Title: Second Time Around
Title: Second Time Around
Author: Billybob
Chapter: Ten part two
Chapter title: Checkmate: – One game ends another begins
Part one of three
Category: AU alternate universe ¼ PGFH Post Graduation from Hogwarts
In other words; it takes place after J. K. Rowling's - seventh and last book
Word count: 36,739 (plus or minus a word or two)
Pairings: HP-HG, CC-OQ, HP-GW and HG-RW
Rated; PG-13, for adult language, UK slang and profanity, with "implied sexual innuendo" (nothing graphic at all - but implied up the Was-zoo). Please recall that the main characters in this tale of mine are all in their mid-twenties, meaning adults in both worlds - Muggle and Magical.
Author's disclaimer: This story is based in the wonderful magic world created by J. K. Rowling, she owns all legal rights to the characters, setting, etc. - I am merely borrowing the contents of the JKR world for my own amusement and that of my readers. In other words…her characters…my plot - savvy?
Author's qualified joy: I have never been happier to be wrong, in my life. Although some characters I liked are now taking a dirt-nap, the final butcher bill was a lot lighter than I had feared. I would also like to thank JKR for giving us fan-fiction writers 19 years to play with. My heart felt condolences go out to the Harry anyone-but-Ginny romantic shippers and the Draco-Hermione/Ginny crowd, although they too have a few years to play with as well, before the cannon pairings kick in.
Warning: this chapter was done with the help of one beta reader
'I have put this off as long as I dare.' Kingsley said to himself as he walked down the hallway. 'But now if I wait any-longer, Harry will have left for the day and then he'd read about it in tomorrow's morning edition of the Daily Prophet – Sweet Merlin that wouldn't be good thing…for anyone.' And so, a little after four in the afternoon Kingsley Shacklebolt left his office and went down one floor to the Auror division and knocked on Harry's door, paused a minute then opened it.
"Oi, Harry, do you have a minute," Kingsley asked as he peeked around the slowly opening door.
"Sure boss," Harry said smiling big. "Did you see the Prophet the other day? He won - - the European Champion that is, - in fact, he should be back in England by now.
"About that Harry, I have just had some bad news that might postpone any reunion you might be planning."
"Not my reunion, but according to my new bride, Hermione has the big plans for Europe's four time recurring Wizard Chess Champion."
"Your former spouse is going to have to change those plans, I'm afraid."
"What are you going on about, Kingsley…what happened?"
"I received an official communiqué - through proper channels no less - which means it first, arrived in England inside a sealed Government diplomatic pouch around noon yesterday. This message then went from desk to desk originating at the Foreign Office and winding its way through the Ministry bureaucracy until if found it way down to my desk - about two hours ago. Then I had to make a few floo-calls to confirm the basic facts, before I could come to tell you about - - I'm rambling…sorry - I don't usually do that."
"Relax – Kingsley – just take a moment to gather your thoughts and then just tell me what's going on?"
"According to this official communiqué – which came in from the Italian Ministry of Magic by the way - - Harry, brace yourself," Kingsley said as the tension in the room heightened.
"Just tell me straight out." Harry responded, beginning to fear the worse
"Jonathan Veselkin, English born Wizarding Chess Champion was apparently attacked inside his hotel room in Roma, by person or persons unknown within hours of winning the final round of the European Chess Championship on Sunday, two days ago. The Italian Government took immediate steps to keep all news of this attack from the media, and apparently, they are a lot better at handling the press than we British are. Jon's body was found - barely alive, in his room by the hotel housekeeping staff. There appeared to be clear signs of a violent struggle in the room - destroyed furniture – ripped curtains and the like, which indicated that Mister Veselkin put up one hell of a fight."
"Two days ago?" Harry asked in a stunned monotone.
"Yes, and frankly, I'm surprised they have kept a lid on it this long. Their Government is only letting us know now, because the media blackout on the "incident" is beginning to unravel over there."
"What's his condition?"
"It was critical… at first, but it was reduced to serious around midday yesterday! The Italian healers really can't explain why he's not dead, as by all rights - medically speaking he should be. There was blood everywhere." Kingsley said clearly puzzled.
"I've been told, by people who saw it first hand, that it took a lot to take him down during the war," Harry said after a moment or two of silence, more to himself than anyone else, with a grim expression on his face – staring off into space as if unaware of his surroundings - too astounded to know exactly how he felt about yet another physical attack on his one time friend. "I didn't actually see him fight that day, because Ron deliberately stayed away from me during the last battle – we really weren't on speaking terms at the time as you may recall - -"
"Yes, Harry, I remember" Kingsley said. "As you know I have compiled a fairly actuate who-did-what and who was where…break-down of the last major battle with the Death Eaters. It started out as a hobby and then became my obsession for the last few years. I intended to write it up as a book size tribute to those we lost that day. Merlin - Harry, you even helped me compile it."
"That I did, but it was on the understanding that you'd publish it one day." Harry said with obvious disdain
"I wanted to Harry, but the same people who don't want any alteration in the public perception of recent history. Didn't like at all what I uncovered concerning that particular battle, so they asked me - 'politely' - to either burn my findings or bury it in a deep vault in Gringotts for a couple of hundred years, all the while - dropping major hints - that it would be 'better for my career ' if my research never existed at all."
"You didn't really burn it - did you?" Harry asked worried.
"No – of course not, but I can't publish 'The Siege of Hogwarts' either, not during the lifetime of certain people. The powers that be declared that the memory of the English people concerning the Death Eater War is still far too fresh in their minds to ask them to be objective about any part of it. You've been an Auror long enough to know that there are some things that are better left unrevealed, that the ignorance of the mob really is best for all concerned, at least about some things." Kingsley said shaking his head sadly.
"It's Hermione's bloody book all over again, I'm getting awfully tired of being dictated too by these faceless powers behind the throne that run the Ministry these days. However, I'll put this aside for the moment as we're drifting off topic here? What does your history of the last battle have to do with the attack two days ago on Jonathan Veselkin?" Harry asked with an impatient smirk.
"At first, I wondered if the status-quo power-block within the Ministry had somehow come to suspect the truth behind a certain war injured shop keeper chess master and therefore hired a hit-wizard to do him in."
Hearing this, Harry's face suddenly lost all its color.
"Are you saying…?"
"I said - at first - Harry," Kingsley said bring up his hand into a slow down gesture, interrupting his friend train of thought from jumping to an incorrect conclusion. "After a few discrete inquires I concluded that an English based murder conspiracy was highly unlikely. There is simply no direct …or even implied evidence that would in any way link the short-fused, hot-tempered, somewhat prone to irrational fits of jealousy conduct that Mr. Weasley was so famous for, to his quite literal behavioral opposite the usually unperturbed and quietly calculating, soft spoken – Mr. Veselkin."
Harry in response to this, exhaled slowly in relief unaware that he'd been holding his breath.
"So, with internal enemies ruled out, I requested a full Auror report from my Roma counterparts on their theories concerning the attack on our favorite English born Chess Champion. Especially how they though a frequently sickly – burn injured war veteran such as Jonathan could have survived such a brutal assault. While awaiting their reply I had a bizarre thought. Do you remember the interviews we did a few years ago with a number of Death Eater prisoners serving time in Azkaban? The ones we captured after the final battle that gave all the conflicting testimony about the so-called, ministry supper-warrior that cut through the death eater ranks like a sharp sickle at harvest time." Kingsley said.
"You lost me old friend." Harry said. "I thought we decided that they were making it all up."
"The viciousness of the Roma attack and Jonathan's yet again - unexpected survival - made me start to wonder – if perhaps – those witnesses weren't just making it up. You didn't want any part of the interview with the elder Malfoy, so I handled that one on my own. Some of what he told me helped - decipher - a lot of the coded documentation that we found inside Riddles Headquarters at Malfoy manor, right after the war. Unable to gain a pardon for his own crimes as one of Voldemort's chief-lieutenants, the price for Lucius's cooperation after his master's demise - concerning this top-secret information was two fold. Lucius first goal was to earn the partial release from Ministry confiscation of the primary core of the Malfoy family fortune. Second, he arranged for an early release and eventual full pardon for Draco's less than eager participation in the Second Death Eater uprising. Eventually, the Ministry took the deal – primarily because once again the vast majority of the Dark-Lord's papers were scrabbled in code".
"I was one of the especially select group of Ministry officials, which actually got to read through those papers before they were locked away in the archives under a powerful non-readable charm. It seems that near the end of his rein of terror, old Tom was working on a really difficult ancient Egyptian incantation that would have 'allegedly' recreated a special group of warrior magi, - a kind of elite magical Body-guard that was exclusively used for the personal protection of Pharaoh himself. Tom was suspected to have intended to use this very rare spell to create a group of super Death Eater's, elite magical warriors.
"The Pharaoh's bodyguards, as reported in legend, were all but impervious to all of the usual stunning and disarming spells as well as slashing and fireball hexes, – just like the ones Jon got hit with. These ancient warriors were reputed to be physically capable of taking huge amounts of combat punishment and yet keep fighting. Those wounded in 'Pharaoh'sService' were also presumed to have unusually rapid healing powers - allegedly taking a tiny fraction of the time of a normal wizard would take to recover from truly horrific wounds. In its own research since the last battle the Department of Mysteries has become increasingly convinced that Tom Riddle never successfully deciphered the Egyptian spell to make his Imperial Guard concept work."
"Yeah – yeah, does this story have a point, because you're rambling again?" Harry asked disdainfully.
"During my interview with Lucius," Kingsley retorted with a frown ignoring Harry's cheek. "I discovered that Malfoy wasn't as sure as the Ministry …that Voldemort had completely failed in recreating the bodyguard spell. He was unshakable in his belief that the Dark Lord had at least managed to create a single prototype, just for experimentation purposes. Not wanting to waste any of his own troops, his master had decided to test the spell on someone in your small inner circle of intimate friends. Turning a close friend against you – does – you must admit - fit with what we know of the dark lord's twisted sense of humor. Old Lucius didn't tell me many details, mainly because I strongly believe that he didn't actually know all that many. However, he did insist that the Dark-lord casually mentioned to him, just before the final assault on Hogwarts castle. Where the outer defenses were breached and the defenders were forced to retreat into the Great Hall itself."
"I was there Kingsley, that was when I did him in …or don't you remember? Harry said in an amused tone
"Yeah, sorry Harry, I got kind of carried away there for a bit, Well …anyroad, old Lucius says that his master told him in passing that his first experiment at the warrior magi eliteguardsman had gone unexpectedly very wrong, and that after dealing with you, he would have to hunt down his prototype, recaptured it and put it down."
"Your right Kingsley, this isa very bizarre thought, even for you! If I understand you correctly, you're implying that my best mate was kidnapped from the 'Burrow,' made the subject of old Tom's little experiment and returned without anyone taking notice?" Harry said in clear disbelief. "I know you fancy conspiracy theories, but this is a real huge stretch! Honestly, Kingsley, you're beginning to sound more and more like the dearly departed and extremely paranoid, Alastor 'Mad-eye' Moody every day."
"Don't mock me, Harry, I know, it's just a wild theory, - improbable - most unlikely – but not entirely impossible." Kingsley said exasperated. "I also know that you think I see assassins under every rock, but just remember that it has been my hyper-paranoia that has kept the two of us alive on more than one occasion.
"Okay, - okay, I'll concede that point and because of it - I will sit here like a good boy and listen." Harry said impertinently.
"Anyway, as I was saying, my interviews with eyewitness from the Battle for Hogwarts, from both sides – mine you, attribute some amazing feats to your former best mate on that day," Kingsley said stressing the word former hard. "He seemed to be everywhere on the battlefield, taking absolutely gruesome magical hits from some very serious curses and yet he kept on fighting. Keep in mind what I said about Pharos bodyguard abilities to take punishment. And this happened long before he took the three MaximaFireball Hexes that finally brought him down."
"A lot of us fought wounded that day, you did yourself as I recall." Harry said smiling sadly up at his friend. "Adrenalin fueled fighting fury made the lot of us into supper fighters, like the 300 Spartans wizards at Thermopylae who took on the whole Persian Army. Only in our case, the outnumbered Greeks won."
"No, Harry, you don't understand. Your former best mate had received several close range deep slashing curses, long before he got close enough to make his last stand over the fallen Hermione Jean Granger. Now your new wife is a healer, so you go and ask her? Exactly what is the survival rate for people hit with a single Fireball Maximum Hex," Kingsley said rhetorically because he instantly answered his own question. "According to the multiple medical experts that I have consulted, only one out of five victims of a single fireball hex 'lives' for more than a month, half of those are poor retched things bedridden, blind, and mentally vegetables'. Now think back to the battle the ides of August - 1996. The witnesses that I interviewed all agreed that Ron Weasley had already lost loads of blood and when he finally staggered …dazed and half dead, over to where Hermione laid unconscious. Ron shouldn't have been able to walk with that amount of blood loss, but he still fought on long enough against four attackers, to hold them off until help arrived."
"I know all of this, Kingsley," Harry snapped, none too happy about being reminded of his friend's injuries or how he got them.
"My point is that Ronald Weasley of all those years ago didn't bleed to death before he reached Hermione to save her sorry arse, taking loads of punishment doing it. Seven years later Mr. Veselkin didn't seem to fancy bleeding to death in Roma and run the risk of missing his date with Hermione tomorrow morning. Perhaps that's why Jon was still alive when the maid found him? Harry, my point is that common everyday wizards - don't usually survive even a single Fireball Hex and our friend Jonathan survived …three. Not only did Jon survive - he had a near complete recovery. Go on - ask Ginny what the medical odds of that happening are? All of this is not natural - normal people don't take that kind of punishment and bounce back like it was just a paper cut. The Aurors of Roma in there report indicated that they found enough blood in that hotel room to pretty much drain a normal man, most of it …the same blood type as Jonathan's."
"So you're gambling on the 'Pharos Bodyguard Spell' as the reason for his survival?" Harry asked interested in the logic of his boss.
"With that kind of blood loss Jonathan experienced in Roma he should be dead now, or at the very least, he should still be unconscious in a deep coma for months …if not years to come. If he eventually regained consciousness at all, it should have been with the real possibility of irreversibly brain damaged. And yet in the follow-up owl-post from our embassy in Roma, not twenty minutes ago, indicated that Mr. Veselkin regained consciousness for the first time briefly yesterday afternoon – a major miracle in itself – with no apparent signs of any brain damage and stranger still - he was clear headed long enough at the time to give a pretty clear description of his attacker."
"Always there is a tone of surprise - when it comes to something Ron's done," Harry whispered to himself once again disappointed at the all too common underestimation of Ron's ability.
"England's most reclusive shopkeeper and Wizard Chess Champion, seems to fancy the same kind of close calls with the grim reaper as a certain unnamedred haired ex-dorm mate of yours did back at Hogwarts," Kingsley said shaking his head sadly. "Apparently Jonathans 'luck' isn't any better under his new identity than it was under his old one. That's why I waited until just now to tell you all this - I wanted more details on the attack."
"Kingsley, what you've said makes a lot of sense and you're reasoning for suspicion concerning Ron continuous close call survival miracles – well grounded," Harry said in a reasonable tone. "But it's your conclusion as to the cause for Ron narrow escapes from death that I have trouble swallowing."
"What's your theory Harry? Perhaps you think that all the pagan gods from old England have conspired to save Jon arse - for some grand design that's beyond the understanding of us mere mortals," Kingsley said sarcastically.
"Just because I don't have a counter theory ready, doesn't make yours the correct one," Harry retorted while thinking to himself; 'Sweet Merlin, my old friend ... if I told you what Hermione said of Luna prediction's for Ron's future - you'd lock me up in a Looney bin.'
"Italian Law Enforcement feels that their best suspect in the attack is a French shopkeeper, currently still at large," Kingsley continued unaffected by Harry's quite introspection. "And get this - the Italians believe this theory because apparently this particular frog lost a rather large wager over the outcome of the tournament with a pair of English competitors, who sell the same kind of products that he does."
"Fred and George" Harry half whispered growing instantly angry. "Damn those two!"
"Yeah, that was my conclusion as well, especially after I discovered that this fugitive 'Frog' happens to own a joke shop in Paris."
"Why don't they have him in custody?" Harry asked in a semi growl.
"I really don't know Harry. The French aren't cooperating…naturally, but no surprise there. All I can say with certainty, is the Italian Law Enforcement people know there business, so it's just a matter of time. However, I have no intention of just sitting around on my hands, while others track this scum-bag down. So after talking with you now, I going to pay a little visit to Fred and George at their shop, and let them know who attacked their …neighbor across the way." Kingley's said in a determined tone.
"That's right, I did tell you that they found out the secret identity of Mr. Spooky," Harry said with an evil smirk. "It makes me almost pity that frog…almost"
"That was my thinking as well," Kingsley said grimly
"So, any idea as to how long is our Mr. Veselkin going to be in hospital?" Harry said in a somewhat happier tone.
"The healers are talking – at bare minimum – a solid month" Kingsley said. "But - keep in mind what I've pointed out concerning Mr. Veselkin's unusual recovery from his other near fatal injuries. I'm willing to wage a gold galleon with you that the only living bodyguard to pharaoh will be out of hospital in half that time?
"Alright Kingsley, you're on. It will be a wager I'll be happy to lose - for a whole month in hospital, well that's not good news…at all." Harry declared frowning. "I have an ex-wife at her Grimmauld Place townhouse, a woman who's literally …chewing at the bit in 'hot to trot carnal readiness,' for the prearranged meeting at eleven tomorrow morning in downtown London, …a meeting I might add, that we wasted a good part of yesterday setting up the security for. Now you're telling me that we have to call off our Kenningston Garden arrangement and tell an extremely randy filly - that she is going to have to wait a solid thirty days before being serviced by her chosen stud?"
"Better than that actually – for you, my dear friend - just volunteered, to be the one the one to tell her the…good news," Kingsley smirked.
"Oh joy," Harry replied sarcastically.
OoOoOoOo
Time: Later that same evening
Location: inside number twelve, 'Grimmauld Place,' London.
OoOoOoOo
"Are you ready for the big event Hermione?" Ginny asked as she gave an affectionate wave to her deeply frowning husband as they passed one another - Ginny going in the bedroom as Harry marched out in an obvious foul mood.
"There's been a bit of a snag about tomorrow," Hermione said without lifting her head and looking very defeated. "Harry just told me that Jonathan was attacked two days ago by some nutcase in Roma."
"Jon attacked? - When? - How bad is he?" Ginny said panicking.
"Relax - Ginny; according to Harry - He's going to be fine, but just not right away." Hermione said as her emotions overcame her and the tears began to flow.
"So I guess that means that the Kenningston Gardens get-together …is canceled?" Ginny asked.
"Temporarily postponed … I hope" Hermione replied grimly
"Well, look at it this way," Ginny said attempting to lighten the mood, "my git of a brother has a history of getting himself banged up at the most inconvenient moments, usually defending you from something. Lucky for you, this latest incident may well work out in your favor; any delay in seeing him - just gives us more time to make you irresistible."
"Yeah – right," Hermione replied dropping down on the corner of her bed, wiping away tears.
"Where is Orla?" Ginny asked looking around for her shop-sister. "I thought she'd still be here, 'tied to a chair,' being ruthlessly interrogated, on the boring day to day habits of her beloved employer."
"I HAVE NOT BEEN INTERGATING HER…all that much!" Hermione admitted, if somewhat reluctantly. "She never showed up today. I flooed the shop at midday and got an automated 'store closed', floo later message?" I then tried to contact Colin at the Dailey Prophet, but they told me he'd taken a couple of day off for - 'personal reasons.' I thought they'd gone into hiding from my questions about Jon but now I have to wonder…" – Hermione said as her head snapping up, as if a thought had just accrued to her, "…in light of what Harry just told me. What if someone from the Roma tournament, contacted Orla last night about Jonathan being nearly killed …then she and Colin could have port-keyed off to Roma to be with him in hospital."
"Oi, - DID YOU SAY…NEARLY KILLED! What in Bloody hell is going on …If Jon's injuries are so damn serious, why didn't Orla contact me? I'm Jon's personal healer after all! …Oh sweet Merlin …is that why Harry had such a sour face? Either no one at the Ministry told him about the attack until just now, or …they won't let him rush off to Roma to track down the piece of shi…Dragon Dung that did it?"
"Language Ginny," Hermione said automatically with a tiny smile, which caused Ginny glare at her. "I highly doubt he is going to Italy right now, it would draw way too much attention to Jonathan and nobody wants that. Besides, it's your husband's fault that he had to come all the way over here and tell me all this personally. He should never have given me number twelve 'Grimmauld Place' for my very own, as part of some crazy annulment settlement - which you both forced on me - I might add. The unplotable charms are still very much intact and this place has been so heavily re-warded, it's a ruddy fortress. With the anti-Apparition wards firmly in place and the floo network shut down from within the house. Harry has to either be transported by a house elf or physically exit the building before he could …Apparate."
"This is the safest place in London for you right now," Ginny said trying hard to be reasonable, "especially after your well publicized departure from the Potter Godric's Hallow Mansion, you needed a place to hide. At least you were smart enough to move out on the day that Harry and I returned from holiday, but taking a room at the Leaky Cauldron …Hermione, whatever were you thinking?
"I been thinking that Potter Manor, well …It's your house Ginny …it always was, really! I've just been a temporary squatter in what was always fated to be …your space. It just seemed to me, that in starting off your long delayed marriage to the man you been after all your life. That the two of you didn't need any reminders of the 'know-it-all' ex-wife's presence in there," Hermione said apologetically.
"Don't you go likeable on me Granger; I don't think I can handle it!" Ginny said with a - half serious - smirk. "What can I say, it was a real stunner to come 'home' after my honeymoon only to find …five entire rooms of the Manor, completely striped clean. Every stick of furniture, all the paintings, the pictures, drapes and carpets …even the wallpaper, - all gone. And then there was the library," Ginny said unable to resist chuckling. "Picture it, this absolutely huge room, with only Harry's pithily few Hogwarts textbooks in it. What a laugh that was! Four, fourteen foot tall walls …nothing but floor to ceiling bookshelves …and except for some twenty odd – deliberately abused old textbooks …completely empty. I'll tell you straight, I nearly wet my pants – laughing! Whenever I think of the library that uses to be filled to overflowing with tons of your books, I giggle uncontrollably …for now it resembles an abandoned tomb.
"It was all for the best," Hermione said in earnest. "With the unlawful tenant out of Godric's Hollow, I felt that it would be a whole lot easier for you to put your personal stamp on your home with Harry.
"Thank you Hermione, don't tell anyone I said this …because I'll flat out deny it, but Harry and I were deeply touched by the gesture. By the way, you didn't have to rush your things out of there in a single day, you know! The press treated the whole moving out thing as if Harry had ordered you out. "Kicked to the Curb and Rightfully So!" was the headline in the Daily Prophet. When everything is said and done, Grimmauld Place is a far better hide-out than any tiny room over a Diagon Alley Pub. The ruddy Press can't find you here and after all the galleons you two spent to renovate the place, it doesn't resemble at all the old cobweb-dusty, hell-hole that it was as a Black family residence."
"Oh I agree with you" – Hermione replied, looking around with no small amount of pride. "This place is hardly recognizable anymore, and that was …after all, the whole point of the exercise. Sirius left his London townhouse to Harry and by totally gutting out the interior of all the dark items it contained and then redoing the whole place in a bright-cheerful Gryffindor theme. I had hoped that Harry would finally feel comfortable living here again."
"Hermione, it was a nice effort, and Harry always appreciated what you were trying to do for him here, or so he told me. However he also has far too many bad memories to ever feel comfortable living in London full time…especially here. As to the annulment agreement itself" Ginny said with a 'cat ate the canary' grin, "that document just gave Harry the excuse he'd had been looking for to 'unload' this place."
"This place as you call it, is way too big for just me, and worse yet it came with ten house-elves - - ten obedient, devoted and overly eager to please - slaves!"
"That was your own doing," Ginny replied laughing out-loud. "You were the one who suggested resettlement of the suddenly homeless House-elves whose families were killed during the war to other wizarding households."
"Yes I did," Hermione reluctantly admitted, "but it was only supposed to be a temporary measure. Slavery is a barbaric custom that even the Muggle's have abandoned …for the most part. And yet here I am – the owner of ten intelligent magical creatures."
"You could have given them some of your old clothes.
"And have ten Winky's on my hands, - thanks…but no-thanks - Ginny. Give them clothing and they would all become disgraced social outcasts within their own community and suicidal to boot. No Ginny - it took me awhile, but I did finally wised up about forcing freedom on a race that finds that the way of life the greatest of personal dishonor's."
"While we are still on the subject of the annulment settlement," Ginny said interrupting Hermione before she began another S.P.E.W. rant. "I think I should warn you that my …favorite shopkeeper brother isn't going to be comfortable with this level of …luxury!" Ginny said as she slowly looked around the expensive if tasteful furniture. "Although he has his own house-elf, and a modest sized cottage all bought and paid for, Ron will never be …as well off financially, as you are."
"Fifteen thousand Golden Galleons - from the Great Britain Championship alone and twice that for the European doesn't exactly qualify Jonathan as being among the working poor," Hermione replied with a snort. "And Yes – before you ask, I do know his current net worth and how much he makes a year both from the shop and by playing chess," Hermione declared smugly.
"As if that's a surprise," Ginny said laughing softly. "My brother has loads of dosh to spare, a regular Dragon horde worth of gold Galleons, there's no denying that. But, he'll never be as rich as Harry - or the twins for that matter …then again, he really doesn't care about how much anyone else makes a year."
"I wasn't trying to compare Jonathan's income to mine Ginny, because which of us makes the most gold isn't important to me. My initial research into his finances was just the first step on a long journey of discovery, just one of many avenues of inquiries that I followed over the last few days in my attempt to gain better insight of the overall picture of who Jonathan is …as a person. I felt almost obsessively compelled; to speak to everyone who had any contact with Jonathan in the last two years."
"Harry and I were just back from our honeymoon" Ginny said irritated in a 'none to happy' tone, "and off he went, doing damage control for 'Hurricane Hermione' as she cut a wide sway through all apposition, in your quest to gain background information for your 'alleged' second book," Ginny declared unenthusiastically impressed. "The rumor mill within Diagon Alley is gambling that you'll be aiming your extraordinary 'writing talent' upon on England's latest Hero of the hour. None other than the four time European Wizard Chess Champion, Jonathan Veselkin.
"I'll give you full marks for cunning Hermione," Ginny admitted reluctantly. "Bloody brilliant that was, by spreading that very creative bit of fiction as a cover story to anyone you interviewed; no one ever suspected your personal interest in the primary subject of your second, so-called …tell-allbook. Here you are …supposingly in hiding from the news media and there you were, running around frustrating the hell out of the press. They hadn't a clue as to how you've managed to stay one step ahead of the pursuing paparazzi. It's a complete mystery to anyone who doesn't know of the existence of Harry's invisibility cloak. But I'm more than a bit puzzled; in Jon's shop didn't you say that his bank book told you everything you needed to know about my brother?"
"No, Ginny, Jonathan's business accounts didn't yield half the information as the stack of old appointment books that I stumbled across in the back of his shop office. The follow-up visits I made to the two Orphanage's run by the Potter Foundation were the most enlightening interviews of the lot. I can't begin to describe the amazing things I learned about 'OUR' favorite shopkeeper. …it was an out right stunner. Hermione said down-right beaming with pride. "My quest to make absolbloodylutly sure that deep down; all the good qualities of the Weasley I once loved could still to be found inside the man calling himself Jonathan were fully satisfied by my visits to the Potter orphanages."
"My-my …your verbiage lately has become so …colorful, Dr. Granger." Ginny teased, grinning evilly from ear to ear, which cause Hermione to glare back at her. "I take it; you found those qualities in our Jon." Ginny replied stressing the 'our' like Hermione had …just not as forcefully.
"That and much more, I saw the potential in the boy in the little things he did when interacting with the younger Gryffindor's as a Prefect. The man …well, honestly the more I learn about Jonathan …the more gob smacked I become. …Just thinking about how he deliberately downplayed his work with the orphans of the war …he's so adorable and kindhearted now; it all but literally, knocks my socks off."
"I spent a few days with him myself so I know what you mean," Ginny said with pride. "So you found out about the Orphaned children to whom he played Father Christmas every year for the last four. - That's good, - but did you also know that he paid for a good portion of the presents out of his own pocket? Then there are the things he does for the disabled war veterans, he visits them too once a month too. Just sits and chats with them for hours on end, just so they don't feel forgotten, it's downright amazing."
"No Ginny, it's what he does for the orphans that I personally find so astonishing. Jon is the anonymous founder and main motivator, - the man behind the curtain so to speak - of 'Project Head Start' The Potter Foundation has been the primary contributor of the funds used to send each child directly or indirectly harmed by the war to Hogwarts with new school robes and textbooks, casual clothing - even pocket money. The same project underwrites the full cost of their first wand. It's incredible the affect such things has on the self esteem of a poor student going to Hogwarts."
"You know why my brother does this don't you?" Ginny said to the "know-it-all" scornfully.
"The hand me down robes and broken wand that he had to carry." Hermione shot back
"Yeah, good show …got that in one, except you're off target just a little bit; it was a particular set of 'formal Yule Ball robes' that's really behind it all. He didn't even consciously remember those hideous things until I reminded him of them. We were chatting about Head Start and he accidentally let slip his desire that he never wanted a single orphan to feel unworthy of the girl he fancied just because he had to wear hand me downs, and carry around second hall stuff." Ginny said beaming with pride. "Yes …gentle and pure nobility pours off of old Ron these days, like sweat on an overheated race horse. Take my wedding for example, he…"
" …All I'm trying to say," Ginny retorted, after a brief pause - somewhat annoyed at being drawn off topic …yet again, "is that my brother is more into the 'hands on' sort charity giving. Unlike some of the more affluent Foreign Office Negotiator types, who throw a single fund raiser so she can throw loads of golden galleons indiscriminately at a social problem, then forget about the veterans and orphans for the rest of the year!"
"I'll have you know Ginevra," Hermione hissed, instinctively knowing how much Ginny hated her formal birth name, "that the Potter Foundation raises one million galleons a year for charity during their annual dinner." Hermione protested.
"Yeah, one fundraiser, once a ruddy year, a charitable foundation that was your idea and that you ran alone …refusing Harry's repeated offers to help," Ginny shouted at Hermione, "except to 'use himas bait' for your once a year high brow dinner. One thousand galleons a plate, five hundred couples as guests, many of them rich pure bloods who are at the very least suspected of supporting Voldemort monetarily if not logistically.
"Those charges were never proven, Ginevra!"
"Who ruddy cares, Granger?" Ginny shot back furious. "Harry use to tell me, on those rare occasions when we got together during your marriage …how much he deeply resented you using him as a figure head just to raise some blood money from a bunch of Death Eater sympathizers. For Merlin's sake …Mr. and Mrs. Draco Malfoy and most of the Parkinson family attended that dinner last year. " Ginny said getting right into Hermione's face. "As his wife you should have been smart enough to guard him against that type of exploitation …you should been on the look out for people trying to manipulate him to repair their damaged reputations. It's the treatment of Ron all over again. You took him for granted, never appreciatedhis true value. The annual Potter fundraiser isn't about helping anybody half as much as it is about you using Harry to pull your sorry arse up the social latter. "
"Right from the off," Hermione declared really angry now, "I have never manipulate Harry, he's an adult and makes his own decisions. He knew exactly what he was doing, every step along the way. Secondly, the Potter Foundation has done a lot of good over the years for all the victims of the war, Ginevra. There are two orphanages in England right now that bare his name, one male the other female and they get 'two-thirds' of their yearly operating budget from that single fundraiser."
"My favorite shopkeeper brother never accepted any invites to your ego inflatinggathering," Ginny retorted. "A humble bloke - he is! He isn't the type to use his status as the European wizard chess champion to prop up the social repair of unapologetic Death Eaters supporters. A man who preferred to do his far more effective charity work one on one with the actual victims of the war. Your right …Harry has two homes filled with orphans that bare his name. Two buildings build six years ago that he has never been inside of, not once.
"Ginevra, I regret more than you'll ever know that Harry and I due toscheduling conflicts never had the opportunity to visit the orphanages' that bare his name. His training to become an Auror and then field work to track down the reaming Death Eaters - left Harry little personal time."
"Scheduling conflicts …my ruddy Arse," Ginny screamed mad as hell! "You threw money at the problem, to make you feel self important, you wrote a bloody bank draft - once a year, was all that was required to appease your conscious. That's all you Rich - Toffs know how to do! Thank Merlin that Ronald doesn't suffer from Galleon envy anymore, not that he was the type to just throw money at social problems anyway. With more 'lolly' in his pocket than my dad ever earned in his whole working life, my brother choices to get personally involved with those still suffering from Voldemort reign of terror.
"He deliberately downplays his good deeds like the good book says to, so that his reward will come in heaven. He doesn't make a big fuss about to draw attention to himself as you did. He is a humble and retiring man who believes that actions speak a lot louder than words Every day he gets his hands dirty working with poor victims' of the Malfoy's …so he doesn't have time to rub elbows with them at rich social events. He's to busy living his newlife …in down to earth, simplicity."
Hermione reacted as if physically struck, at the appreciate Ron's value comment; being forcefully reminded by Ginny hurtful commentary that she still had a long road to travel to heal her renewed friendship with Ginny, a friendship that was still tentative at best. "Believe it or not, I do fully appreciate the man Jonathan has become It's comforting to know that 'money' isn't going to be an issue between Jonathan and me …not this time anyway and that in itself, is a big plus."
"Bloody Hell, Hermione …buyyourself a ruddy clue!" Ginny declared with a semi growl, grinding her teeth in frustration. "You're still taking things about Ron for granted. He may not be openly envious of Harry's wealth anymore, but don't be daft enough to think that your Gringotts vault contents won't effect him on some level. Even without the huge pile of gold Harry gave you in the settlement, six years of untouched Ministry salary would still put you head over heals above the combined income of any ten chess-playing shopkeepers. Or don't you remember how jealous Ron was of Krum's, or more importantly, Harry's massive wealth"
"Yes I do realize that, Ginevra! What you'reforgetting is that he was just a teenager then, uncertain about his place in life." Hermione retorted in an animalistic growl of her own and with a clearly forced smile. "Now he is a man, with a future he made all byhimself- without the help of anyone, just his own sweat. No older brother's fame to surpass, nor annoying sister who just like her twin brothers, liked to kick him …hard, when he was down."
"How did you find that out, no wait …you were there, that morning …at his chess shop. Ginny said her mind stunned from the insult."
"There more than enough blame to go around when it comes to his untimely demise, Ginevra." Hermione declared while trying hard to rein in her growing temper. "I'm not proud that I stabbed him in the heart with the dagger of betrayal. He was overshadowed at Hogwarts by a super famous best mate and a book-smart, disloyal girlfriend, only to be humiliated when he got home by you lot, for his utter failure to be the first to shag and dump a scarlet woman …like me."
"If you're trying to lessen your guilt by pointing fingers at me, you're in for…"
"I'm doing nothing of the sort Ginevra. Whatever tiny portion of the blame that you claim as yours, pales in comparison, to mine …and we both know it!" Hermione said in full argument mode. "When Jonathan regained consciousness in hospital after the battle, he had no one tolean on for far to many years and yet, he still overcame countless disadvantages and physical pain to start a whole new life for him self. The insecure, self doubting - teenager - Ronald could never have done it …don't you see that?"
"Maybe, perhaps …I don't know anymore." Ginny said bitterly.
"Everything I have learned about Jonathan in the last few days - literally screams of genuine contentment about the successes he has enjoyed in his new life. He is a truly remarkable young man, irregardless of whether you think of him Ronald or Jonathan. Wasn't it you that told me that he loved me, over and over since your honeymoon, or don't you remember?"
"Yeah …in fact, I did, but what happened to the "He'll never forgive me, Granger" Ginny asked honestly surprised at Hermione's overwhelming positive attitude.
"Luna Happened"
"What in Merlin's name did that girl tell you?" Ginny asked once again, frustrated by Hermione's deliberately vague answers.
"The shape of things to come," Hermione replied with a tiny and yet highly satisfied smirk.
"The happy ever after stuff of fairytales?" Ginny snapped.
"Oh Yes – and that too - thank Merlin." Hermione said, truly pleased about something.
"And you believe her?" Ginny declared in a doubtful tone. "This is old Loony Lovegood we are talking about here, the queen of the mighty Crumple-Horned Snorkacks and Blibbering Humdingers."
"Ginevra," – Hermione snapped, growing slightly angry and then forced herself to remain polite as she then paused a moment - to calm down and gather her thoughts. "Let's just say, that there is a very big part of me that wants to believe Luna's vision of the future. You've read Jonathans letter to me, he apparently wants the destiny that Luna outlined as much as I do."
"But why won't you give Harry or me at least some of the details of her alleged Prophecy?" Ginny asked very frustrated and clearly unable to accept the concept of Loony Lovegood being a seer.
"No, I refuse to run the risk of jinxing this, its way too important. Most of the details don't really matter to anyone but Jon and I anyway." Hermione said blushing waving aside Ginny's objections. "I realize now that Luna didn't foresee the nutcase attack on Jonathan in Roma, but as my mum always used to say to me; "When we mortals make plans, the God's just laugh."
And then Hermione seem to lose focus yet again on the here and now, - getting a faraway look in her eyes …her cheeks flushing red, her breathing becoming deep and rapid, as if seeing something Ginny couldn't. Ginny had noticed this zoning out several times since Hermione's little chat with Luna, which only heighten Ginny's frustration about what Mrs. Hemmingway had told the bushy haired know-it-all. For the facial expression Hermione wore resembled overwhelming sexual hunger and everything Ginny knew about Harry's frigid ex-wife made it impossible to imagine the bookworm having intense carnal desires."
"I know what I need to know," Hermione said as if abruptly snapping out of what appeared to be an erotic day dreams. "If my meeting in London with Jon doesn't happen exactly as Luna foresaw it, I will simply adapt. After all, transforming Luna's vision into reality is really up to Jon and I, and believe me when I tell you, that I have been given all the motivation required to make this particular prophecy come to pass." She said licking her lips slowly as a starving person doses when seeing their first meal in a long-long time.
"Then the attack on Ron - -"
"His name is Jonathan now Ginevra," Hermione said exasperated giving extra impetus to the name. "You and Harry really had better stop using the name of your dead brother when speaking of my fiancée."
"Fiancée? Putting the cart in front of the Thestral aren't you." Ginny retorted. "You haven't actually seen him in the flesh yet…"
"You mean his burn scars?" Hermione said shaking her head sadly in grim determination. "Your wrong I have seen them, highly detailed magically enhanced photographs."
"I've seen them too Hermione, but that's not what I meant …curse you," Ginny said. Once again growing quickly annoyed at the 'know it all' attitude that the young woman in front of her still so arrogantly projected.
"Ginny, Jonathan's injuries, his wealth compared to mine, are trivial now and unimportant. This recent assault in Roma is just a temporary setback, and there will be others as well - no doubt. Lets face facts, neither of us have had an easy time with Love. You waited a long time to get Harry away from me and as for - Jonathan. He is what I want, always wanted, and there is nothing that is going to keep us apart, the second time around."
Ginny regarded Dr. Granger with open contempt, and it was only for the sake and her husband, who oddly enough, still wanted to be friends with this self-righteous sow - that prevented Ginny from telling her off again as she had that time in St Mungo. "Sweet Merlin," she said to herself; "I can't for the life of me understand …how anyone, could fall in love with this always has to be right bookworm. Ron must have seen something in the teenage Granger that the rest of us couldn't. For his sake and my Harry, I'll bite my tongue, and tolerate the arrogant know-it-all …at least for now!" Ginny thought to herself, as she crossed her arms and glared daggers at Hermione. For now, at last - Ginny fully understood, the often rumored about open distain in which Hermione's coworkers had allegedly held their very undiplomatic former-boss.
OoOoOoOo
Sorry I have to break this up
It might be too big otherwise
Billybob