It was time to act. They had all agreed on that. They had decided to go and get money from Gringotts then go to the home of this witch. Hermione, to Ron's extreme displeasure, still had to go on a date with this boy, but hoped that the witch would let it wait.
"Hermione, are you sure you want to come?" Ron asked for the 5th time in the hour.
"Ron! I already told you I'm coming." Hermione snapped back.
"Ok everyone ready?" Harry asked, interrupting their bickering.
"I am." Ginny replied.
Ron and Hermione nodded.
"See you in about five seconds." Ron said with a grim laugh. No one had gotten their sense of humor back.
Harry grabbed Ginny's hand tightly, as Ron did the same to Hermione.
"Ok. 1...2...3!"
The uncomfortable feeling of apparation over took them, but was over soon enough. They all looked up at the pub the Leaky Cauldron.
"We might want to be careful. We'll probably get tackled from all of Harry's fans." Ginny said.
"Very funny." he said shortly.
"Who said I was kidding?" She replied grimly.
Taking a breath Ron lead the way into the small bar which filled with applause. Tom, the bar tender was trying very hard to get through to shake all of their hands. When he finally did get through he looked at them as though Christmas had come early.
"It's such an honor. Really. Mr. and Miss Weasley I am very sorry to hear about your brother. We all liked him very much." He said with a sad look on his face.
"Thanks." Ginny said, eyes swimming with tears that she refused to shed. Harry put his arm around her protectively.
Ron looked grateful as well but seemed unable to talk. Hermione looked at him sadly and took his hand.
"Well Tom, we really do have to be going. We need to get money. So…er… bye" Harry said.
"Yes all right but you have to come and tell us of your adventure soon." Tom said patting him on the back kindly.
"Sure." Harry said. They left as quickly as possible.
"Maybe we shoulda brought the invisibility cloak." Ron said thoughtfully.
"It wouldn't have held us all anyway." Ginny said back to him.
It took them about an hour to get the money for there were still some goblins that seemed very angry about the whole breaking out of the bank on the back of a dragon. When they got the money they all grabbed hands while Hermione apparated them to the witch's home. It was a small cottage on the side of a very large hill. The grass was just a bit overgrown and the shrubs looked like they needed clipping. Hermione led the way to the door and knocked twice very loudly on the wood.
"Mrs. Janssen? It's Hermione Granger. Are you there?" Hermione called.
"Yes, yes, yes come in before you let all the good air out!" An impatient, brisk, voice called back. With a nervous look at the others Hermione opened the door and walked in. The house was very small, probably four rooms and musky.
"In here, girl. In here." The old woman called from a different room, sounding annoyed. They all walked slowly into the next room. The woman that had spoken was tall, rather large and had wiry gray hair.
"Did you bring my gold?" The woman asked curtly.
"Wha- Oh yes! Gold, right." Hermione said, thrown off by her rudeness. "Harry the gold."
Harry walked up coolly to the woman and handed her a moderately well sized bag.
She snatched the bag from Harry's outstretched hand, opened it as if to count and closed it saying "This seems to be in order. Now as for the other side of the deal…?" Mrs. Janssen trailed off looking expectantly up at Hermione. Ron turned faintly pink and looked away abruptly. This did not go unnoticed by the woman for she said rudely, "What's the matter ginger? You shagging her are you?"
Ron turned bright red and opened his mouth angrily, as if to retort, but Hermione cut him off.
"Yes…well…we may do it sometime this week…" She said staring coldly at the woman. Ron's eyes widened in either panic or hope, Harry could not be sure. "I mean me going on the date with your grandson!!" Hermione said in a panicked voice, looking away from Ron, who had turned, if possible even redder. Ginny sniggered as Hermione turned pink in the face.
"Anyway you know how to get in touch with me now may I please have the Time Turner?" Hermione asked, still red.
"I suppose so. Here take it" she said vaguely. She held up a thrust a small wooden box into Hermione's outstretched hands. The time turner lay dusty and a bit rusted but otherwise intact. They thanked the woman coolly and left the home with an air of purpose about them.
"Wow that woman could give Cormac McLaggen a run for his money couldn't she?" Ron said, obviously still angry and embarrassed.
They all agreed, Hermione with much eagerness and apparated home.