(A/N: Another chapter waiting for you to read it. Sorry, I scratched out the part of a guest star coming in. It would just be a little too confusing. For me. On with the story! –plugs in an electric guitar and plays the theme song of the story-)
"Well, this was an exciting journey," James said, having already changed his pants.
"Yeah, exciting," Lily said, also having changed her pants. "I've never had so many near-death experiences in a month."
"You've never had a near death experience before," Remus reminded her.
"Anyway, it was exciting," James said. "Meeting my son and his friends, facing spiders, centaurs and giants, getting saved by the giant, meeting Viktor's family, fighting that spastic blonde lunatic, (A/N: Sorry, all Draco fans) and then, sending him off to jail."
Ron listened to them, a grin plastered onto his face. He thought they would never get to China in time. He was wrong, luckily, utterly, fortunately wrong. He shoved his hands in his pockets as they continued to walk towards the Portkey stand, happiness etched all over his face. Ever since the itching powder incident, he and Hermione had made up. Ron found out that Viktor wasn't so bad. Viktor and Remus were only Hermione's friends and didn't intend to be any more.
Having realised his mistake, he had become friends with Viktor and stopped calling him Vicky, there weren't any more uncomfortable glances from Hermione when they were walking side by side, and everything was good with the group, well, for Ron, exactly.
"What are you smiling about?" Hermione asked, laughing.
"What are you laughing about?" Ron asked, smiling at her.
"If I tell you, will you tell me?" Hermione asked.
"'Kay," Ron said.
Both of them each took a deep breath and said, "You." Both of them laughed and smiled at each other. The rest of the group were getting used to the lovey-dovey stuff and treated their laughing as though it was a daily event, which it was.
"Just a few more steps and well get a Portkey to China," Viktor said.
"Which part of China, exactly?" Sirius asked.
"Shanghai," James said, checking the map.
"Yay," Lily said.
Harry began to see the stall more clearly and examined it. The stall was just a wooden desk, similar to those of teachers, with a banner across it saying, 'Portkeys.' There was a small rack on the right, consisting of magazines, translation books and newspapers which cost a Sickle each. There was another rack on the left of the desk, this one, consisting of boots, pieces of paper and used kettles. The man at the desk had long dark brown hair which was tied up messily into a ponytail. He had a hard, square-ish face with dark blue eyes which looked at the lot intently. He was dressed in patchy, torn, blue robes and a lime green bowler hat which reminded Harry of Cornelius Fudge, the former Minister of Magic.
"Ve vould like a Portkey," Viktor said.
"I see," the man said in a hoarse voice. "They cost a Knut per person. Where, may I ask, do you intend to go to?"
"Shanghai, China," Lily said as Hermione took out a bag of Knuts from her satchel and began to count them.
"Know how to speak the language?" the man asked. "I have a few translation books here."
"No, we do not know the language," Sirius said.
"Here," Hermione said, putting ten Knuts and a Sickle on the table. "A Portkey for ten to Shanghai, China and no thanks to the book offer."
The man shrugged, took the money and put it in a used tin tobacco container filled with coins. He, then, took a kettle and took out his wand. He pointed it at the bottom-burnt kettle and muttered, "Portus." The kettle glowed blue and trembled noisily against the rickety desk for a few seconds, then became still once more.
The man, then laid back in his chair and said, "Grab it on the count of three, one two three!"
Harry grabbed the kettle, as well as the others; he felt the familiar sensation of a being jerked behind his navel. The man, the small stall disappeared in a whirlwind of colour and sound. A whooshing sound filled his ears as the tops of temples and Chinese buildings came into view. It was daybreak and nobody was around to see the unusual sight of nine British teenagers and a young adult Bulgarian Quiddich player fall to the dusty ground, right in front of a typical looking Chinese home, all of them clutching hold of a used kettle/Portkey.
"Okay," James said, groggily getting up to his feet. "I never want to try that, again."
"Hey, Prongsy," Sirius said, looking at James with tired eyes. "Since when you had a twin brother?"
"Since he fought the giant peanut butter sandwich!" Remus said, enthusiastically.
"Honestly, haven't you two have any eyes?" Lily asked. "There are clearly four of him."
"I don't think they ever travelled by a Portkey before," Harry said.
"Come one, you lot," Ron said, snapping his finger in front of Sirius's eyes. "Wake up, wake up."
James, Lily, Sirius and Remus snapped back to reality as soon as Ron snapped his finger for the fifth time. All of them looked dazed and confused. "Here," Hermione said, handing them some clothes.
"Why do we have to wear these?" Ron asked as he looked at a pair of Muggle jeans.
"Cause," Hermione said. "Wizard robes don't look too normal in a Muggle town don't it?"
"True," Sirius said.
After all of them had changed in a secluded spot…
"So," Lily said, smoothing down the front of her red shirt which bore the double happiness character. "Where do we go from here?"
"Um, guys," James said, turning the map upside-down. "I think we made a slight mistake on the Portkey."
"What!" everyone said, disbelievingly.
"We were supposed to go to Kashgar, but instead, we went to Shanghai which is on the other side of China," James said. "These Chinese characters are so hard to read."
"Bloody hell, bloody hell," Ron muttered continuously under his breath.
"You mean we would have to cross the second biggest country in the world?" Hermione asked.
"Looks like it," Lily said, crossing her arms. "Another James Potter mess-up."
"So, should we get started?" Harry asked.
"We can't," James said.
"Vhy?" Viktor asked.
"The map has suddenly changed into Chinese," James said, showing the map. The words next to the dots, symbolising the cities and states, has suddenly turned into Mandarin.
"Well, this is shit," Sirius said, kicking a small rock that was on the ground.
"It most certainly is," Lily said. "That is, until we find a translator."
"Vhy did you turn down the book offer, Herm-own-ninny?" Viktor asked.
"Because I looked through the books," Hermione said. "I've went to China once, you know, and I learned what not to say in Mandarin. The book was a fake. Someone had scribbled in Chinese swears in it."
"Well, until we find a translator," Fred said.
"We might as well enjoy China," George said.
"And maybe we can find a translator on the way," Fred said, cutting off Hermione as she opened her mouth.
"But, Harry, doh!" Hermione stuttered.
"Hermione, calm down, we have another six months," Lily said slowly, grabbing Hermione's shoulders. "Anyway, what can a couple of hours of fun do?" she added cheerfully.
Hermione sighed. "I supposed you're right," she said, smiling. "I'm just a little tensed that we have no idea what the map says and that we're on the other side of-"
Lily sighed and shook Hermione's shoulders, almost making her teeth rattle. "Two hours of fun and then, on with the journey, okay?" she asked, as though trying to persuade a five year old. Hermione silently nodded.
Lily took the satchel and looked inside, she smiled. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Chinese Muggle money," she said, taking out notes from the bag.
"This bag does settle our every need," Hermione said as Lily divided the money between them.
"And let the shopping spree begin!" Lily said.
"And don't forget the prank war," the twins said, counting their share. "It's a new day, for fun and pranks and maybe a dare."
"You're on!" James said, shoving the money into his pocket.
(A/N: I know this chapter is a little boring, but don't fret, more unexpected events are coming into Harry and the gang's way…)