"Sirius!"
"Professor!"
"Professor!"
Indeed, Sirius was standing there with Professor Delano, and Professor Lupin.
"Hello."
"Good afternoon."
"Nice to see you all again."
"Come in, come in."
They came inside and sat in the parlor for refreshments, that is, after Renata and Harry hastily replaced the cushions from the couch in the living room.
"We didn't expect you home so soon, mom," Renata told her mother.
"We are back a bit early."
They all talked a while before going home. Lupin bade them goodnight and departed through the fireplace by way of Floo Powder.
As Harry got up to leave he asked Renata and Claire if they wanted to go to the lake the next day if the weather agreed.
"No."
"Why not, Renata?" Harry asked, a bit surprised.
"Because, then we would be all wet when we get to Diagon Alley."
"I forgot we were all going."
Renata shook her head. "You haven't seen Ron or Hermione all summer and now that you were going to see them again you forgot. What are we going to do about you, Harry?"
They said goodnight and Sirius and Harry flew Claire home then continued the rest of the way to their house.
In the morning Sirius and Harry woke early rose and ate. Afterwards they stood by the fireplace and Sirius extracted a small pouch. "Harry, have you traveled by Floo Powder before?"
Harry nodded.
"Good, then you go first and I'll follow."
Harry took a pinch of the glittering powder from Sirius's bag and threw it in the fire. The flames turned an emerald green. He stepped up and they were pleasantly warm, like breath. He spoke clearly, "Diagon Alley." He was sucked into the fire and when he emerged he was standing in the Leaky Cauldron. He stepped aside and Sirius arrived shortly after he did.
Sirius and Harry went out to the backyard to a small alley. Sirius tapped his wand on one of the bricks and a hole appeared in the wall allowing them to pass through the wall. They entered Diagon Alley.
Sirius and Harry went to Gringotts, the wizarding bank run by goblins, and picked up some money from their safes. They were nearly to Flourish and Blotts when the Weaslys and the Grangers found them.
Ron shouted, "Harry!"
"Wait, Harry!" called Hermione.
Harry spun around and was face to face with them. "Hi!"
"We were wondering if you forgot us there, Harry."
"I missed you two," Harry told them.
"You look a little tanner, Harry," Hermione said.
"Really? I have been spending a lot of time outside swimming and stuff."
"So where's Renata?"
"I haven't seen her yet."
Mrs. Weasly came and gave Harry a hug. "Hello, Harry dear."
"Hello, Mrs. Weasly."
The Weaslys knew Sirius but the Grangers didn't. Harry introduced them. The Grangers didn't always come to Diagon Alley with Hermione but they did sometimes. They, like Harry's aunt and uncle, were Muggles (not a drop of magical blood in them). But unlike the Dursleys they didn't mind magic so much and didn't seem afraid of it.
They continued on their way and were just outside the doors of Flourish and Blotts when someone came up behind Harry and pushed him, making him stumble. "Hey what's the big idea?" he turned around angrily to be face to face with a beaming blonde, it was of course Renata.
"Hey, everybody! Hi! Hermione, Ron, Ginny! Oh Ginny, Claire's here too." Renata turned and looked at Harry. "Oh, just you again." She went on into the store.
Ron looked at Harry. "I can't believe you had to put up with her for more than two weeks."
"She's not that bad."
"Harry, she just tripped and walked off without apologizing."
"Yeah, but that's what she does."
Hermione and Ron looked at him like he was a bit crazy.
"C'mon let's go buy our books," Harry told them. They all walked in. The Grangers, the Weaslys who had come, Sirius, Professor Delano, and Claire.
When they had collected all the books on their school list, they went to the register to pay. They departed from Flourish and Blotts and continued on to other stores where they needed supplies.
After that Harry and Ron went to a joke-shop. Renata and Hermione went off to another shop, as did Claire and Ginny.
As Harry examined some barking toadstools he talked to Ron. "How's your summer been?"
"Not bad really. The house just seemed.empty. Fred and George were in Hogsmeade most of the summer; Percy was away a lot at Penelope Clearwater's house meeting her parents and family."
"Do you know when the wedding will be?"
"There's a lot of arrangements and stuff so they decided it won't be until next summer."
"Did you hear from Fred and George?"
"A couple times. They are working a lot. I reckon they might actually pull it off. This joke-shop of theirs will probably work."
"Yeah."
They all met back in the Leaky Cauldron for lunch. The bartender and owner, Tom came and pushed several tables together for all of them. Vanessa, Tom's niece, came and took their orders.
"What's up, Vanessa?" Renata asked.
"Nothing. Things are great here."
"Good." Renata then gave her order and leaned back in her chair.
After the rest of them had given their orders, Vanessa left and went back to the kitchen.
Sirius was the first to speak, "Hermione , Ron, I hope you like where you'll be staying. If you don't, well, be glad its only two nights."
Harry paused, the fork midway to his mouth, "What do you mean Sirius?"
"Ron and Hermione are coming back with us and Claire's parents arranged for her to go and stay with the Weaslys until school starts."
Renata grinned. "Yep. Hermione? Ron? You mind being stuck hanging out with us for the next two days?"
"Actually," said Harry. "We're all stuck together until the end of next June."
Renata laughed. "You're right."
"Alright. We better get going."
Proper goodbyes were said and then it turned out that Tom had allowed them to stow their trunks in a room while they shopped around Diagon Alley. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Renata, Professor Delano and Sirius went back to Sirius's house and Claire left with Mrs. Weasly and Ginny.
When they were all at Sirius's home they went outside to discover it was again unusually hot and sticky out.
"We need a swim," Renata said.
"Most definitely," agreed Harry."
They all changed upstairs, the girls in one room the boys in another. They came downstairs.
"Sirius, we're going to the lake."
"Be back before dark. I'll be home later, I'm going to go visit Remus."
They all left. Sirius simply Apperated to his destination and the children walked down to the lake.
Harry looked at his arm. It was lightly tanned; it was a nice change because he had always thought he looked a bit pale in the past. Harry climbed the now familiar tree and jumped in the water. They had fun. They were all out there for hours swimming and splashing.
When they left they were exhausted but they trudged back to Sirius's house nevertheless. They ate lunch and sat and talked. Eventually the subject of the upcoming school year came up.
"Renata, will your mum be teaching again this year?"
"Yeah, she'll be teaching."
"Still Defense Against the Dark Arts?"
"Uh-huh," Renata reached over and took a chocolate chip cookie from the plate. "What do you guys think about it here? Isn't this place great?" Renata asked Ron and Hermione.
"It's really nice here."
"I like it."
"That's good because you're staying until the first and there's nothing you can do about it," Renata said grinning. "So, Hermione, are you staying in the spare room here or at my house?"
"I don't know."
From there the conversation went on and varied. They discussed Hogwarts and teachers again, but not Renata's mum.
The day passed with ease. They discussed Quiditch, Hogwarts, the upcoming year, the past year, and the summer. Sirius came home to find them all gathered in front of the fire playing Exploding Snap. Ron's eyebrows still had a little smoke coming from them.
"Professor!"
"Professor!"
Indeed, Sirius was standing there with Professor Delano, and Professor Lupin.
"Hello."
"Good afternoon."
"Nice to see you all again."
"Come in, come in."
They came inside and sat in the parlor for refreshments, that is, after Renata and Harry hastily replaced the cushions from the couch in the living room.
"We didn't expect you home so soon, mom," Renata told her mother.
"We are back a bit early."
They all talked a while before going home. Lupin bade them goodnight and departed through the fireplace by way of Floo Powder.
As Harry got up to leave he asked Renata and Claire if they wanted to go to the lake the next day if the weather agreed.
"No."
"Why not, Renata?" Harry asked, a bit surprised.
"Because, then we would be all wet when we get to Diagon Alley."
"I forgot we were all going."
Renata shook her head. "You haven't seen Ron or Hermione all summer and now that you were going to see them again you forgot. What are we going to do about you, Harry?"
They said goodnight and Sirius and Harry flew Claire home then continued the rest of the way to their house.
In the morning Sirius and Harry woke early rose and ate. Afterwards they stood by the fireplace and Sirius extracted a small pouch. "Harry, have you traveled by Floo Powder before?"
Harry nodded.
"Good, then you go first and I'll follow."
Harry took a pinch of the glittering powder from Sirius's bag and threw it in the fire. The flames turned an emerald green. He stepped up and they were pleasantly warm, like breath. He spoke clearly, "Diagon Alley." He was sucked into the fire and when he emerged he was standing in the Leaky Cauldron. He stepped aside and Sirius arrived shortly after he did.
Sirius and Harry went out to the backyard to a small alley. Sirius tapped his wand on one of the bricks and a hole appeared in the wall allowing them to pass through the wall. They entered Diagon Alley.
Sirius and Harry went to Gringotts, the wizarding bank run by goblins, and picked up some money from their safes. They were nearly to Flourish and Blotts when the Weaslys and the Grangers found them.
Ron shouted, "Harry!"
"Wait, Harry!" called Hermione.
Harry spun around and was face to face with them. "Hi!"
"We were wondering if you forgot us there, Harry."
"I missed you two," Harry told them.
"You look a little tanner, Harry," Hermione said.
"Really? I have been spending a lot of time outside swimming and stuff."
"So where's Renata?"
"I haven't seen her yet."
Mrs. Weasly came and gave Harry a hug. "Hello, Harry dear."
"Hello, Mrs. Weasly."
The Weaslys knew Sirius but the Grangers didn't. Harry introduced them. The Grangers didn't always come to Diagon Alley with Hermione but they did sometimes. They, like Harry's aunt and uncle, were Muggles (not a drop of magical blood in them). But unlike the Dursleys they didn't mind magic so much and didn't seem afraid of it.
They continued on their way and were just outside the doors of Flourish and Blotts when someone came up behind Harry and pushed him, making him stumble. "Hey what's the big idea?" he turned around angrily to be face to face with a beaming blonde, it was of course Renata.
"Hey, everybody! Hi! Hermione, Ron, Ginny! Oh Ginny, Claire's here too." Renata turned and looked at Harry. "Oh, just you again." She went on into the store.
Ron looked at Harry. "I can't believe you had to put up with her for more than two weeks."
"She's not that bad."
"Harry, she just tripped and walked off without apologizing."
"Yeah, but that's what she does."
Hermione and Ron looked at him like he was a bit crazy.
"C'mon let's go buy our books," Harry told them. They all walked in. The Grangers, the Weaslys who had come, Sirius, Professor Delano, and Claire.
When they had collected all the books on their school list, they went to the register to pay. They departed from Flourish and Blotts and continued on to other stores where they needed supplies.
After that Harry and Ron went to a joke-shop. Renata and Hermione went off to another shop, as did Claire and Ginny.
As Harry examined some barking toadstools he talked to Ron. "How's your summer been?"
"Not bad really. The house just seemed.empty. Fred and George were in Hogsmeade most of the summer; Percy was away a lot at Penelope Clearwater's house meeting her parents and family."
"Do you know when the wedding will be?"
"There's a lot of arrangements and stuff so they decided it won't be until next summer."
"Did you hear from Fred and George?"
"A couple times. They are working a lot. I reckon they might actually pull it off. This joke-shop of theirs will probably work."
"Yeah."
They all met back in the Leaky Cauldron for lunch. The bartender and owner, Tom came and pushed several tables together for all of them. Vanessa, Tom's niece, came and took their orders.
"What's up, Vanessa?" Renata asked.
"Nothing. Things are great here."
"Good." Renata then gave her order and leaned back in her chair.
After the rest of them had given their orders, Vanessa left and went back to the kitchen.
Sirius was the first to speak, "Hermione , Ron, I hope you like where you'll be staying. If you don't, well, be glad its only two nights."
Harry paused, the fork midway to his mouth, "What do you mean Sirius?"
"Ron and Hermione are coming back with us and Claire's parents arranged for her to go and stay with the Weaslys until school starts."
Renata grinned. "Yep. Hermione? Ron? You mind being stuck hanging out with us for the next two days?"
"Actually," said Harry. "We're all stuck together until the end of next June."
Renata laughed. "You're right."
"Alright. We better get going."
Proper goodbyes were said and then it turned out that Tom had allowed them to stow their trunks in a room while they shopped around Diagon Alley. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Renata, Professor Delano and Sirius went back to Sirius's house and Claire left with Mrs. Weasly and Ginny.
When they were all at Sirius's home they went outside to discover it was again unusually hot and sticky out.
"We need a swim," Renata said.
"Most definitely," agreed Harry."
They all changed upstairs, the girls in one room the boys in another. They came downstairs.
"Sirius, we're going to the lake."
"Be back before dark. I'll be home later, I'm going to go visit Remus."
They all left. Sirius simply Apperated to his destination and the children walked down to the lake.
Harry looked at his arm. It was lightly tanned; it was a nice change because he had always thought he looked a bit pale in the past. Harry climbed the now familiar tree and jumped in the water. They had fun. They were all out there for hours swimming and splashing.
When they left they were exhausted but they trudged back to Sirius's house nevertheless. They ate lunch and sat and talked. Eventually the subject of the upcoming school year came up.
"Renata, will your mum be teaching again this year?"
"Yeah, she'll be teaching."
"Still Defense Against the Dark Arts?"
"Uh-huh," Renata reached over and took a chocolate chip cookie from the plate. "What do you guys think about it here? Isn't this place great?" Renata asked Ron and Hermione.
"It's really nice here."
"I like it."
"That's good because you're staying until the first and there's nothing you can do about it," Renata said grinning. "So, Hermione, are you staying in the spare room here or at my house?"
"I don't know."
From there the conversation went on and varied. They discussed Hogwarts and teachers again, but not Renata's mum.
The day passed with ease. They discussed Quiditch, Hogwarts, the upcoming year, the past year, and the summer. Sirius came home to find them all gathered in front of the fire playing Exploding Snap. Ron's eyebrows still had a little smoke coming from them.
