Ch 8: A Drink To Merry

This is a pretty short chapter….sorry…..as always I don't own any of the characters….but I am just borrowing them…

Harry, with Hermione dragging on his left arm, followed Ginny to the library.

"Okay." Ginny said stopping at the doors to the Library and turning to Harry. "We have to be really quiet okay? And," she hinted towards Hermione with a nod of her head, "we have to keep her quiet too……man..bloody….if only you hadn't left it there….why her! Hermione would be so much help right about now!" Ginny frown and Harry had a guilty expression.

"Well…yea…I know..so sorry Ginny.." Ginny nodded.

"Come on then." Ginny said practically pulling Harry through the doors. The three of them (Hermione still clutching on to Harry's arm as if life depended on it) found a quiet secluded table in the back of the library.

"Well, this is perfect." Ginny said as they settle down next to each other so they could whisper without being over heard.

"Yes…so where do we start?" Harry said, looking around the library as if the books they needed would magically jump out.

"well…we have to collect all the potions books that we can."

'What about the dark magic books?" Harry questioned.

"Well, we could ask….we could say that its for Potions class…that we have to look up various dark potions." Ginny suggested.

"Yea ok…." Ginny and Harry got up from the table.

"Harry!" Hermione said pleadingly and quite loudly. "Where are you going?"

Harry gave Ginny a look and then frowned. I guess I will have to play along.

"Be right back, sweetie." Harry said not looking at Ginny.

"okay…" Hermione said swirling her hair.

"Man…..that potion is terrible….." Harry whispered to Ginny.

"Well, then you shouldn't have bought it in the first place. Frankly, I don't pity you at all." Ginny said sternly.

Harry frowned but secretly knew she was right. They browsed the shelves quietly and picked out various Potion books. Harry was carrying a really large one named Potion Through the Ages and Ginny had found one named Potions Made Easy. They found about seven books each (there were more but they simply could not carry them all.) Slowly, Harry and Ginny began browsing through the large stack of books in front of them, looking for the love potion.

Ron's mind was blank. It seemed to him that all the worrying about the love potion and then finding that the store had disappeared had erased his mind of any thoughts. The sun had long set behind the hills and yet he was still here in Hogsmead hoping possibly that the store would magically appear infront of him at any time. Ron had paced back and forth in front of the wall after the initial shock had worn off. He had not come up with anything of use. He felt utterly defeated. His anger had long since resided but had been replaced with a bad empty feeling instead. Ron glanced up and down the street. A few wizards and witches were still walking about the streets and a group further down to the left could be heard erupting with laughter that echoed through the empty streets time and time again. Ron's head ached from so much thinking. Man, I need a drink. Ron thought to himself. He didn't care if he got in trouble for being here after hours and alone for that matter. He started to walk and decided to go to the Boar's Head. He knew no one would know him there and Ron really did not want to talk to anyone at the moment anyways. He hurried up his pace since a cool evening wind had picked up and the clothes he was wearing did not help to fight the cold. Once again he regretted dropping his jacket in the Common Room. Ron finally reached the Boar's Head, the sign was swinging ideling in the breeze. Quickly he opened the door which gingled from the bell announcing his arrival. The bartender looked up from pouring a drink but did not say anything. Ron hurried over to the bar not glancing either left or right and placed his order.

"Um…..one butterbeer….er….on second thought….make that one Firewhiskey." Ron needed something stronger than Butterbeer. He wanted to forget everything he had seen tonight. The bartender looked over at him nodded, placed a glass on the counter and poured out the firewhiskey which was dark, red-amber in color.

"Rough night?" A hooded stranger turned to Ron.

"Eh….yea." Ron said, feeling a bit uncomfortable. Ron definitely did not want to talk about his experience.

He grabbed the glass of Fire Whiskey and with out another thought drained it down. Ron coughed, sputtered and the stranger cackled.

"First time, eh?" The stranger had taken his hood off and Ron saw that he had a patch over his eye and little to no hair on his head. The stranger chuckled.

"Yea..." Ron said raising his finger to say that he wanted another drink. The bartender hurried over, looked quite astounded that Ron had already finished his first glass and then poured him another.

"So wer' ye from?" The stranger asked.

"I'm a student."

"ahhh….'Ogwarts?" The stranger asked with a slight whistle to his words. The stranger grinned and Ron saw that two teeth were missing. The stranger noticed that Ron was staring at him and said, "Oh…how roode of me! May I introduce mee self, I am Captain Rooshauck, captain in my name and plundrin' is my game!" he said with a deep sing-song voice.

"Right….I'm…Ro..Rowan." Ron said, changing his name purposely.

"Please ta meet ya." The stranger said, grinning. Ron swigged his new drink down once more.

Rooshauck observed him for a bit and then spoke once more, " What is bothering ya, mate? Drinkin' FireWhiskey like yoo! Is it a gal I dare ask?"

Ron looked at him and Rooshaucked grinned a toothy grin.

"Ay! Gals tend to weaken mens hearts I say. Yes sirree….nothing like a gal." Rooshauck said all the while shaking his head.

The Fire Whiskey was taking quite an effect on Ron and he felt warm and comfortable.

"And who are you?" Ron asked Rooshauck.

"Who…..me? No won ye needs ta botha with. No…no questions for me, mate." Rooshauck said gulping down his drink. Ron respected his wishes. After all, he did not want to be asked various questions either.

Ron drank down his third Firewhiskey. At this point his stomach was doing something funny and he decided to take a break. He glanced at Rooshauck next to him at the bar and began to wonder about him. Who was he? Somehow, in his mannerisms he seemed oddly familiar. It's the Firewhiskey…´Ron thought to himself.Ron ponder this for a bit and then grew uninterested. Ron had the sudden notion to ask Rooshauck about the store. It was a far stretch but Ron was desprate at this point and more than a little tipsey.

"Do you know of a store called "Magic Shells That No One Spells"? Ron almost drawled to Rooshauck. "Em…..Magic Spells That No One Shells…..er…no wait…." Ron took a deep breath and said slowly and clearly, " Magic…Spells..That…No…One….Sells." The stranger grinned a toothy grin.

"A bit much that Fire Whiskey, eh?" He clapped Ron hard on the back so that he almost fell off the stool. "Yup! That stuff'll kill ya."

"Err…." Ron just nodded. His head was swimming a bit after the attack to his back. He felt a little as if he was on a ship on a rocking ocean.

"well…allow me to see…" the stranger scratched his chin thoughtfully," Nope! Can't say I do, eh?" He looked over at Ron. "Why ye ask?"

Ron closed and reopened his eyes trying to steady himself so that his words would come out right.

"Er……me need," Ron pointed to his chest with his thumb, " Ta find….ahntidoot!" Ron said and then grinned drunkedly.

"my my…Boy!" Rooshauck raised an eyebrow, " Ye ar'e drunk as a skunk!"

"Nah!" Ron said waving a hand over exaggeratly.

"Yes..yes. son, ye need to return to school!" Rooshaucked looked around the bar warily. "Ye, need ta go now, Dumbledoor would be angray!"

Ron shook his head but his balance was way off and his motor skills were slow so before he could catch himself he landed on his butt on the bar floor. He laughed drunkenly at himself as he tried to get up.

"Seeee..." Ron said as he finally clutched the bar stool to steady himself, "Tis is what girls to do youu!" He was pointing a finger at Rooshaucks. The bartender eyed Ron and then shook his head, " Stupid Kids." Roohaucked heard him mumble under his breath.

"Get up son! Get up!" Rooshauck helped Ron to his seat. "Now listen here, ye need to go to 'Ogwarts!" Ron placed his head on the bar and closed his eyes with a silly grin on his face then he opened them really fast and looked bleary eyed at Rooshauck.

"Hermy-oone….I wuv heer!" Ron mumbled drunkenly to Rooshauck.

"That is good boy, Ye need to go back ter school." Rooshauck said nodding to the bartender who quickly put on a fire. Rooshauck pulled out a small leather bag of floo powder. He walked to the fire and threw some of the glittering powder into the fire.

"Now..boy…come here." Rooshauck said but saw how Ron had his head on the bar supported by his arms. He walked back over to where Ron sat and then Helped him off the stool (Ron tripped over his own feet and giggled madly 'I am soooooTrunk!') Rooshauck half pulled, half dragged Ron to the fire where he stopped and held him up he said, "'Owarts!" loudly and pushed Ron into the fire ('ooh….greeeen flames….' Ron said laughing) and in a second Ron had vanished. "Good….at least I won't need to worry about him remembering me anymore." The man pulled out a wand pointed it to himself, mumbled some words and changed to a witch dressed all in purple. She smiled a small smile and winked at the bartender as she walked through the door into the now star lit night.