I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.
Extended Family
Chapter 50 – Potter, Harry Potter
Takes place before chapter 141 of Family.
"Hello and welcome to our home!" Jean smiled broadly at the people that walked out of their fireplace. Despite having been connected via Floo to Grimmauld for a few years now, it was still a surprise for her and David when the fire turned green and people stepped out of the flames without any care or concern.
Hermione had asked if she could have friends over to watch a few movies with. Televisions were still a little sensitive around magic so no one else really had them. Hermione had remembered that Harry did not know who James Bond was from his seventeenth birthday and she wanted to watch some of the movies with him. Jean and David thought that would be a lot of fun and had eagerly planned for it.
Harry, Luna, Daphne, and Tracy met at Grimmauld and came through the Floo to the Granger home together. Harry had visited many times by now but this would be the first that the other three girls would be visiting. It was the Easter holiday as well, hence Luna being able to come having had permission leaving Hogwarts.
"Hello Mrs. Granger," Daphne said with a small smile. She offered a bottle of wine. "Thank you for hosting us."
"Oh you're welcome and you needn't be that formal," Jean said warmly. "Thank you for the wine. I love your robes but you didn't have to be so fancy."
Daphne looked down at her clothes. "These are my most informal clothes." She glared at Tracy who snickered.
"What?" Tracy wore a blouse and jeans, smiling at her irate girlfriend.
"I think they are gorgeous," Jean said soothingly. "Maybe one day we can take you shopping for even more informal clothes. There're few things more comfy than some sweats to lounge about in."
"Sweats?" Luna asked while Daphne looked mildly horrified.
"Sweatshirt and pants, like jumpers and things," Harry explained. "I think they're called that since people could exercise in them and sweat in them if they liked."
"Oh that makes sense," Luna said, nodding and Daphne looked less horrified. She wore a skirt and her Quidditch jersey and looked quite comfortable. She looked around the Granger home. "I like your home. It feels very warm and inviting when you look past the surface. Much like Hermione."
Jean chuckled. "Thank you, Luna. It does look a little fancy on the surface with the wood and polish but I'm glad you like how it feels. Follow me if you please." She led them to the living room where the large television waited. A large sectional couch dominated the empty space with large squashy cushion chairs dotted the floor around a large coffee table.
"How does it work again?" Daphne asked, inspecting the television with interest.
"It's sort of like a pensieve," Harry said. "You'll see things and hear things but the difference is that it isn't showing memories. It shows recordings of actors and things."
"So they aren't real?" Luna asked.
"The actors are real people but they play characters. Like a stage play."
"What are we watching?" Luna asked, growing more excited, bouncing up and down on the couch.
"Our favorite James Bond movies," Hermione said. She came in, levitating trays of drinks and snacks behind her. "Remember the suit Harry wore on his birthday? I said he looked like James Bond and he said he didn't know who that was."
"And I said that was a crime," David said, following his daughter. "So we decided to pick our favorite movies to show to you today." He and Jean shared an overlarge loveseat while the others sat on the couch together comfortably.
"Oh this is tasty, salty and crunchy," Luna said, munching on popcorn.
"It really is not fair how Muggles have such delicious food," Daphne said, daintily eating popcorn kernel by kernel.
"Hey, there's a lot of candy here," Hermione said, looking at the table.
"Candy is a typical snack for movie watching," David grinned.
"You never let me have that much!"
"They're our guests," he replied, pointing at the four visitors. "We certainly can't hold them to our own standards." He and Jean laughed at Hermione's indignant glare.
"Which one are we starting with?" Harry asked.
"My personal favorite," Hermione said. "Goldeneye. It's one of the more recent ones too."
"It's only your favorite because you fancy the new Bond," David teased.
"It's a good story and I like the special effects," Hermione sniffed with pink cheeks.
"Pierce Brosnan is very fanciable," Jean said. She patted David's stomach when he looked wounded. "I personally really like Sean Bean."
The movie started and Daphne and Luna gasped in awe at the screen. The clarity and quality of the images were very good and when guns started firing, they jumped at the sound. "Those are guns?!" Daphne cried. "They look terrifying!"
"And that's only a tiny example of the different kinds," Hermione said.
Luna flinched at the explosions and cuddled close to Harry. "I am glad these aren't real memories, that would be scary," she said, wide-eyed.
"Oh I see what you mean when you said Harry looked like James Bond," Tracy said when the character showed up in a suit. "Though he's a bit more muscular, sorry Harry."
Harry grinned. "No offence taken. He has to be in better shape. I can't imagine running like that and being able to punch someone like that."
"Maybe if you became an Auror," Daphne mused. Later on, she snorted deeply. "Of course, this is purely fictional."
"What makes you say that?" Jean asked.
"Onatopp. Really? What a ridiculous name and a ridiculous…premise," Daphne said, blushing lightly and waving a hand at the screen.
"Terrible female names laced with innuendo is a James Bond staple," Jean chuckled.
"It's not like the Wizarding World doesn't have odd names," Hermione said ruefully.
"Name one," Daphne sniffed.
"Sleakeezy, Arcturius, Sirius, Nymphadora, Fudge," Harry rattled off.
"I think I knew a bloke named Hadrian too," Tracy said.
"I said name one," Daphne said weakly while others laughed.
Luna made a face when Trevalyn's missile train appeared. "Goodness, that looks so mean. The Hogwarts Express looks much nicer."
The final fight in the facility in Cuba had them all riveted and Daphne and Tracy clapped with vindictive satisfaction when Trevalyn was killed by Bond. When the ending credits rolled, they sat back exhilarated. "That was very enjoyable, thank you so much," Daphne said to the Grangers.
"It's a very good Bond movie," David agreed. "I prefer the older ones though, a bit more nuanced and understated."
"Which is adult for boring," Hermione smiled.
"I will let the others be the judge of that," David said with haughty disdain.
"The world is really that big huh?" Tracy said quietly. "I mean, those are real places they went to. You think there's plenty here but when you see all that, all the possibilities of those places, it's kinda mind boggling."
"I've traveled a bit with my father and even then, we've barely seen anything," Luna said softly.
"We've traveled around Europe but yeah, it does feel that way," Jean said. "Just goes to show how vast the world is and how different people are."
"This one is my personal favorite," David said as he started the next movie. "The Spy Who Loved Me."
"I see what you mean," Daphne said as they watched, "it is less…frantic of a pace but still quite enjoyable."
Tracy blanched when the assassin with the metal teeth appeared. "Dear Merlin, that's terrifying! He's also huge!"
"You see, this is why this isn't my favorite," Jean said. "I just take a look and wonder about all the work I'd have to do and how unfeasible it would be."
"Why doesn't that bother you?" Hermione asked David with amusement.
"Because I can suspend disbelief," David chortled.
Luna sighed softly at the end of the movie when Bond and Amasova embraced. "That is sweet. I don't know if I could forgive someone after they killed a loved one. I suppose Bond didn't mean it personally."
"I wonder if the Ministry has a spy division," Harry mused. "With glamours and charms and Polyjuice, it wouldn't be hard to be a magical spy. Though the other side would have magic too of course."
"Now that's terrifying to think about," Hermione shuddered.
By then the magicals were used to the television and after some stretching and a break, they eagerly waited for the last movie.
"Now it's time for my favorite," Jean said. "Thunderball with the best James Bond actor: Sean Connery."
"I thought we agreed that they all have their merits and that none are inherently better than the other," David said.
"We did but Connery is still the best," Jean said. "Moore tries to be too funny."
"That's the writing and not the actor," David argued. "The later movies have a different feel to them."
"Do you fancy Brosnan because he's pretty?" Tracy asked Hermione with a falsely innocent smile.
"He's not just pretty," Hermione protested. "He adds a lot of action and energy to the role."
"I am surprised you like something so…action-oriented," Daphne said with a smile.
Hermione shrugged, lightly flushed. "It's a guilty pleasure of mine. We all have them."
"Like those books you read," Luna said.
"She reads a lot of books," Harry said, amused.
"Those specific ones about the romance and the-"
"The movie is starting!" Hermione said loudly.
They watched with great enjoyment at all the underwater battle scenes, the equipment they used to survive underwater for such lengths of time. "Too bad the Champions didn't have things like this during the Tournament," Tracy remarked.
Harry shuddered lightly at the memory. "Would've made things a lot easier," he agreed.
"The idea of a nefarious secret organization willing to cause such damage on a grand scale is horrifying," Daphne said. "I hope that does not actually happen in either world. I suppose the Death Eaters were something similar, but the scale is much smaller than this SPECTRE."
"The other Ministries wouldn't suffer it honestly," Tracy said. "Every Wizarding nation is super careful about being threatened and stomping down on things."
They all cheered at the movie's end. "I really like movies," Daphne said with a wide smile. "They are quite fun."
"I'm sure we can have regular movie nights," Jean said. "We've barely scratched the surface on all that's available." Her eyes sparkled with delight as the girls and Harry helped tidy up, using their magic to clean. "And I must admit, this makes the clean-up after much faster and nicer. Thank you very much."
"So who's your favorite Bond?" David asked them.
"I must agree with Mrs. Granger," Daphne said. "Mr. Connery had a dignity and gravitas that I appreciated most."
"I like Roger Moore," Tracy said. "He's more fun than Connery. Made things seem lighter. He was quippier to boot."
"Pierce Brosnan is my favorite," Luna said.
"You like them more action-oriented as well?" Jean asked.
"No, he's most like Harry."
Harry blushed lightly and hugged Luna. "How sweet and terribly inaccurate," Harry laughed and the others laughed too.
"I can see you saying something terrible before you hex someone," Hermione smiled. "Like hitting someone with a Stunning Jinx and saying that they found your words stunning."
"Or something like, 'You'll find this much like you would a bee, a bit of a sting,' before shooting a Stinger," Tracy giggled.
"'Watch your step,' you say before casting a Tripping Jinx," Daphne laughed.
"Oooh oohh, do the name thing," Luna said.
"Never," Harry laughed. "I don't think I could ever pull that off." His smile softened. "I wonder if my dad would do that if he knew it. He was a James too. From what Sirius and Remus said, he had the ability to do those kind of things."
"From the stories I've heard, he probably would mean it too. If you do it, we know it's in good fun," Jean said warmly, hugging him with one arm.
"You can at least ask for your next butterbeer to be shaken and not stirred," Hermione giggled.
"And have it explode all over me," Harry snorted. "Maybe I can convince Dora that it tastes better if she does that."
"Well, Harry could never be like James Bond," Luna said matter-of-factly. "He would never hurt others so wantonly."
"And you're not much of a liar, a bit bad for a spy," Daphne added.
"But maybe you wish you could be bedding lovely women left and right?" Tracy asked, waggling her eyebrows suggestively.
Harry pushed her lightly. "Not at all. I'm a one-woman man. Thank you very much."
After some more teasing and banter, Harry, Luna, Daphne, and Tracy said goodbye to the Grangers and left through the Floo. Jean hugged Hermione soundly. "You look very happy."
"I am happy," Hermione said softly. "I never had friends visit like that before and it was so much fun."
"It really was. You got some good ones there. They're welcome anytime," David said. "I really wouldn't mind a regular movie thing. It was fun watching them enjoy themselves like that. Plus it's nice to be on the opposite end of things for once, seeing people learn stuff about our world and not the other way 'round."
He did a double-take at the bottle of wine on the counter. "Goodness! Where did this come from?!"
"Daphne brought it as a gift. Is there something wrong?" Jean asked.
"Just that this bottle of wine is hideously expensive! Did she mean to give something like this?"
"Probably and before, she would do it as a display of status. Nowadays, I'm fairly sure she was just being generous and nice." Hermione looked at the bottle. "Is it that valuable?"
"Incredibly," David said, looking at the bottle with reverence.
"We should save it then," Jean said. "That was very nice of her."
"She was really looking forward to coming," Hermione said. "She was the one I was most worried about when I broached the idea actually. But she thought it would be fun and was happy to participate."
"Let's take her and the other two shopping soon," Jean suggested. "It'll be fun to get them some very comfy clothes and the like."
Hermione smiled. "She might be scandalized. I don't know if she's ever gone clothes shopping without a personal tailor or something. She'll still come though, especially if Tracy teases her enough."
"Even better. Those two are good together. Tracy has a wicked sense of humor that helps Daphne and Daphne keeps her on her toes."
"Might ask Alicia along for that too," Hermione said. "That'd be fun."
"Good, I like her too. Let's make plans for that soon then," Jean said enthusiastically.
"I'll take Harry and do something with him then," David chuckled.
"He could use some more casual clothes too," Jean said.
"Sorry lad, I tried," David sighed.
"You're so dramatic," Jean laughed, poking him.
"Guilty. Speaking of, what should be the theme for next movie time?" he asked.
"Ooh, let's watch scary movies!" Jean said, clapping her hands.
"Not sure if that's a good idea," Hermione smiled. "Or if we do, we should make sure they don't have their wands at hand."
"We'll get you and Harry put up protection spells first on our most breakable things," David grinned.
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diffident-serpiente - A giant Hedwig would cause so much trouble and would be amazing. That was a fun chapter to write because it let me imagine the incidents from different viewpoints and see how the characters saw them. It always takes me a bit to try and find their voices again but I think I've been mostly consistent with them. No offense taken and I'm humbled by your concern. I am still in my headspace though I'm trying to break out of it with a new oneshot idea. The idea of doing another bigger project is just a little daunting right now. The other issues won't be going away anytime soon, work and life in general, but will do what I can. I appreciate your kindness and wish you my best as well.
alix33 - Some people would mind an enlarged Hedwig. I think it would be grand.