The Alexander Chronicles Year 4: The Return of Darkness.
Chapter 6: Camping
…
Alex disentangled himself from Hermione, who was blushing madly and quickly got to his feet. "Sorry about that," Hermione said and looked away, as she got up as well.
Alex smiled and looked around. They had arrived on what appeared to be a deserted stretch of misty moor. In front of them was a pair of tired and grumpy-looking wizards, one of whom was holding a large gold watch, the other a thick roll of parchment and a quill. Both were dressed as Muggles, though very inexpertly: The man with the watch wore a tweed suit with thigh-length galoshes; his colleague, a kilt and a poncho.
"Morning, Basil," said Mr. Weasley, picking up the boot and handing it to the kilted wizard, who threw it into a large box of used Portkeys beside him; Alex looked at the box and could see an old newspaper, an empty drinks can, a pizza box, and a punctured football.
"Hello there, Arthur," the man called Basil said wearily. "Not on duty, eh? It's all right for some… We've been here all night… You'd better get out of the way, we've got a big party coming in from the Black Forest at five fifteen. Hang on, I'll find your campsite… Weasley… Weasley…" He consulted his parchment list. "About a quarter of a mile's walk over there, first field you come to. Site manager's called Mr. Roberts. Diggory… second field… ask for Mr. Payne."
"Thanks, Basil," said Mr. Weasley, and he beckoned everyone to follow him. They set off across the deserted moor, unable to make out much through the mist.
After about twenty minutes, a small stone cottage next to a gate swam into view. Beyond it, Alex could just make out the ghostly shapes of hundreds and hundreds of tents, rising up the gentle slope of a large field toward a dark wood on the horizon. They said good-bye to the Diggory's and approached the cottage door. A man was standing in the doorway, looking out at the tents.
Alex knew at a glance that this was the only real Muggle for several acres. When he heard their footsteps, he turned his head to look at them.
"Morning!" said Mr. Weasley brightly.
"Morning," said the Muggle.
"Would you be Mr. Roberts?"
"Aye, I would," said the muggle who apparently was Mr. Roberts. "And who're you?"
"Weasley - two tents, booked a couple of days ago?"
"Aye," said Mr. Roberts, consulting a list tacked to the door. "You've got a space up by the wood there. Just the one night?"
"That's it," said Mr. Weasley.
"You'll be paying now, then?" Mr. Roberts asked looking at them, it was clear from his face that it wasn´t a question.
"Ah - right - certainly -" Mr. Weasley said. He retreated a short distance from the cottage and beckoned Harry towards him. "Help me, Harry," Alex heard him mutter, pulling a roll of Muggle money from his pocket and starting to peel the notes apart. "This one's a - a - a ten? Ah yes, I see the little number on it now… So this is a five?"
"No it is a twenty," Harry answered as Alex looked at Mr. Roberts, feeling annoyed at the muggle for some reason.
"You foreign?" said Mr. Roberts as Harry and Mr. Weasley returned with the correct notes.
"Foreign?" repeated Mr. Weasley, puzzled.
"You're not the first one who's had trouble with money," said Mr. Roberts, scrutinizing Mr. Weasley closely. "I had two try and pay me with great gold coins the size of hubcaps ten minutes ago."
"Did you really?" said Mr. Weasley nervously.
Mr. Roberts rummaged around in a tin for some change. "Never been this crowded," he said suddenly, looking out over the misty field again. "Hundreds of pre-bookings. People usually just turn up…"
Alex snorted as he looked away wishing they could be going instead of being delayed by a nosy muggle.
"Is that right?" said Mr. Weasley, his hand held out for his change, but Mr. Roberts didn't give it to him.
"Aye," he said thoughtfully. "People from all over. Loads of foreigners. And not just foreigners. Weirdos, you know? There's a bloke walking 'round in a kilt and a poncho."
"Shouldn't he?" said Mr. Weasley anxiously.
"It's like some sort of… I dunno… like some sort of rally," said Mr. Roberts. "They all seem to know each other. Like a big party."
At that moment, a wizard in plus fours appeared out of thin air next to Mr. Roberts's front door.
"Obliviate!" he said sharply, pointing his wand at Mr. Roberts, shocking all the teens.
Instantly, Mr. Roberts's eyes slid out of focus, his brows unknitted, and a look of dreamy unconcern fell over his face. Alex eyes narrowed as he watched closely at the man's expression. Mr. Roberts´ memory had been modified. Had it been the same spell that had been used on him. Had his mother just entered his room had placed the charm on him or had he asked her to do it?
"A map of the campsite for you," Mr. Roberts said placidly to Mr. Weasley, bringing Alex out of his thoughts. "And your change."
"Thanks very much," said Mr. Weasley.
The wizard in plus fours accompanied them toward the gate to the campsite. He looked exhausted: His chin was blue with stubble and there were deep purple shadows under his eyes. Once out of earshot of Mr. Roberts, he muttered to Mr. Weasley, "Been having a lot of trouble with him. Needs a Memory Charm ten times a day to keep him happy. And Ludo Bagman's not helping. Trotting around talking about Bludgers and Quaffles at the top of his voice, not a worry about anti-Muggle security Blimey, I'll be glad when this is over. See you later, Arthur." With those words, he disappeared.
"I thought Mr. Bagman was Head of Magical Games and Sports," Ginny said, looking surprised. "He should know better than to talk about Bludgers near Muggles, shouldn't he?"
"He should," said Mr. Weasley, smiling, and leading them through the gates into the campsite, just as they left Alex glanced at Mr. Roberts who looked confused. Alex snorted and looked back at Mr., Weasley, who had continued talking.
"But Ludo's always been a bit…well…lax about security. You couldn't wish for a more enthusiastic head of the sports department though. He played Quidditch for England himself, you know. And he was the best Beater the Wimbourne Wasps ever had."
They trudged up the misty field between long rows of tents. Most looked almost ordinary; their owners had clearly tried to make them as Muggle-like as possible, but had slipped up by adding chimneys, or bellpulls, or weather vanes. However, here and there was a tent so obviously magical that Alex could hardly be surprised that Mr. Roberts, or any kind of muggle, would be getting suspicious.
Halfway up the field stood an extravagant confection of striped silk like a miniature palace, with several live peacocks tethered at the entrance. Alex snorted leave it to the Malfoys to show off.
A little farther on they passed a tent that had three floors and several turrets; and a short way beyond that was a tent that had a front garden attached, complete with birdbath, sundial, and fountain.
"Always the same," said Mr. Weasley, smiling. "We can't resist showing off when we get together. Ah, here we are, look, this is us."
They had reached the very edge of the wood at the top of the field, and here was an empty space, with a small sign hammered into the ground that read WEEZLY.
"Weez...ly," Alex pointed and read aloud with a smile and a small laugh. He turned to his friends who were looking at him strangely. "What?" he said, and then walked away with a sigh, mumbling, "Well, I thought it was funny."
"Couldn't have a better spot!" said Mr. Weasley happily. "The field is just on the other side of the wood there, we're as close as we could be." He hoisted his backpack from his shoulders.
"Right," he said excitedly, "no magic allowed, strictly speaking, not when we're out in these numbers on Muggle land. We'll be putting these tents up by hand! Shouldn't be too difficult… Muggles do it all the time… Here, Harry, where do you reckon we should start?"
Harry walked over to Alex who was watching the people pass by, while Mr. Weasley started on the tent. "Uh Alex I never have gone camping before so can you help?" Harry asked, "I was just thinking that maybe your muggle father showed you how to do it."
"Yeah because he was just that kind of man who took his son camping." Alex said looking at the ground. "Or wait he took me once, along with my mother, but I was like four and a half so I can´t really remember that much. And when I went camping grandfather he used magic to fix our tents." He paused and looked at Harry, "but I can try to help, it wouldn't hurt to learn how it is done." He dropping his bag and walked over to Mr. Weasley, with Harry. Where he, Harry, Mr. Weasley and Hermione discussed how to do it, Alex wasn´t surprised that Hermione knew most of that stuff, since she had told him that she and her parents used to camp a lot.
After a while they had worked out where most of the poles and pegs should go, and though Mr. Weasley was more of a hindrance than a help, because he got thoroughly overexcited when it came to using the mallet, they finally managed to erect a pair of shabby two-man tents.
All of them stood back to admire their handiwork.
"Odd they don´t look magical." Alex thought as he looked at the tents, sure they could fit in now, but when Bill, Charlie, and Percy arrived, they would be a party of twelve, then there would be a problem. Hermione and Harry seemed to have spotted this problem too, and gave Alex a quizzical look as Mr. Weasley dropped to his hands and knees and entered the first tent.
"We'll be a bit cramped," he called, "but I think we'll all squeeze in. Come and have a look."
Alex shrugged at his two friends, thinking that it most likely was a magical tent that was bigger on the inside. Alex smiled at Harry before he bent down and entering the tent; sure enough, it was a magical one. Alex could hear Harry and Hermione gasp as they entered, and who could blame them.
It looked like an old-fashioned, three room flat, complete with bathroom and kitchen. Oddly enough, it looked more than a muggle home then a magical; however, there was a strange smell of cats.
"Well, it's not for long," said Mr. Weasley, mopping his bald patch with a handkerchief and peering in at the four bunk beds that stood in the bedroom. "I borrowed this from Perkins at the office. Doesn't camp much anymore, poor fellow, he's got lumbago." He picked up the dusty kettle and peered inside it. "We'll need water…"
"There's a tap marked on this map the Muggle gave us," said Ron, who also had entered the tent and seemed completely unimpressed by its extraordinary inner proportions. "It's on the other side of the field."
"Well, why don't you, Alex, Harry, and Hermione go and get us some water then" - Mr. Weasley handed over the kettle and a couple of saucepans - "and the rest of us will get some wood for a fire?"
"But we've got an oven," Ron said. "Why can't we just -"
"Ron, anti-Muggle security!" said Mr. Weasley, his face shining with anticipation. "When real Muggles camp, they cook on fires outdoors. I've seen them at it!"
After a quick tour of the girls' tent, which was slightly smaller than the boys', though without the smell of cats, Alex, Harry, Ron, and Hermione set off across the campsite with the kettle and saucepans.
Now, with the sun newly risen and the mist lifting, they could see the city of tents that stretched in every direction. They made their way slowly through the rows, staring eagerly around.
Their fellow campers were starting to wake up. First, to stir were the families with small children; A tiny boy no older than two was crouched outside a large pyramid-shaped tent, holding a wand and poking happily at a slug in the grass, which was swelling slowly to the size of a salami. As they drew level with him, his mother came hurrying out of the tent.
"How many times, Kevin? You don't - touch - Daddy's - wand - yecchh! "
She had trodden on the giant slug, which burst. Her scolding carried after them on the still air, mingling with the little boy's yells - "You bust slug! You bust slug!"
Alex smiled thinking how funny that scene had been, and then he wondered if things had played out different. Would he have done the same taken Sirius´ wand and charmed bugs, and been told off by his mother. Would his parents even would had be together? He knew that they only had talked about trying again that didn´t mean it would work out. Then Sirius would have been a divorce dad. Would he then have taken Alex on trips like that or would he have spent all his time with Harry.
A short way farther on, Alex noticed two little witches that brought him out of his reverie. They were barely older than Kevin, who were riding toy broomsticks that rose only high enough for the girls' toes to skim the dewy grass. A Ministry wizard had already spotted them; as he hurried past Harry, Ron, Alex, and Hermione he muttered distractedly, "In broad daylight! Parents having a lie-in, I suppose -"
All in all it seemed like wizards would always be wizards, Alex often noticed wizards and witches that with furtive looks around them, conjured fires with their wands, only a very few were striking matches with dubious looks on their faces, as they were sure this couldn't work. Three African wizards sat in serious conversation, all of them wearing long white robes and roasting what looked like a rabbit on a bright purple fire, while a group of middle-aged American witches sat gossiping happily beneath a spangled banner stretched between their tents that read: THE SALEM WITCHES' INSTITUTE.
"Er - is it my eyes, or has everything gone green?" said Ron.
It wasn't just Ron's eyes. They had walked into a patch of tents that were all covered with a thick growth of shamrocks, so that it looked as though small, oddly shaped hillocks had sprouted out of the earth. Grinning faces could be seen under those that had their flaps open.
"Wow the Irish really have out done themselves this time," Alex said looking around, just as he heard someone calling their names.
"Harry! Ron! Hermione! Alex!"
Alex looked around and smiled at his housemate and fellow fourth year Seamus Finnigan, he was sitting with another fourth year Gryffindor Dean Thomas. Both of them were sitting in front of shamrock-covered tent, also sitting there was a sandy-haired woman, whom Alex presumed was Seamus´ mother. "Do you like the decorations guys?" Seamus asked, "The only ones who had a problem so far is the Ministry."
"Ah, why shouldn't we show our colours?" said Mrs. Finnigan in her Irish accent. "You should see what the Bulgarians have got dangling all over their tents. You'll be supporting Ireland, of course?" she added, eyeing Harry, Ron, Alex, and Hermione beadily.
"Why yes Mrs. Finnigan," Alex said politely, "after all we are neighbours after all, but the Bulgarians have their charm too, so it could be 50/50."
"I am sure the Irish will win!" Mrs. Finnigan said.
"Yeah but-"before Alex could say anymore he was elbowed by Harry, "I mean so am I," he finished looking at Harry.
When they had assured her that they were indeed supporting Ireland, they set off again, though, as Ron said, "Like we'd say anything else surrounded by that lot. Oh and nice job almost saying that the Irish might lose Alex, would have been in real trouble, if Harry hadn´t been there."
"Tsk it just a fact, and I actually hope the Irish will win," Alex said, "but I don´t need any help."
"Yeah right then what would had happen if Harry hadn´t shut you up."
Alex rolled his eyes and ignored Ron, as Hermione asked, "I wonder what the Bulgarians have got dangling all over their tents?"
"Let's go and have a look," Harry said, pointing to a large patch of tents up field, where the Bulgarian flag - white, green, and red - was fluttering in the breeze. As they got closer Alex could see that the tents here may not had been bedecked with plant life, but each and every one of them had the same poster attached to it, a poster of a very surly face with heavy black eyebrows. The picture was of course, moving, but all it did was blink and scowl. Alex wasn´t really surprised that the Bulgarians had chosen to celebrate their hero in that way. It looked cool.
"Krum," Ron said quietly.
"Who?" Hermione asked.
"Krum!" Ron said again. "Viktor Krum, the Bulgarian Seeker!"
"He looks really grumpy," Hermione said, looking around at the many Krums blinking and scowling at them.
"Really grumpy?" Ron raised his eyes to the heavens. "Who cares what he looks like? He's unbelievable. He's really young too. Only just eighteen or something. He's a genius, you wait until tonight, you'll see."
After having seen the Bulgarians decoctions, the four Gryffindors found the water tap, in the corner of the field. There was already a small queue. Alex, Harry, Hermione, and Ron joined it, right behind a pair of men who were having an intense argument. One of them was a very old wizard who was wearing a long flowery nightgown. The other was clearly a Ministry wizard; he was holding out a pair of pinstriped trousers and almost crying with exasperation.
"Just put them on, Archie, there's a good chap. You can't walk around like that, the Muggle at the gate's already getting suspicious – "
"I bought this in a Muggle shop," the old wizard said stubbornly. "So that have to mean that Muggles where them."
"Yeah Muggle women wear them, but the men wear these things," the Ministry wizard said, as he brandished the pinstriped trousers.
"I'm not putting them on," old Archie said in indignation. "I like a healthy breeze 'round my privates, thanks."
Hermione was overcome with such a strong fit of the giggles at this point that they had to duck out of the queue and only returned when Archie had collected his water and moved away. Alex didn´t chuckled or cracked a smile. He found it so annoying that they had to hide like that. That was wrong. They should be proud of their magic.
Walking more slowly now, because of the weight of the water, they made their way back through the campsite. Here and there, they saw more familiar faces: other Hogwarts students with their families. Oliver Wood, the old captain of Harry's House Quidditch team, who had just left Hogwarts, dragged Harry over to his parents' tent to introduce him, and told him excitedly that he had just been signed to the Puddlemere United reserve team.
Next they were hailed by Ernie Macmillan, a Hufflepuff fourth year, then Alex said hi to Mellissa Robinson and a little farther on they saw Cho Chang, a very pretty girl who played Seeker on the Ravenclaw team. She waved and smiled at Harry, who slopped quite a lot of water down his front as he waved back as he smiled like an idiot.
It was then Alex spotted the girl he had wanted to talk to all summer. Alex smiled: Daphne looked even more beautiful than he remembered. She hadn´t seen him yet since she was in a deep conversation with Tracey.
Alex stood there not knowing what to do, should he go talk to her – did she even want to talk with him.
"Hey Alex what are you looking at?" Hermione asked.
"Huh?" Alex said looking away from Daphne and to Hermione, "oh um nothing." Alex paused, "actually could you do me a big favour?"
"It depends," Hermione said eying Daphne.
"Come on Mione you owe me since you practically forced me to tell you about my father," Alex said, not that he really cared. Sure Hermione could persistent about the things she wanted to know; actually to a point where she got too much. However if he hadn´t had wanted her to know he wouldn't have told. Still maybe he could use that to get her to leave. "Because you forced me to tell you know."
"What? You told me willingly."
"That is a matter of interpretation Hermione," Alex said, "you kind of kept asking until I told you."
"But I-"
"But it is fine; just tell the others I join up later." Alex said and smiled as he handed Hermione his bucket with water.
"So what I shall carry your water?"
Alex shrugged, "well if I catch up with I can take it back."
"I didn´t say yes, Alexander!" Hermione said not accepting the bucket.
Alex gave the best puppy eyes he could muster, "Come on you owe me for forcing me to tell you about Padfoot."
Hermione signed and took the bucket out of Alex´s hands. "Fine," she sighed, "but then I won´t hear anything more about it."
"Thanks Mione, we are even."
Hermione snorted and left. Alex turned, and watched Daphne. She was still there and she was still talking with Tracey.
How should he do this, he knew that he should tell the truth about his father and he wanted to do that. But how? Should he just walk up to her and say hi? No that wouldn't work, but there wasn´t much else to do. Alex took a deep breath, and walked towards the two girls, feeling very nervous.
Tracey spotted him first. She elbowed Daphne and pointing at him before she exclaimed "Hey Alex."
"Hey Trace" Alex said smiling at her, and then looked at Daphne, "Hey Daph."
Daphne didn´t returned the smile Alex gave her, instead she watched him with a cold expression. "Hallo Alexander."
"So how have you summer been?" he asked the two girls.
"Mine was pretty great, "Tracey said, "been a trip to Florida, seeing Blaise and hanging out with Daphne here."
"Great, what about you Daph?"
"It has been decent." She said shortly.
Alex looked at the ground, "Daphne look I uh could I just uh could I talk to you alone?"
Tracey looked from Daphne to Alex before smiling at him, "sure I have to pick something up at my tent anyway. It was seeing you here Alex."
Daphne waited until Tracey had left, "So you wanted to talk to me?"
Alex looked briefly at her before looking away "Yeah, I didn't really expected to see you here."
"Father brought the tickets," Daphne said, "I see that you have come here with the Weasleys, and I can see you are hanging out with him."
"Yeah," Alex said slowly knowing about Daphne´s feelings about Ronald. "Look I can explain that."
Daphne rose an eyebrow, "really?" she said looking at Alex expectantly.
Alex kicked the ground softly, "yeah, but it is really boring, and a long story."
"Try me, I have time."
Alex closed his eyes thinking on how to phase the next sentence. "Okay I was offered to come here by Mr. Weasley, and since this world cup is a once in a life time opportunity. Well I wasn´t about to let my problems with Ron ruin it. I don´t really hang out with him, I mostly just talk with Fred, George, Ginny, Harry and Hermione."
"Granger?" Daphne said sharply.
"Yeah," Alex said with a nod.
"So do you two spend a lot of time with each other?" Daphne asked, looking at the ground, "do you spend time alone with her as well?"
"Yeah I spend time with her." Alex said, looking at Daphne with a puzzled expression. "And sometimes it is just the two of us. I mean how could we not? We are both in Gryffindor." He paused as he noticed Daphne was glancing at him. "But it is not like we are dating or anything."
"I don´t really care IF you are dating or not Alexander. It is your life."
"Uh," Alex said looking at the ground, it made him sad for some reason that Daphne didn´t care if he was dating a girl. He would care if she were dating someone. "We are not dating."
"Sure," Daphne said.
"Look Daphne I did try to contact you this summer, but you sent the letter back unopened."
"Yeah I know," Daphne, said stamping in the ground, "You sent one bloody letter Alex. ONE LETTER!"
Alex flinched "but you didn´t answer it, so I got the message that you wanted me to leave you alone."
"That is the problem," Daphne huffed, "you don´t get it. First you didn´t want to ask me why I was angry, then you only sent one letter."
"Well but when you send a letter back unopened then the message is pretty clear. I thought that you have stopped caring."
Daphne looked annoyed, "Look Alexander first of all I do care. I was just waiting until you sent more letters to me too show that YOU cared. The only reason I didn´t respond right away was that I thought you needed to hang out and dry for a little while. But you didn´t get that."
"How am I supposed to know that you not responding to my letter means that you want more?"
"Tsk you could at least have sent one more."
"Yeah I am sorry about that, but I-"
"Yeah I know you have been busy." Daphne interrupted. "So busy that you have had time to fooling around in Diagon Ally, London and the Ministry of Magic."
"Wait how did you know?" Alex asked looking at Daphne.
"Blaise told me," Daphne said. "He thought I'd like to know that you collapsed in the Ministry and was unconscious for over an hour. He told me what you boys were doing in the Ministry."
"Look I had to know the truth, and that file was the only thing I could trust to tell the truth. I had to know if I been lied to" Alex said, as he mentally cursed Blaise for telling. "And you know what?" Alex continued, "I was."
"Yeah you isn´t really the trusting type are you, or was it just me that you didn´t trust with that information."
Alex gulped, "look I am sorry about that, I wanted to, but-"
"But what?" Daphne hissed.
"I was afraid that you wouldn't understand."
"Oh I understand just fine," Daphne said hotly "I understand that you didn´t tell me, that your father is convicted murderer and your mother aided that murderer and landed herself in Azkaban. I understand that you doesn´t think I am good enough for the truth."
"That is not the truth, and you know that." Alex hissed getting angry.
"I don´t know, Alexander."
"Well first off, Sirius isn´t a murderer. He is innocent."
Daphne snorted. "Oh please."
"It is the truth Daphne. I don´t have all the facts but I don´t have to explain myself to you." Alex said regretting the last part immediately as he saw the angry look on Daphne´s face.
"No you don´t Alexander. But I don´t have to explain that this friendship is over then."
"Wait Daphne I-"
"Stop talking, this is over Alexander." Daphne finished, stood up and walked away from Alex.
Alex watched, with widened eyes and mouth agape, as Daphne walked away. "What the hell just happened?" he said to himself, feeling extremely sad right now. He had just lost one of his best friends. To make matters worse a tall older boy walked over to Alex.
"Wow you really can´t talk to girls."
Alex gave him a dirty look "It isn´t your business."
"Tsk what a loser," the boy mumbled before walking away. Alex stood still for moment before walking away himself.
…
Alex spent his time walking around the campsite looking around, as the thought about what had happened. He couldn´t believe that Daphne had said the friendship was over, he didn´t want it to be over – if anything he wanted them to be more than friends, but now it looked like that never would happen. "Maybe I deserve this," Alex thought to himself as he walked looking at all those happy people that was enjoying themselves, after all he had ignored Daphne last term – he hadn´t told her about Sirius because he had been a coward, afraid of what she might say. Alex continued to walk around until he unintendedly go to his campsite, he was thinking about walking away when Ginny spotted him.
"Hey Alex, where have you been?"
"Oh just uh walking around." Alex said walking over to Ginny who smiled at him, but her smile faded when she saw the expression on Alex´s face.
"Is there something wrong?"
"No," Alex said surprised that his voice cracked, "I a-am fine," he finished then looked around and saw that Mr. Weasley was sitting with Harry and Hermione and pointing and greeting at the ones who walked by. "What is happening here?"
Ginny followed Alex´s gaze before she responded, "oh that just dad giving an induction about who is working at the Ministry."
"Oh okay."
"You know if you want to talk about what happened, then my shoulder is free," Ginny said gently.
Alex was just about to that nothing was wrong but then saw the willingness to help in Ginny´s eyes, "Thanks Gin I appreciate that."
About an hour later the fire Mr. Weasley had started was finally hot enough so they could begin prepare their lunch and they had just started cooking eggs and frying sausages when Bill, Charlie, and Percy came strolling out of the woods toward them.
"Just Apparated, Dad," said Percy loudly. "Ah, excellent, lunch!"
The Weasleys plus Alex, Harry and Hermione was halfway through their plates of eggs and sausages when Mr. Weasley jumped to his feet, waving and grinning at a man who was striding toward them.
"Aha!" he said. "The man of the moment! Ludo!"
Ludo Bagman was easily the most noticeable person Alex had seen so far, and that was including old Archie in his flowered nightdress. Ludo was wearing long Quidditch robes in thick horizontal stripes of bright yellow and black. An enormous picture of a wasp was splashed across his chest. He had the look of a powerfully built man gone slightly to seed; the robes were stretched tightly across a large belly he surely had not had in the days when he had played Quidditch for England. His nose was squashed (probably broken by a stray Bludger, he thought), but his round blue eyes, short blond hair, and rosy complexion made him look like a very overgrown schoolboy.
"Ahoy there!" Bagman called happily. He was walking as though, he had springs attached to the balls of his feet and was plainly in a state of wild excitement.
"Arthur, old man," he puffed as he reached the campfire, "what a day, eh? What a day! Could we have asked for more perfect weather? A cloudless night coming… and hardly a hiccup in the arrangements… Not much for me to do!"
Behind him, a group of haggard-looking Ministry wizards rushed past, pointing at the distant evidence of some sort of a magical fire that was sending violet sparks twenty feet into the air.
Percy hurried forward with his hand outstretched. Apparently, his disapproval about the way Ludo Bagman ran his department did not prevent him from wanting to make a good impression.
"Ah - yes," said Mr. Weasley, grinning, "this is my son Percy. He's just started at the Ministry - and this is Fred - no, George, sorry - that's Fred - Bill, Charlie, Ron - my daughter, Ginny and Ron's friends, Hermione Granger, and Harry Potter." There was a pause, "and this is Alex Bonteri, a friend of the twins and Ginny."
Bagman did the smallest of double takes when he heard Harry's name, and his eyes performed the familiar flick upward to the scar on his forehead.
"Everyone," Mr. Weasley continued, "this is Ludo Bagman, you know who he is, it's thanks to him we've got such good tickets -"
Bagman beamed and waved his hand as if to say it had been nothing. Alex looked at Bagman, he had heard about him from his mother, Bagman should not be the brightest but was defiantly a friendly man.
"Fancy a flutter on the match, Arthur?" he said eagerly, jingling what seemed to be a large amount of gold in the pockets of his yellow-and-black robes.
"I've already got Roddy Pontner betting me Bulgaria will score first - I offered him nice odds, considering Ireland's front three are the strongest I've seen in years - and little Agatha Timms has put up half shares in her eel farm on a week-long match."
"Oh… go on then," said Mr. Weasley. "Let's see… a Galleon on Ireland to win?"
"A Galleon?" Ludo Bagman looked slightly disappointed, but recovered himself. "Very well, very well… any other takers?"
"They're a bit young to be gambling," said Mr. Weasley. "Molly wouldn't like -"
"We'll bet forty nine Galleons, twenty Sickles, three Knuts," said Fred as he and George quickly pooled all their money, "that Ireland wins - but Viktor Krum gets the Snitch. Oh and we'll throw in a fake wand."
"You don't want to go showing Mr. Bagman rubbish like that," Percy hissed, but Bagman didn't seem to think the wand was rubbish at all; on the contrary, his boyish face shone with excitement as he took it from Fred, and when the wand gave a loud squawk and turned into a rubber chicken, Bagman roared with laughter.
"Excellent! I haven't seen one that convincing in years! I'd pay five Galleons for that!"
Percy froze in an attitude of stunned disapproval.
"Boys," said Mr. Weasley under his breath. "I don't want you betting… That's all your savings…"
"Don't be a spoilsport, Arthur!" boomed Ludo Bagman, rattling his pockets excitedly. "They're old enough to know what they want! You reckon Ireland will win but Krum'll get the Snitch? Not a chance, boys, not a chance… I'll give you excellent odds on that one… We'll add five Galleons for the funny wand, then, shall we…"
Mr. Weasley looked on helplessly as Ludo Bagman whipped out a notebook and quill and began jotting down the twins' names.
"Cheers," said George, taking the slip of parchment Bagman handed him and tucking it away into the front of his robes. Bagman turned most cheerfully back to Mr. Weasley.
"Couldn't do me a brew, I suppose? I'm keeping an eye out for Barty Crouch. My Bulgarian opposite number's making difficulties and I can't understand a word he's saying. Barty'll be able to sort it out. He speaks about a hundred and fifty languages."
"Mr. Crouch?" said Percy, suddenly abandoning his look of poker-stiff disapproval and positively writhing with excitement. "He speaks over two hundred! Mermish and Gobbledegook and Troll…"
"Oh Please anyone can speak Troll," Fred said dismissively. "All you have to do is point and grunt." Alex snorted and smiled for the first time since he left Daphne.
Percy threw Fred an extremely nasty look and stoked the fire vigorously to bring the kettle back to the boil.
"Any news of Bertha Jorkins yet, Ludo?" Mr. Weasley asked as Bagman settled himself down on the grass beside them all.
"Not a dicky bird," said Bagman comfortably. "But she'll turn up. Poor old Bertha… memory like a leaky cauldron and no sense of direction. Lost, you take my word for it. She'll wander back into the office sometime in October, thinking it's still July."
"You don't think it might be time to send someone to look for her?" Mr. Weasley suggested tentatively as Percy handed Bagman his tea.
"Barty Crouch keeps saying that," said Bagman, his round eyes widening innocently, "but we really can't spare anyone at the moment. Oh - talk of the devil! Barty!"
A wizard had just Apparated at their fireside, and he could not have made more of a contrast with Ludo Bagman, sprawled on the grass in his old Wasp robes. Barty Crouch was a stiff, upright, elderly man, dressed in an impeccably crisp suit and tie. The parting in his short grey hair was almost unnaturally straight, and his narrow toothbrush moustache looked as though he trimmed it using a slide rule. His shoes were very highly polished. Alex also knew Crouch by reputation, and therefore understood why someone like Percy would idolized him. Crouch was rule sticker, just like Percy.
"Pull up a bit of grass, Barty," said Ludo brightly, patting the ground beside him.
"No thank you, Ludo," said Crouch, and there was a bite of impatience in his voice. "I've been looking for you everywhere. The Bulgarians are insisting we add another twelve seats to the Top Box."
"Oh is that what they're after?" said Bagman. "I thought the chap was asking to borrow a pair of tweezers. Bit of a strong accent."
"Mr. Crouch!" said Percy breathlessly, sunk into a kind of half bow that made him look like a hunchback. "Would you like a cup of tea?"
"Oh," said Mr. Crouch, looking over at Percy in mild surprise. "Yes - thank you, Weatherby."
Fred, George, and Alex choked into their own cups, and tried to hide their laughter. Percy, very pink around the ears, busied himself with the kettle.
"Oh and I've been wanting a word with you too, Arthur," said Mr. Crouch, his sharp eyes falling upon Mr. Weasley. "Ali Bashir's on the warpath. He wants a word with you about your embargo on flying carpets."
Mr. Weasley heaved a deep sigh.
"I sent him an owl about that just last week. If I've told him once I've told him a hundred times: Carpets are defined as a Muggle Artefact by the Registry of Proscribed Charmable Objects, but will he listen?"
"I doubt it," said Mr. Crouch, accepting a cup from Percy. "He's desperate to export here."
"Well, they'll never replace brooms in Britain, will they?" said Bagman.
"Ali thinks there's a niche in the market for a family vehicle," said Mr. Crouch. "I remember my grandfather had an Axminster that could seat twelve - but that was before carpets were banned, of course."
He spoke as though he wanted to leave nobody in any doubt that all his ancestors had abided strictly by the law.
"So, been keeping busy, Barty?" said Bagman breezily.
"Fairly," said Mr. Crouch dryly. "Organizing Portkeys across five continents is no mean feat, Ludo."
"I expect you'll both be glad when this is over?" said Mr. Weasley.
Ludo Bagman looked shocked. "Glad! Don't know when I've had more fun…Still, it's not as though we haven't got anything to look forward to, eh, Barty? Eh? Plenty left to organize, eh?"
Mr. Crouch raised his eyebrows at Bagman. "We agreed not to make the announcement until all the details -"
"Oh details!" said Bagman, waving the word away like a cloud of midges. "They've signed, haven't they? They've agreed, haven't they? I bet you anything these kids'll know soon enough anyway. I mean, it's happening at Hogwarts -"
"Ludo, we need to meet the Bulgarians, you know," said Mr. Crouch sharply, cutting Bagman's remarks short. "Thank you for the tea, Weatherby."
He pushed his undrunk tea back at Percy and waited for Ludo to rise; Bagman struggled to his feet, swigging down the last of his tea, the gold in his pockets chinking merrily.
"See you all later!" he said. "You'll be up in the Top Box with me - I'm commentating!" He waved, Barty Crouch nodded curtly, and both of them disapparated.
"What's happening at Hogwarts, dad?" Fred asked at once. "What were they talking about?"
"You'll find out soon enough," Mr. Weasley said, smiling.
"It's classified information, until such time as the Ministry decides to release it," said Percy stiffly. "Mr. Crouch was quite right not to disclose it."
"Oh shut up, Weatherby," Fred said.
After they had finished their lunch, everybody decided to explore the campsite and to buy some souvenirs. Alex was walking with, Fred, George and Ginny.
Where the Ginny, Fred and George were talking a lot about the coming match, Alex remained quite. His mind had gone back to Daphne, and what she had said.
"Okay, what is up with you?" George asked after they had walked around a bit and had been looking at the different shops.
Alex looked up from the Irish flag he was examining, "sorry uh what should be wrong?"
"Well you been very quite at dinner, not even cracking one joke." Fred said.
"Or laughing at ours." George finished.
"Well uh it is just," Alex paused thinking about what to say next, but Ginny interrupted before he could add anything else.
"Guys drop it, if there is something then he would say it."
Alex smiled at Ginny, but then began thinking, "maybe I should tell them. After all none of them hates everyone in Slytherin." Then the decision was easy enough to make, "actually there is something."
Then Alex told everything that had happened between Daphne and him, how she had told him that their friendship was over, and more importantly, why it had happened. He told them how he had lied to her, how he had neglected her and truth about Sirius.
"Well I hate to say it Alex, but I can understand why Daphne would be angry." Ginny said looking at Alex.
"Yeah," George said, you shouldn´t lie to your friends."
"Especially your girlfriend." Fred added, causing Alex to blush.
"She isn´t my girlfriend."
"Sure!" Fred, George and Ginny said in unison.
"But she isn´t. Anyway what can I do to make her talk to me again."
"Well sometimes a girl want the guy to just apology and an explanation why he did as he did. A truthfully explanation." Ginny said and looked at Alex. "And it have to be a really good apology."
"Well I tried to say I am sorry."
"Have you really?" Ginny asked.
"Well, I guess I haven´t, not really anyway."
"You should listen to our sister," Fred said.
"After all she is a girl, so she must know what they want."
Alex laughed, "Yeah I guess."
"But talk to her Alex. Don´t worry I am sure she will understand."
"Thanks Gin."
Alex, Ginny, Fred and George continued to walk around the campsite looking at the different shops. Alex bought an omniocular for himself and some green magical hats for the four of them.
Ah, young Alexander, You didn't have to, you know," George said, trying to look calm, but still looking uncomfortable.
"It's alright, George, it's on me," Alex said, and the twins and Ginny accepted their new souvenirs.
"Hallo Alexander."
Alex turned and saw the familiar face of Charles Sheppard the healer that had attended to him when he had been at St Mungo's some years ago. The healer looked the same, only with a few more grey hairs.
"Healer Sheppard!" Alex greeted with a big smile. "How are you?"
"Fine and you?"
"I am well enough." Alex said as he shrugged.
"Yes, I heard what happened with your mother. It is terrible that he was arrested. I find it hard to believe that she would help a criminal like that, and that prison, it is all most too cruel even for the Death Eaters." There was a small pause. "Still you look healthy young man."
"I am." Alex said as he looked at his friends' confused faces. "Healer Sheppard was my healer when I was in St Mungo's during what should had been my first year at Hogwarts."
"It is a pleasure to meet some of Alexander´s friends." Sheppard said smiling at the Weasely children. "Now I better go. My grandchildren are waiting for me."
Alex said his goodbyes to the healer and continued the walk around.
After a while Alex, Ginny, Fred and George returned to their tent, where they meet up with others. After some talking it finally happened, a deep, booming gong sounded somewhere beyond the woods, and at once, green and red lanterns blazed into life in the trees, lighting a path to the field.
The Quidditch match was about to begin.
…
Chapter end.
So I hoped you liked this, thanks to those who have reviewed, please keep doing that, it helps my motivation.
A Happy New year to all my readers.