Harry Potter and his Seventh Year

Chapter Four: Shopping and Birthday Fun

OK EVERYONE, WE ARE DONE WITH INTRODUCING NEW CHARACTERS INTO THIS STORY, AND WILL START HAVING FUN. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW LONG THIS STORY IS GOING TO BE, BUT IT WILL COVER HIS SEVENTH YEAR, AND WE ARE NO WHERE NEAR THE START OF IT YET. I AM GLAD THAT YOU ALL ARE ENJOYING THIS, AND I WOULD LOVE TO RECOMMEND THE HARRY POTTER FOUR PART SERIES OF STORIES BY CINDRA, WHO HAPPENS TO BE THE ONE THAT INSPIRED ME TO WRITE THIS STORY WHILE READING THAT SERIES.

Harry, Dudley, Hermione and Mandy were getting ready to head out to do their shopping, and have fun with their friends before heading out to their new living quarters for the last month. They were deciding on what they were going to do, while Harry got dressed, and decided that they were going to go to Diagon Alley, and then do some shopping in Muggle London going out to eat and the Cinema while they were there. Harry came out of the bathroom ready to go, so they headed down to Hermione's new car. They said their good-byes to the grownups, saying that they will be back before dinner.

As they piled into the car, Harry and Hermione in the front, and Dudley and Mandy in the back, they headed out. Dudley was surprised by his mother and father to be given a Vault key to his own Vault at Gringotts. "That's great Dudley, now you have your own money for school supply's and stuff like that." Harry smiled at his cousin who was looking at it with awe. "I think you will like the Goblins and the Dragons." He grinned and chuckled at the look on his cousins face.

Hermione smacked Harry on the shoulder telling him to behave. She then looked at Dudley with a sweet smile. "Don't worry Dudley, you will meet Goblins, but the Dragon's will only bother you if you try to steal from the bank. I know you won't do that, so you have no worries then." She was in a better mood now that she had gotten to know Dudley over the last month or so.

Mandy smiled at them and fingered her own key that her Aunt had given her. "Looks like we all have out own vaults to get money at. That way we won't have to worry about money.' She gave Dudley a quick kiss on the cheek, and they piled into Hermione's car. Harry and Hermione were in front, while Dudley and Mandy climbed into the back.

"So guys, what do you think we will be learning over the next year/month that we're down in that room? I mean I know that it will be a lot easier to teach you and Mandy all the stuff you need to know to be in your seventh years at Hogwart's over a year, than it would over a month, but I think I want to be able to have some fun also." Harry was talking to them, while looking over his shoulder at them.

"I don't know Harry, but I am looking forward to going to Hogwart's with you guys. I don't know why, but I have always been a little bit jealous of you after you got your first letter, and now that I can go also, it is great." Dudley smiled and watched the scenery go by as they zoomed down the motorway.

"I agree Dudley, I can't wait to see the castle. My Aunt has told me stories about when she learned about it from her siblings, and their stories about going to school there. This is going to be so much fun. So do we go to Diagon Alley first, or do we want to do our shopping in Muggle London first? Wait, don't you have an appointment today for your Aparition test Harry?" Mandy had thought that he had talked about that earlier this summer about some kind of big test he had to take on his birthday, now that she knew the truth, she figured that it was for Aparation.

Harry slapped his head and chuckled. "Thank you Mandy, I had completely forgotten about that. We need to stop by the Ministry of Magic first Hermione, so that I can take my test. It shouldn't take that long, and once I'm done with it, we can go about our shopping and day of fun. Why don't the three of you head off to Diagon Alley while I take my test, and I will meet you at the Leaky Cauldron when you get there." He was positive that he would pass his test, and even if he couldn't, he could always floo there. He was so positive that he could do this, that he wasn't worried. He wouldn't be leaving anything behind, and he would do well. He was going to go into this with a positive attitude.

Hermoine looked at him with a smile and nodded. "Ok Harry, we will leave you at the Ministry, and meet you at the Leaky Cauldron . We can have lunch there, and then go about our shopping." They drove on in relative silence to London, listening to one of Hermione's CD's and singing badly off key to it, well the guys were singing off key, but the girls had beautiful voices of course. When they got to the MOM building's phone booth, Hermione gave Harry a kiss for good luck, and he went down into the depths of the building.

'So guys, shall we head into London and the Leaky Cauldron to wait for Harry?" Hermione wasn't a least bit worried, for she knew that this was just really a formality, and as long as Harry kept his cool, and didn't loose any major body parts, he would be fine. Aparation was actually pretty easy, once you took the course that they offered, that's why Dudley and Mandy couldn't take their test right now.

"So you think he will be ok Mione?" Mandy didn't have any idea what the test was like, only having heard some of the horror stories of people splinching themselves really badly or something like that. She didn't think Harry would have that problem, but wanted to be sure of it.

"Don't worry, Harry will be fine. Once you two take the small 2 week course, you can go get your license also. You will take the course over the month that we're in the room, and then come back and take the test right before we go to Hogwart's of course. That way it will be easier getting around when we're on vacations and all."

When the three of them got to the Leaky Cauldron, they saw their other friends. Ron and Ginny Weasley, Draco Malfoy and Luna Lovegood were sitting there having lunch, and probably waiting for them. "Hermione, how good to see you. Where's Harry? Wasn't he supposed to be coming here with you?" Ron hugged his best friend, and wondered where his other one was.

"Don't worry Ron, he will be here at any time, he had to do his Aparation test today, so we left him off at the Ministry to do that, then he was going to meet us here. Isn't he here yet?" She looked around for Harry, but couldn't find him anywhere. –Must have had a line up of people to be tested today, and he will be here at any moment.– She thought to herself wisely. She wasn't going to worry about him until it was more like a few hours instead of a few minutes that he was late. "Oh I'm so sorry, Draco, Ginny, Ron, Luna, this is Harry's cousin Dudley and his girlfriend Mandy. They just found out that they're magical also, but had a spell on them making them look like squibs. We're going to be teaching them about magic and stuff so that they can join us in our seventh year. Have you guys heard from Dumbledore yet?"

They shook their heads no, but then four envelopes dropped into their laps with a Phoenix feather, and they opened them up immediately, reading them. They got grins on their faces and looked at Hermione to see if it were true. She nodded and they let out woops of joy. "Well this explains how we're going to be teaching them in a month, what would usually take a year for them to learn." Draco/s eyes were sparkling now with joy. He was going to be spending a year in the Elven Realms with his Ginny and their friends, and it would only be like they were gone a month in this realm.

"I guess he had to talk to our parents first, but got permission for Ginny and Luna to join us in this, so it's going to be fun," Ron looked happy and gave Luna a kiss, before going back to his lunch, "So when do we go down there Mione?"

"I think that we will be joining Harry's relatives for dinner tonight, then go down there afterwords. That means we will be getting all our books and stuff today, and doing all our shopping. Do all of you have enought money for your shopping and stuff?" Hermione wasn't just enquiring about them, she was just being curious, and wondering if she needed to take out more money than she was.

Ron knew that she was referring to Ginny and himself mostly, and he loved her for it. "We have plenty of money. We have been working at Fred and Georges all summer, and have plenty saved up for different things, and then there was the monetary gifts for getting the Order of Merlin for when we defeated Voldemort." Ron smiled and chuckled at that. Not just a year ago, he wasn't able to say his name without shuddering, now that he was gone, he had no problems saying it, just like everyone else in the wizadring world.

Harry soon joined them again, and smiled as he kissed Hermione hello. "Hey guys, passed with flying colors. So are you all ready for a day of shopping and fun?" He smiled as he shook his friends hands, and hugged the girls.

Draco looked at him and Hermione and got a grin on his face. "Finally you two, when did you two get together?" He chuckled at the thought, and hugged Ginny next to him as they sat there.

"Officially, it was as of this morning, thank you Draco. Harry finally got the nerve up to ask me to be his girlfriend at breakfast this morning. There are so many things that we found out today, and it is going to be fun for then next month, which is going to be a year in their time." Hermione was happy and wondering what things they were going to be learning while in the Elven Realms.

Ginny was sitting there thinking while they were talking. "You do know that we're going to be on our own together for a year, and their trusting us a whole awful lot. I mean there might not be much to worry about for Harry and Hermione, but I know that Draco and I, and Luna and Ron have been dating for some time now. I know that we won't be doing anything really that would take and make them mistrust us, but what brought them around to trust us? They wouldn't have done something like this before." She was wondering if they were going to have chaperones or something like that. "Do you know whether or not any adults will be coming with us or not?" She looked at Harry and Hermione, along with Dudley and Mandy, considering that those four seemed to know what was going on.

"Oh you mean like Sirius, or my parents or someone like that Ginny?" Harry kept a straight face when he said this, they didn't know that they were back from the dead, or never actually died.

"Yah like those... Wait what are you talking about Harry, your parents and Sirius are dead, aren't they?' Ginny, Ron, Luna and Draco looked at them with wide eyes waiting for an answer.

Harry just grinned at them and shrugged. "You will all find out tonight. Now let's go do our shopping, then we're going to go see a movie in the muggle cinema." He got up, and paid for their lunches, before heading out the back to Diagon Alley.

They spent a memorable day spending money, shopping, and enjoying the cinema. They had their pockets and the trunk of Hermione's car full of purchases by the time they made it back to the Dursley's for dinner. They were all pleasantly surprised to see Sirius, James and Lily, along with finding out the different things about Vernon Dursley. They decided that they were going to be spending the night in between the three bedrooms, Dudley's, Harry's and the guest room, and leave for the Elven realms in the morning. They slept well that night, and got up bright and early, packing their trunks and stuff with everything they had, shrinking them down to fit into their pockets to be able to go. They had a hearty breakfast, and met at the door to the basement. "Ok everyone, this is where the adventure starts." Harry smiled at the others, and opened the door and they made their way down the staircase to the big double doors.

OK THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE THE ELVEN REALMS AND ALL THE TRAINING FOR DUDLEY AND MANDY. ONE THING, I SAID THAT ONE MONTH IN THE REAL WORLD IS ONE YEAR IN THE ELVEN REALM. WELL WHAT I ACTUALLY MEANT IS THAT IT IS 30 DAYS EQUALS A YEAR IN THE ELVEN REALM, OR IN OTHER WORDS, 1 MONTH EQUALS 2 ½ DAYS IN OUR WORLD. NEXT CHAPTER THE ELVEN REALMS. I AM GOING TO BE TRYING TO HAVE A CHAPTER OUT EVERY MONDAY, WENSDAY AND FRIDAY. GIVING ME THE DAYS IN BETWEEN TO WRITE THE NEXT CHAPTER.