CHAPTER 3: Happy beginning
Harry was still in shocked state. He kept nodding, shaking hands and hugging, unable to say a word. And there were many hands to shake, hugs to return and claps on his shoulders to receive. There were all nine Weaysleys, Hermione, Hagrid, Neville, Luna, Snape? - apparently the only one not beaming - but most astonishingly even Dumbledore.
Harry had scarcely seen him out of Hogwarts and if so on rather life threatening or other unpleasant occasions. All of a sudden fear hit him that this might be one of that occasions. However the wide smiles plastered on all faces, except Snape's, disabused him.
Ron had him snap out of his pondering. "Hey Harry, lost your voice somewhere on the journey. Mind some help looking for it?" he grinned, then shooting a questioning look sideways at Hermione. Holding one of Harry's hands she bounced up and down squeaking and babbling; just like a little overjoyed child convincing his mother to go to the zoo.
Becoming more himself with the shaking of his body that her jumping caused he replied, "Thanks mate, seems the dull times with the Dursleys had a serious effect on my speaking abilities. Although, I'm much more worrying about Hermione here, who seems to have fallen back to toddler behaving."
She stopped immediately seemingly musing if she should be embarrassed, but didn't get far as Harry hugged her tightly once more until Ron cleared his throat loudly.
Harry grinned a bit evilly, catching Ginny's look over Hermione's shoulder. Encouraged by her nod he held on a little longer. Ron grabbed Hermione and pulled her out of Harry's arms. "It's enough", he said harshly. "She has to breath, you know!" he added rather sheepishly. Stifled laughs and snorts spread through the group when Mrs. Weasley announced cheerful, "Dinner's ready, you must be starving, come all in now!"
Everyone made his way into the house. Once more Harry stopped dead in his tracks. The living room had been magically widened and was twinkling with candles and decorations. Right in the middle stood an extraordinary large dining table that bent under the amount of delicious looking dishes.
From the ceiling dangled a banner, that said in blinking letters WELCOME HOME HARRY! Ginny bent sideways to Harry "Well Mr. Potter, taking in account that you're yet again speechless, I agree on your earlier concern for your speaking abilities."
"And I fear", he responded "Miss Weasley, as you hardly let anyone get a word in, I won't be getting any good practice here either." He smiled happily, being so fond of her chattering from the very beginning she had started to open up in his presence.
Bill and Charley snickered and nodded their heads in knowing approval performing exaggerated sighs. Ginny crossed her arms over her chest in mock disappointment and pushed Harry to his seat.
Mrs. Weasley shovelled loads on Harry's plate. He wasted no time and dug in, as he would have been short before dying of hunger in earnest. With his mouth full he muffled, "Thanks Mrs. Weasley it's delicious and all the decoration, wonderful!"
Mrs. Weasley beamed and got to her seat. "I'm pleased you like it, my dear, but I had lots of help from the children" That comment earned her annoyed grunts. "Well, nearly grown-ups" she corrected smirking "and also from another old friend."
At that a house-elf popped out of nowhere beside Harry, grinning from ear to ear. "Oh, Harry Potter I'm so happy to see you, sir!"
"Hello, Dobby nice to see you, too. You did a marvellous job, thank you." Dobby looked down at his feet doing some sort of greenish blushing.
Hermione spat in eagerly. "However you know you don't have to ."
Dobby cut her of sharp. "None of that, Miss Granger." He looked right at her without blinking. "It's not just an honour, it's also what I WANNA do, it's my decision, my wish to make things fine for Harry and his friends"
Both Hermione and Harry were surprised by the determined speech. Pleased at least at that display of increasing self-esteem Hermione answered, "I'm sorry Dobby, I didn't want to insult or upset you. You have indeed done a great job. Now have a seat and join us."
Dobby backed away eyes wide. "Oh no, wouldn't, couldn't, I not dare to, no" he stammered in his back to normal hushed voice.
"But really wish you would, Dobby" Harry cut in.
"Of course you will. You are a dear guest as everyone else" Mr. Weasley stated flatly "And for a guest you have already done to much. You won't embarrass your host at not acceptimg an invitation", he added winking.
With a wave of his wand he had conjured another setting and a chair that looked like one of these baby highchairs without the security components. "Carry on, Dobby", said Mr. Weasley "please have seat."
Harry helped the flabbergasted house-elf onto his chair and moved both over to the table. It took Dobby some time to get over his shock, but at last he started to enjoy the feast.
Dobby was relaxing all little bit as he was more and more included in conversations. Harry turned his attention to the rest of the merry party. Ginny sat opposite. She was talking animated, between laughter and giggles, to Ron on her right and Luna on her left.
Her head flipped like a ping-pong ball from one side to the other. Harry couldn't concentrate on the story. She was just to - to bright. Radiant, her red ponytail bouncing behind her head, eyes shining, and lips. Lupin caught his attention.
He asked sitting not far across, " Seen anything you like, Harry?!" Harry's ears turned pink and Lupin changed the topic quickly hiding a smirk.
No one else had noticed, so one would believe. Not quite correct. Is there anything she doesn't get? A triumphant Hermione turned her look back to Dobby, who was chatting gleefully about Winky. She smiled making a mental note in the Ginny/Harry section.
A while later in her bed beside Ginny she was considering the evenings events. 'That went well, very well indeed' she thought. 'He had talked and laughed. Okay more of the first than of the last, but it was a beginning. Didn't flinch at the mentioning of Sirius not even sticking on his bad mood mask. "Let's hope it keeps going that way" she yawned. "whad?", muffled a half asleep Ginny. "Nothing, good night, Gin" , but Ginny didn't hear her anymore as she was already sound asleep.
Harry was still in shocked state. He kept nodding, shaking hands and hugging, unable to say a word. And there were many hands to shake, hugs to return and claps on his shoulders to receive. There were all nine Weaysleys, Hermione, Hagrid, Neville, Luna, Snape? - apparently the only one not beaming - but most astonishingly even Dumbledore.
Harry had scarcely seen him out of Hogwarts and if so on rather life threatening or other unpleasant occasions. All of a sudden fear hit him that this might be one of that occasions. However the wide smiles plastered on all faces, except Snape's, disabused him.
Ron had him snap out of his pondering. "Hey Harry, lost your voice somewhere on the journey. Mind some help looking for it?" he grinned, then shooting a questioning look sideways at Hermione. Holding one of Harry's hands she bounced up and down squeaking and babbling; just like a little overjoyed child convincing his mother to go to the zoo.
Becoming more himself with the shaking of his body that her jumping caused he replied, "Thanks mate, seems the dull times with the Dursleys had a serious effect on my speaking abilities. Although, I'm much more worrying about Hermione here, who seems to have fallen back to toddler behaving."
She stopped immediately seemingly musing if she should be embarrassed, but didn't get far as Harry hugged her tightly once more until Ron cleared his throat loudly.
Harry grinned a bit evilly, catching Ginny's look over Hermione's shoulder. Encouraged by her nod he held on a little longer. Ron grabbed Hermione and pulled her out of Harry's arms. "It's enough", he said harshly. "She has to breath, you know!" he added rather sheepishly. Stifled laughs and snorts spread through the group when Mrs. Weasley announced cheerful, "Dinner's ready, you must be starving, come all in now!"
Everyone made his way into the house. Once more Harry stopped dead in his tracks. The living room had been magically widened and was twinkling with candles and decorations. Right in the middle stood an extraordinary large dining table that bent under the amount of delicious looking dishes.
From the ceiling dangled a banner, that said in blinking letters WELCOME HOME HARRY! Ginny bent sideways to Harry "Well Mr. Potter, taking in account that you're yet again speechless, I agree on your earlier concern for your speaking abilities."
"And I fear", he responded "Miss Weasley, as you hardly let anyone get a word in, I won't be getting any good practice here either." He smiled happily, being so fond of her chattering from the very beginning she had started to open up in his presence.
Bill and Charley snickered and nodded their heads in knowing approval performing exaggerated sighs. Ginny crossed her arms over her chest in mock disappointment and pushed Harry to his seat.
Mrs. Weasley shovelled loads on Harry's plate. He wasted no time and dug in, as he would have been short before dying of hunger in earnest. With his mouth full he muffled, "Thanks Mrs. Weasley it's delicious and all the decoration, wonderful!"
Mrs. Weasley beamed and got to her seat. "I'm pleased you like it, my dear, but I had lots of help from the children" That comment earned her annoyed grunts. "Well, nearly grown-ups" she corrected smirking "and also from another old friend."
At that a house-elf popped out of nowhere beside Harry, grinning from ear to ear. "Oh, Harry Potter I'm so happy to see you, sir!"
"Hello, Dobby nice to see you, too. You did a marvellous job, thank you." Dobby looked down at his feet doing some sort of greenish blushing.
Hermione spat in eagerly. "However you know you don't have to ."
Dobby cut her of sharp. "None of that, Miss Granger." He looked right at her without blinking. "It's not just an honour, it's also what I WANNA do, it's my decision, my wish to make things fine for Harry and his friends"
Both Hermione and Harry were surprised by the determined speech. Pleased at least at that display of increasing self-esteem Hermione answered, "I'm sorry Dobby, I didn't want to insult or upset you. You have indeed done a great job. Now have a seat and join us."
Dobby backed away eyes wide. "Oh no, wouldn't, couldn't, I not dare to, no" he stammered in his back to normal hushed voice.
"But really wish you would, Dobby" Harry cut in.
"Of course you will. You are a dear guest as everyone else" Mr. Weasley stated flatly "And for a guest you have already done to much. You won't embarrass your host at not acceptimg an invitation", he added winking.
With a wave of his wand he had conjured another setting and a chair that looked like one of these baby highchairs without the security components. "Carry on, Dobby", said Mr. Weasley "please have seat."
Harry helped the flabbergasted house-elf onto his chair and moved both over to the table. It took Dobby some time to get over his shock, but at last he started to enjoy the feast.
Dobby was relaxing all little bit as he was more and more included in conversations. Harry turned his attention to the rest of the merry party. Ginny sat opposite. She was talking animated, between laughter and giggles, to Ron on her right and Luna on her left.
Her head flipped like a ping-pong ball from one side to the other. Harry couldn't concentrate on the story. She was just to - to bright. Radiant, her red ponytail bouncing behind her head, eyes shining, and lips. Lupin caught his attention.
He asked sitting not far across, " Seen anything you like, Harry?!" Harry's ears turned pink and Lupin changed the topic quickly hiding a smirk.
No one else had noticed, so one would believe. Not quite correct. Is there anything she doesn't get? A triumphant Hermione turned her look back to Dobby, who was chatting gleefully about Winky. She smiled making a mental note in the Ginny/Harry section.
A while later in her bed beside Ginny she was considering the evenings events. 'That went well, very well indeed' she thought. 'He had talked and laughed. Okay more of the first than of the last, but it was a beginning. Didn't flinch at the mentioning of Sirius not even sticking on his bad mood mask. "Let's hope it keeps going that way" she yawned. "whad?", muffled a half asleep Ginny. "Nothing, good night, Gin" , but Ginny didn't hear her anymore as she was already sound asleep.
