasley was laughing. "I'd forgotten what it was like to have such a little one around.", she said wiping tears from her eyes. "Who is ready for dessert?" She asked.

"Me!" Lee-Lee cried raising her hand.

"No more dessert for you young lady." Mrs. Figg said firmly.

"Aww dat stinks." Lee-Lee said causing everyone at the table to laugh.

After dinner He, Ron, Ginny, Fred, George and Lee-Lee all piled into his and Ron's room. They told the adults they were going to play memory with Lee-Lee. Harry was irritated with Snape, because he had wanted to check in on Sirius after dinner. Snape said no he needed to rest.

"Snape is such a git!" Harry said angrily throwing him self on his bed.

"No, he isn't." Ginny, Fred and George all cried in unison.

"What?" Harry said.

"He isn't as bad as you think Harry." Fred said.

"But you two are always in detention with him!" Harry pointed out.

"Not really." George said.

"Didn't you ever notice that Snape never took points away when he gave us detention?" Fred said.

"Well, no I guess I wasn't paying attention." Harry said.

"Snape let's us use his lab when we are at school to work on Weasley's Wizards Weazes." George said.

"What?" Harry and Ron both cried.

"It started in our second year. We kept getting detention for blowing up our cauldrons." Fred said.

"Snape thought we were idiots that couldn't make a potion to save our lives." George said grinning fondly at the thought.

"But he found in detention that we could make a potion to save our lives." Fred said.

"He asked us why we kept causing accidents during class." George said.

"Well, we told him." Fred said.

"We were using his class room to experiment." George said.

"Snape was impressed." Fred said.

"He actually told us we weren't the pair of idiots he thought we were." George said smiling proudly.

"He told us that while in class we were to make the potions that were assigned to us--" Fred said.

"And we could use his lab for what ever we wanted to experiment with!" George said.

"But under the pretext that we were in detention." Fred said.

"It was a brilliant plan!" George said.

"Yeah," Ron said looking lost and disappointed. "Brilliant. Only, why didn't you tell me about it?"

Fred and George frowned. "Sorry mate, but he made us swear not to tell anyone."

"Something about cutting off our fingers and using them in an anti-five finger discount potion." George said.

"Well, why are you telling us now?" Ron asked.

"Well, now you know he is cool, don't you." Fred said.

"No!" Ron and Harry said.

Ginny sighed loudly, "Isn't it obvious? Dumbledore trusts him."

"Yeah, well even Dumbledore makes mistakes." Ron said quietly.

"If you are talking about the Basilisk-" Ginny said angrily.

"Yeah, and every other thing that got out of control in that school!" Ron said angrily.

"Ginny," Harry said shutting Ron up, "Why do you trust Snape?"

"He helped me after. after. you know who possessed me in my first year.", She whispered.

"How did he help you?" Harry asked.

"He came and talked to me. He told me that stronger witches and wizards had been controlled by him. He taught me how to fend off the Imperious curse, because I was worried that it might happen again." Ginny said. "I was worried, I might hurt some one else."

"Ginny, you didn't hurt anyone." Fred said.

"I know, but I was weak and let him use me." Ginny said.

"Not anymore." George said.

"No." Ginny said firmly. "Not ever again."

Harry was shocked, but not as shocked as Ron whose mouth had formed an O.

Lee-Lee was sitting on Fred's lap. She looked like she might cry. "Fed, you gonna still fwy wif me?" She asked looking up at him with watery eyes.

"Of course we will still take you flying." George said. "We just have to be careful that your mum doesn't see."

Lee-Lee sniffled and wiped her nose on her dress. "k", she said weakly.

"I had better take you on up to bed before your mum finds out we kept you up." Ginny said.

"Wait." Harry said raising his hand. "Lee-Lee have you heard anything more about the baby?"

"No." Lee-Lee said. Ginny picked her up and carried her out of the room.

"What baby?" Ron said looking thoroughly confused.

"The Snapes baby." Harry answered.

"Snape has a kid?" Ron asked disbelievingly.

"I don't know. Voldemort said he had her." Harry said.

"What baby? I thought Selena had been in a coma for years?" George said.

"Yeah, she was pregnant when she was hit by the car. Everyone thought that the baby had died. Voldemort said he has her." Harry explained.

"How could he have her? He hasn't been around to take care of baby." Fred said.

"I dunno." Harry said. "It might just be a trick."

"Sounds like a trick to me." Ron said. "Who is up to a game of chess?"