The Joke Shop
''Sounds like a good day for us to me'', Ron said when Harry had finished his report about that afternoon's events. ''Skeeter and the old hag- both gone in one day!''
They were sitting in the salon at Grimmauld Place with Hermione and Ginny and drinking butterbeer while a warm fire was burning in the fireplace; it was almost like being in Gryffindor Tower. All this comfortable atmosphere was thanks to Kreacher who had spent the last week redecorating the room. Supported with a lot of money from Harry's Gringott's vault which he had taken in person (Harry had followed Ron's example and kept avoiding a meeting with the goblins), the house elf had removed the old, rotting furniture and replaced with new one, so that the room now offered a warm, positive aura. Only the old tapestry with the Black family on it had been allowed to stay, firstly, because it was still unmovable, and secondly, because Kreacher wouldn't have survived its removal and had therefore managed to convince his master that it represented an important parts of the house's history. Harry had given in, although he hadn't accepted the same argument when it came to the heads of Kreacher's ancestors- those had been interred in the garden. Additionally, Harry had cleaned the tapestry and inserted the names back in which had been blasted out, so that Sirius, Tonks, and Andromeda were on it again.
''A good day'', Hermione agreed. ''Good that this awful creature didn't get away with it. But Rita? I wouldn't be so sure about that.''
Ron shrugged. ''The Prophet fired her, what can she do?''
-''There will always be somebody who prints her rubbish'', Hermione said.
''Well, we can think about that once that happens'', Ginny moaned. She was almost asleep, cuddling against Harry's shoulder.
''Tough day?'', he asked quietly.
''Hmm. But we're almost done. Everything's ready for the reopening- you lot are coming, aren't you?''
They nodded. George really wanted to open the shop again before start of the new term and thanks to Ginny, he would manage that. She still wasn't allowed to do magic outside of school – she would turn seventeen in August- but she had managed to motivate her brother again and again, with the result that Weasley's Wizard Wheezes would reopen on Saturday. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had promised to help, because George expected a rush of customers.
''People really want something to laugh about, I think'', he'd said at yesterday's dinner at the Burrow, and Harry agreed: some fun was what they all needed.
''Still nothing new on Avery?'', Hermione asked.
Harry shook his head. ''Jugson has been spotted in Manchester this morning, but he was already gone when we turned up there. No sign of the others.
-''They're up to something'', Ron said darkly.
''Well, then you'd better find them before they can do it'', Hermione said wisely.
When they entered the shop on Saturday morning, George looked as if he was about to throw up. He was for the first time wearing his magenta coloured robes again, but he wasn't able to produce the characteristic, manic grin which the twins had always shown while wearing these. Ron padded his shoulders.
''It looks good in here.''
He was right: the store was once again the usual colourful mix of Weasley-products. Only the pigmypuffs were missing, Ginny told them quietly, for they were still too small to be sold.
A little later it was half past nine with the shop being open for half an hour now, but not a single customer had come. Ginny and Verity were standing behind the counter, exchanging nervous glances, while George stared at the picture of Fred at the wall.
''Where are all these people?'', Lee Jordan cursed.
Harry shrugged. Many people were passing the store outside, but nobody entered or gave the windows more than a short glance.
''That's enough'', Ron growled darkly, took a packet from one of the shelves and marched outside.
''Verity, did my brother just steal from us?'', George said absently.
-''Er, yes, Mr. Weasley.''
-''Then why didn't you stop him?''
Verity hesitated for a moment, then she went after him. A mere heartbeat later the doorbell rang an two Hogwarts-aged boys entered, whom Harry vaguely recognsed as Gryffindors. Everybody stared at them, but the boys didn't pay attention to them at all. Instead, they went over to the shelf that contained Skiving Snackboxes. After a short discussion, they returned with arms full of Nosebleed Nugat.
„That's two galleons, five sickles, gentlemen", Ginny said grinning.
„They don't pay anything, Ginny", George said, who finally turned his gaze away from Fred's picture. „This etablissement doesn't take money from test persons of the first hour. Jimmy, Nigel, its's quite okay, you don't have to pay those."
- „Thanks, George", the two boys grinned, waved at the others and left.
„That was...", Hermione started.
„Jimmy Johnson and Nigel Abercrombie", George said calmly.
„Two of the firsties who tested that stuff for you", she closed.
George nodded slowly. „And the first customers who weren't served by Fred."
Everybody was silent after that- and that was when they heard it.
First, there was a loud crack and then it sounded as if apocalypse had erupted in Diagon Alley. People started to scream. Harry pulled his wand out of his sleeve and ran towards the door, but George grabbed his shoulder.
„No need to hurry, master auror."
- „Ron's out there", Hermione moaned who also had her wand at hand.
„I should guess that what we're hearing right now is Ron, so there's no need to freak out", George said dryly. „Of course, if you wish to arrest him because of disturbance of the peace, I'm not going to stop you. Go ahead."
- „The packet he took..."
- „Inferno Deluxe", Ginny said disbelievingly. „He started it out there!"
The door was opened and Ron entered grinning widely, followed by a visibly reddened Verity.
„I tried to stop him, Mr Weasley, but he-"
- „It's alright, Verity", George said, „I should have thought about some adevertisement myself."
- „Advertisement?", Hermione moaned. „You scared those people to death, Ron!"
He shrugged. „Nobody has seen me."
- „You're an auror!"
- „Nobody's seen me and Harry's not going to arrest me for it- aren't you?"
Harry grinned. „That depends on your success, I think."
- „Be that as it may", Ginny said sternly. „You owe us thirteen galleons for the Inferno Deluxe."
- „What?", Ron asked.
„The economy, Ron, you know", Ginny grinned. „Prices are skydiving at the moment."
- „I'm supposed to pay for that?"
George was about to answer, but in that moment the door was opened again and dozens of customers entered the store.
And that's how it remained for the whole day. The store was full and they almost weren't able to refill the shelves in time, so many people were there.
„You know, Harry", George said when they were getting a new box of love potions from the back rooom for the thirteenth time at the late afternoon, „I was already thinking about positioning you in front of the door to attract customers."
Harry smiled. „Ron's idea was better, I think."
- „We're never going to know for sure."
At six o'clock, they shooed the last people out of the store and closed it. The reopening had been a complete success and so everybody was tired and drained out, but happy.
„Off to the Leaky Cauldron!", George said. „First round's on me!"
The others cheered and left, but when Harry was about to follow them, George caught his arm.
„Harry? D'you have a minute?"
Harry nodded perplexed and followed George to the back room. When they had arrived, George cleared his throat awkwardly and gave him a heavy, strumming bag.
„Here. That's yours."
Harry stared at him, now even more perplexed. „Er, for what?"
George rolled his eyes. „Your a thousand galleons. Our starting credit. It's past time we- I pay you back."
Harry hesitated. „George-"
- „Leave it", George said sharply. „Harry, you can't really expect that you don't get your money back! It's yours!"
- „I've never wanted this money", Harry said quietly. „I don't even know what to do with it."
He unwillingly had to think about the ernormous pile of galleons which already rested in his Gringott's vault.
„That's your party", George said calmly. „Just do me a favour and don't start a joke shop, okay?"
- „I wouldn't stand a chance against you anyway", Harry said matter-of-factly.
„If you say so. Come on, let's get something to drink."
At the Leaky Cauldron, they put two tables together so that everybody could sit together, and then raised their glasses with firewhiskey - except Ginny who George strictly had provided with butterbeer.
„To Fred", George said remarkably calm. „And to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes."
- „Fred and Weasley's Wizard Wheezes", the others said and drank.
„So, boys", Ginny said. „How are you feeling after your first day of real work?"
- „Less drained out than if we'd been at the office", Harry said.
„Exceptionally underpaid", Ron said.
Harry, who had a thousand galleons in the bag unter his cloak, shared a short smile with George.
„Speaking of payment", George said. „You still owe me thirteen galleons."
- „Are you serious?"
- „I never joke about money."
- „Consider it as restitution for your disturbance of peace", Hermione said.
Ron stared at her darkly. „You stab me in the back?"
- „Oh, the perfect couple goes to pieces", Ginny said dramatrically.
Ron shook his head. „Can I pay you in firewhiskey?"
- „Any time", George grinned. „But do give Ginny her share only at her birthday. Or after she's finished Hogwarts, not that she gets used to it and Gryffindor Tower ends as a liquor store."
Ginny emptied her butterbeer. „Ha-ha. Speaking of Hogwarts, Hermione, have you already let them know that you're coming back?"
Hermione nodded while Hannah brought the next round of firewhiskey.
„Oh Ron, I'm not sure that this is a good idea-"
- „Drink", Ron said determinedly.
„To what?"
- „To my coming back with you", Ron said curtly.
Hermione stared at him disbelievingly. „Really?"
- „Really."
She kissed his cheek.
„What about you, Harry?", George asked.
Harry felt Ginny's anxious look. She really wanted him to come back, he knew that, but nonetheless she hadn't urged him in the past weeks. He didn't know whether it was because of the firewhiskey, but suddenly Harry felt how much he was missing Hogwarts: Peeves who was singing christmas carols out of armours, visits to Hagrid, Quidditch and the evenings with Ron and Hermione in the common room. And he would be with Ginny.
„Harry?", Hermione asked tentatively.
He sipped at his glass and made an artificial break.
„He's coming", Ginny said gleefully.
Harry looked at her with raised eyebrows and had to smile because she was grinning so widely.
„Yes, I am", he said.
The others cheered loudly. Ron raised his glass.
„To the benefits of school!"