Disclaimer: See Chapter I
Also, I'd like to thank those of you who have taken some time to read and review my work (you know who you are). Your kind words have been felt and hope the wait hasn't been too long for this next installment as I'm trying to update my work every three chapters or roughly once every ten days. One final bit of thanks to the Harry Potter Lexicon that is quite the resource for anything Harry Potter related. Hopefully, I can beat the clock before JK Rowling and BK. V hit the streets.
Chapter XIII: Friends & Family
Harry and Alex returned to Privet Drive in the mid afternoon, which Harry and Neville spent packing. Since Dudley still wanted to have one last drink before the trio broke up for the year, they sat around the living room of Alex's living room, drinking a glass or two of gin and lemon, a drink Alex was partial to. They had been laughing over what a good summer it had been (particularly their times with the ladies at Meg's) when Harry brought up a question that had been intriguing him since Moody had mentioned it during his birthday.
"Uncle, can I ask you an honest question?"
"By all means, Harry."
Harry took a deep breath and asked, "Alex, Moody mentioned that you tortured a suspect during the time of You-Know-Who."
Alex looked at him with both eyes, and shrugged, "Yeah, I did. What of it?"
Seeing the shocked look on Harry's face, Alex leaned back into his chair, and asked Harry, "Tell me, Harry do you have any idea how bad things were at the time?"
Harry nodded, "I've heard the stories…"
"Well, let me tell you that any qualms you may ever have about torturing Death Eaters tend to vanish as soon as you see a friend of yours, cut up and blasted into pieces, or one who has had his brains melted due to the Cruciatus curse. Or if…" Alex quieted as something flashed in his eyes, and just as quickly disappeared as he downed the rest of his drink.
Harry didn't know what else to say, and decided to keep his mouth shut, for Harry had learned one very important thing during his time with the men of number two para and that was never, ever question a man's reasons for killing another, for you weren't in that man's position and could never possibly understand the reasons behind such actions.
After they finished their drinks, Neville and Harry grabbed their trunks from main room and carried them down to the front door, with Dudley assisting them. Linda was at the door where she kissed each of them on the cheek as they thanked her for her hospitality. She waved it off, and told them, "Believe me, it was a pleasure, boys, do come by to visit." She smiled and waved at them on the doorway as Alex led them a couple of blocks away to an intersection where there was very little activity. It was almost seven at night, and most people had arrived at their houses.
Setting their trunks down, Harry and Neville waited as Alex looked up and down the street, ensuring no one was watching. He then pulled out his wand, and pointed it skywards. Realizing what his uncle was up to, Harry stepped a little away from the roadway, not wanting to get any dust over his suit and tie.
Sure enough, the Knight Bus (which Harry had last had the occasion to ride when he had had to make a run for it after putting an enlarging charm on his Aunt Marge, one of Vernon's sisters) flashed down the road, and slowed to a stop in front of Alex. Harry had made sure to put on his fedora, as the last thing he wanted was for Stan and Ernie, the operators of the Knight Bus to recognize him by his scar. Which was when Harry suddenly remembered that the last time he had ridden the bus, he had gone under the name of Longbottom. Neville Longbottom.
Quickly, he nudged Neville and whispered, "Nev, I'm Neville and you're…Ted Malan." Neville looked at him as though he had suddenly gone crazy, but shrugged and nodded as the doors to the purple, triple-decker opened and the homely visage of Stan the Conductor came out, and asked, "Destination?" He looked surprised for a second and yelled to Harry, "'Lo, Neville! What happened that…" Stan only shut up as Alex spoke to him, "Ottery St. Catchpole for Neville over there, and Hawk-on-the-Rock in Lancashshire for Melvin here." Alex was pointing to Neville. "How much?"
Stan looked at the boys and shrugged, "Twenty-two Sickles for both of them, but for…" Alex counted out a Galleon and five sickles and handed them over, along with another galleon as a tip. Stan smirked and helped the boys load their luggage aboard the bus, with the boys having beds across from each other close to the door.
Quickly, Neville and Harry said their goodbyes to Dudley and Alex. Harry shook the hand of his cousin and embraced him, wishing him good luck with the next school year. Dudley grinned, and replied, "If I ever need a hard bastard to watch my back, I'll be sure to give you a ring." Harry laughed and embraced his uncle.
While he hadn't known his uncle very long, he had already shaped Harry's life, and enabled him to make sense out of his emotions and state of mind after the Triwizard Tournament. Additionally, one tends to be grateful to the man who buys you the best pros in magical England to teach you how to please a woman, Harry thought as he asked his uncle, "You gonna come and visit me at Hogwarts, Uncle?"
Alex laughed and replied mysteriously, "Oh, you'll see me during the year, I guarantee it."
His uncle then motioned him aboard the bus, and Neville and Harry waved goodbye to Dudley and Alex as the bus sped off, and flashed away.
As soon as it was out of site, Alex turned to his nephew Dudley, tossed an arm on his shoulder, and spoke, "Well, lad, we're going to go home and get sloshed. But first, I'm going to have a look at your paper on the Roman invasion and colonization of early Britain…"
* * *
Harry and Neville spent the next hour and a half playing Exploding Snap, and tried playing poker using the deck of magical cards Neville carried with him. The last proved to be quite frustrating as Harry once lost a complete Royal Flush when his whole hand exploded in his hands.
Around eight thirty (Harry had his pocket watch hanging from his vest pocket), Stan called out, "Ottery St. Catchpole in two minutes!" Harry got up and dragged his trunk down with him and yelled to Neville, "Later Nev! See you at Diagon Alley on Thursday?" Neville stood in the doorway and yelled back, "Yeah, see you then, mate!" With that, the door shut and the bus flashed away.
Harry found himself down the country road a few meters away from the Burrow, and he could see the lights on in the house. Grinning, he turned to his trunk and lifted it and carried it up to the door of the house. Taking his time, he kicked it out of the doorway, and briefly looked in one of the windows. Sure enough, the Weasley clan, and Hermione Granger were eating supper. It smelled of ham stew, fresh-baked bread, and mashed potatoes. Harry smiled and walked up to the door and rapped it with his knuckles.
"Just a moment," Harry heard Mrs. Weasley call out. The door opened and Mrs. Weasley cried out, "Hello Harry!" and gave him a hug. Harry broke out of it and asked, "May I come in, Ma'am?" Mrs. Weasley waved him to enter and spoke loudly, "Arthur, Harry's here." Soon enough, Harry found himself surrounded by the Weasley clan as Ron came up and clapped him on the back, saying, "Hello, Harry!" Hermione came up and gave him a hug, and Fred and George laughed and welcomed him.
Arthur asked, "So, what brings you around, Harry?" Harry smiled and replied, "Dumbledore gave me permission to spend the week with you until school starts. You don't mind if I…."
"Heavens no! You are always welcome, here Harry." This was Mrs. Weasley, who pulled Harry into the house and promptly led him to the kitchen table where she conjured a plate and kitchenware from the cupboards, and started piling his plate with food. Harry, while he had been better fed then he had been in previous summers, nevertheless enjoyed Mrs. Weasley and dug in with a gusto as Ron and the twins first carried Harry's kit up to Ron's room (after waving Harry to sit down and eat).
Mrs. Weasley asked, "So tell us Harry, just what have you done since we saw you in Wales? You were owling us often, but tell us anyways?" Harry swallowed the bit of stew he had in his mouth and started telling them about his time with his uncle, mostly learning new spells and physical training. There was no way short of castration and disembowelment would he have told them of his time at Meg's. He also couldn't tell them (yet) of his new position as student Head of Security. Hermione mentioned briefly that she had been selected to be Prefect, whilst Dean Thomas had been the male Prefect for Gryfinndor house. "I can't see though why you didn't, Harry!" she fussed.
Harry shrugged, and asked, "Any news? About You-Know-Who?" Arthur looked unhappy as he related that beyond recovering the body of Crouch (it had taken almost two months of excavating Hagrid's front yard in order to find the bone which Crouch had been transfigured into), things were absolutely quiet. "One thing that is worrying is Amos. Poor man seems to think anyone who even mentions the possibility the Dark Lord has returned is a potential trouble-maker."
It took Harry a minute that he was talking about Amos Diggory; Cedric Diggory's father.
Harry decided not to tell them of his dream and asked if he could go ahead and change. Mrs. Weasley told him to go ahead, and Ginny and Hermione followed them as they went to the girl's room. Harry followed talking with Ron and the twins about the upcoming Quidditch season.
The Triwizard Tournament last year had canceled the last year's Quidditch season, and Fred and George predicted that the year would be spent rebuilding the Gryffindor team as Alicia Spinnet, Katie Bell, Angelina Johnson, and the Weasely twins were all in their seventh year. It also didn't help they were also missing a Keeper after Oliver Wood graduated. In other words, after this upcoming season, the only member of the team left would be Harry, and if nothing else the twins thought in the long term.
Harry listened to them as they crowded into Ron's room, and thought the problem through as he pulled out a set of pajamas and started to change. It was then he heard Ron call to him, "Harry, what's that on your shoulder there?" Harry turned his head and didn't see anything and asked Ron, "What?" Fred got up and looked at the junction where his neck and shoulder connected, and laughed, "So what lucky lady have you been seeing? Someone we know?" George had pulled forth a small looking glass and held it out to Harry, grinning, "Whoever she is, she is close. Close enough to leave behind teeth prints." Ron came by and looked, "No way! Who is she?"
Harry went over to his chest, opened it and pulled out a small hand mirror. Looking into it, and standing next to the mirror George was holding, Harry swore violently. Sure enough, he had a bright red hickie. With teeth marks; deep, visible teeth marks.
Ron asked, rather jealously Harry thought, "So what's her name? She must be on pretty friendly terms with to snoog with you to that extent." Fred asked, "So how far did you go? A petting? A good, long feel? A…"
Harry decided to shock them into silence. "Good evening in the sheets." For once, the twins were speechless as Ron stared at him open-mouthed. Fred asked first, "Who is she? How did you meet her? How…"
"All right, just give me a moment." Harry finished changing, and pulled out the smaller chest Hermione had sent him. Opening it, he pulled out a small photograph and handed it over to them, where they proceeded to gape at it. Harry wasn't surprised for the day before he had left, he had taken a group picture of all the girls at Meg's, all of them looking their finest, and all of them looked as fabulous as Harry lounged with a huge smile in the center of them. All of them were waving cheerfully at the cameraman. Ron spoke, "Wow…Which one was she Harry?"
Harry sighed and pointed to Alice. "The brown-haired one in the green dress. She was my first one, though by up to day before yesterday I enjoyed each of them."
Not letting them say anything, Harry continued, "You see, after I came back from Wales, my uncle and Sirius thought I should become a man and Alex took me…" he told them, as quickly and dispassionately as he could, about enjoying the favors of various women at Meg's brothel in Soho. After he finished, Fred spoke first, "Shocking, Harry, shocking!" George butted in, "Indeed, a member of Gryffindor house having to solicit favors from… What does our mom call them, Fred, scarlet women?" Ron looked at him with what was equal parts shock, and awe.
Fred pulled a quill and bit of parchment from one Ron's book bag, and started asking, "Now, in order to ensure that you don't visit this scurrilous establishment again, myself and Mr. George Weasley."
"That's me."
"Require every detail of said establishment. Specifically, the names of the girls,
"The Madam."
"Price range for people such as yourself."
"Most importantly, how to get to said establishment without being caught by Mr. and Mrs. Weasley."
Harry burst out laughing, and the Weasley boys joined him in his laughter, and started piling, on wrestling with each other. After a minute, Harry calmed down, and asked, "You promise not to tell anyone? The last thing I need is for it to become common knowledge over the world that…"
"The Boy Who Lived enjoys the favors of so many women? Kind of like that one song we saw on that muggle video, The Bawdy Adventures of Tom Jones?" Fred asked.
George broke into verse.
All the ladies in the county come to know him one-by-one! He provides the kind of loving that can keep a woman young"I don't think I knew all the women in London, George," Harry replied dryly. All of them laughed once more as Ron asked, "So tell me, Harry how did it feel like? I mean, I've asked these two," he pointed to his brothers, "and all they tell me is to wait my turn, and not be impatient."
"Yeah, you know how long it took me to work my way into Angelina's knickers? I almost wound up not getting any thanks to having to watch out for you at the Yule Ball, Ron." Fred retorted sharply. George laughed, and it Ron looked like he was going to answer, but Harry cut him off, "Well, Ron, let me just say that it feels good, damn good. But since I usually took a draught of the Eros potion before I went to 'bed', your head will usually kill you when the morning comes around."
"Anyhow, you guys promise not to tell anyone else about this?"
They nodded and Ron joked, "Hell, Harry, you're as much of a brother to me and the rest of the family. Well, except for Ginny and we all know who she is impressed with." Fred and George laughed as Harry looked down at his feet for a moment, and quipped back to Ron, "Yeah, and we all know who you are impressed with, you prat."
Ron looked at him, "Who?"
Fred laughed, "Don't be stupid, Ron, everyone knows you have been rather, smitten isn't it? By Hermione."
"Yeah," George talked, "All you did this summer was bitch about Krum this and Hermione that. Shit, Ron, Mom's side really shown out in you."
Ron started to turn as red as his hair, and Harry decided to help him out by changing the topic, "So, no telling, and now let's figure out the problem of next season's Quidditch lineup."
Fred and George took the bait as they began discussing possible contenders, including Ron. Ron meanwhile, looked over at Harry with a look of profound thanks. Harry nodded and joined in the discussion.
"Now, why not use that one sixth year as a reserve Chaser, Mandrake isn't it? You know, the one with the curly hair."
Harry leaned back on his bed in Ron's room and smiled contentedly. Here were his friends, and his family, and he had missed them during much of his summer holiday.
* * *
The next several days Harry spent with the Weasley's were fun, and just what Harry needed after the rather mature nature of, as Alex had put it "Training hard, drinking hard, fighting hard, and fucking hard. The Army Way, Harry." Harry spent his time playing Quidditch, helping Ron out with his homework (Hermione had been surprised and delighted that he had already done all of his homework, and seemed to been brought up to speed in Arithmancy and Potions in a mere three weeks), and helping Mr. Weasley out with his latest muggle project: getting a toaster, percolator, and stove set to work properly. He had already destroyed the oven twice trying to make it work, and destroyed as many coffee pots after over heating the percolator.
Harry also got the chance to see Ron and Ginny in action at Quidditch. While both of them used older Comet class brooms, they nevertheless flew quite well. Ginny, with her small frame, appeared to have the potential to be a damn good seeker, whilst Ron, to put a face on it, could and did take great deals of punishment, making him ideal as Keeper for the team. Harry mentioned this to Fred and George, who were in constant contact with the rest of the team preparing for the next season. Both of them agreed on Ron, but didn't seem to think much about using Ginny, as they believed Harry was going to be Gryffindor Seeker for the next season. Harry didn't think he could tell them quite yet that with his new duties, and decided to let them know when the time came.
Thursday came by and Harry, Ron, Hermione, the twins, and Ginny caught the Floo to Diagon Alley and landed in the Leaky Cauldron. From there, using the lists that they had received the other day via owl post, they set about buying the books, potion ingredients, and assorted sundries needed for the upcoming school year. After a quick visit to Gringots Wizard Bank (Harry had been pleased to see that the joke shop business was enough to fill out the Weasley family coffers) Harry went with Ron as they got their school robes tailored while Ginny and Hermione went off somewhere, promising to meet up with the boys at Florian Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. Fred and George, telling them that they would meet them there also once they took care of some business matters with Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, likewise took off for parts unknown.
Harry and Ron had just been trying on their new robes when Harry, heard something, held up his hand, and motioned for Ron to shut up. They were in the rear of the shop, but could hear the proprietor speaking with another customer at the front desk.
"That will be twenty galleons, sir, for four complete sets of black witch's robes with the following dimensions of…?"
"I gave you the sizes needed on parchment. I didn't wish for them to be broadcast over the wireless." It was the voice Harry probably despised the most in the world: that of Severus Snape, a rival of his father, a man to whom grudges apparently extended to that rival's offspring and the offspring's friends, and Professor of Potions at Hogwarts. Ron shut up and made a face at Harry. Harry put a finger to his lips and motioned for Ron to be silent as Snape, without another word paid the tailor and left with a curt, "Good day," to the proprietor.
Harry and Ron changed into their street clothes, paid for their robes and left for Florians. Ron asked, "I wonder who he was buying those robes for?" Harry shrugged, "Maybe he swings both ways, eh? He gets his jollies off of getting dressed as a woman, or a sixteen year old girl?" The two of them laughed at this and went over to the ice cream parlor where they waited for everyone to show up. While they waited, they ran into Neville Longbottom, who had just gotten done shopping and was waiting to meet up with Harry at Florians.
Together the boys talked about Snape ordering female school robes, and generally had a hearty laugh when Hermione and Ginny showed up, loaded with bags of clothes, books, and school supplies. "Hi Neville, what brings you here?" This was Hermione, as she sat down and ordered a chocolate shake from Florian as Ginny ordered a strawberry soda. Neville shrugged and explained, "Nothing much, just here to get my school kit. Hey, I heard you and Dean are Gryffindor Prefects this year. Congrats." Hermione replied, "It's nothing, but I still think Harry should have gotten it." Harry laughed and was about to reply when Ron swore. Harry asked, "What's wrong, Ron?" Ron replied, " I forgot I needed to buy some more Owl Treats as I ran out. Looks like I'll have to go over to Eeylops and buy some more." Hermione spoke up, "I'll go with you as they have this new shop for cats next door and I want to see if it is any better then the Magical Menagerie." Ron got up and told them he would be back, as Hermione followed close behind.
Neville looked at Harry and smiled, "Hey Harry, I dropped my wand off over at Ollivander's to get this knick in it repaired, I'll be back in a few after I pick it up." With that, Neville got up and walked off. Harry looked over at Ginny, smiled (which caused her to flush), and asked, "So, how are you and the redoubtable Colin Creevy doing?" Ginny suddenly looked down, and replied softly, "Fine, we are doing just…fine." There was a subdued tone to her now, and this worried Harry. Ginny was a friend, and the sister to some of his best mates. "Ginny, is something wrong?" Harry had an edge of concern in his voice now. She doesn't look like he beat her, but if he had, heaven help him for I sure as fuck won't! Harry thought furiously. Instinctively, he laid a hand on Ginny's without realizing what he was doing. Ginny looked up for a moment, and Harry gently spoke, "Ginny, I've known you almost four years, and I trust you as one of my best friends. If something is wrong, please tell me about it." Harry lightly held on to her hand, inwardly marveling how soft, and warm and small, and feminine it felt. The last time I felt a hand like this it was…No! She is your best friend's sister, and already taken! Harry thought to himself, as he realize how this would look if Ron or Hermione or the twins or even if Neville came back early.
Ginny must have realized this as well for she gently pulled her hand away from his and folded it upon her other one. She looked at him, and asked pleadingly, "Promise you won't tell anyone? I don't want my brothers to know about how things are with me and Colin." Harry nodded, "All right, but only if it isn't about him beating you for if he has, I'll…" He left that unsaid as Ginny replied surprisingly, "Beating? No, no, it isn't anything like that, it's…" She breathed and sighed deeply, "I think Colin's is seeing someone else." Harry, who had had a bit of heartache himself the previous year (though not over Hermione like the Daily Prophet insinuated. That had been Ron.), understood how she was feeling and replied, " Are you sure? I mean, you two do live quite a bit apart and his father is a muggle so it isn't as though it would be as easy as school to visit you?" Ginny shook her head, "It's not that, it's just that ever since the summer began and after we came back from Wales, things just seem to have changed. We still talk, but he seems evasive, distant, almost formal. We also argue and bicker over the most things, and we just drift apart more and more." Harry waited until she stopped and asked, "Then why don't you break it off? I mean, if things aren't working that good, then…"
"I know, I know should; it's just that every time I think I should, he seems to get all the more sweeter and I change my mind. I don't know what else to do." She stopped and sipped from her soda. Harry looked at her, and told her, "Listen, I can't really tell you what to do as I myself, as you know, haven't exactly a sterling love life." Ginny giggled slightly at this as Harry continued, "So, the best I can do is to be someone to talk to if you need. Never hesitate to ask. Okay?" Ginny smiled slightly and nodded as Neville, Hermione, Ron, and the twins arrived. Fred asked, "Right, everyone ready to go?" Harry nodded, but first pointed to Hermione's shake, "Yeah, but I think maybe Hermione might want to finish her shake, slightly melted as it is." Hermione ordered another one in a paper goblet with an anti-spilling charm on it and together the group finished their shopping. They said goodbye to Neville (who had to Floo back to Lancashire) and went back to the Burrow, where they began preparing for school.
Which would begin the next Sunday.