Chapter 12 The Perfect Day

By the time Petunia made it to London her anger had been soothed enough that Vernon's change of clothes was almost normal. Well at least the slacks were and the vibrant green button down shirt decorated with large orange passion flowers and ferns would be perfect if the couple ever took a trip to Hawaii. Besides, she couldn't find a hot pink muscle shirt in his size…

Remembering the way from the day before Petunia found Vernon's car and smirked at the parking ticket tucked under the drivers' wiper blade. Getting out of the rent car Petunia and Dudley found the inn. It was hard to see and their eyes just wanted to slide past it but they could find it. It just took a little effort. Opening the door the two went inside.

Petunia wasted no time this time and asked the barkeep straight away. "Is my husband still here? And can you please tell me how to find Hogwarts. I need to find my nephew as soon as I can."

Tom was delighted to have the two of them back and before they could protest they found themselves seated with another butter beer each and the promise of a good lamb stew and freshly baked bread and lots of butter to go with it. "And I'll be fetching your husband for you Mrs. Dursley. I put him up in my best room after the party last night. He hasn't come down yet so I'm guessing he's still sleepin off his little bit of overindulgence he got into last night." Petunia's lips pinched together at the mention of overindulgence and Tom seeing that backpedaled a bit "Not that he was here for the whole party mind. I had him in bed by 3 of the clock sharp."

She had been starting to regret the Hawaiian shirt but now she was regretting not getting the speedo. Taking a sip of her drink she asked, "My nephew, can you help us with that?"

"O'course, o'course. Young lord Potter would be at school I'm thinking. It's a simple matter to floo call the headmistress and she can pass on any messages you have." At the words 'young lord Potter' Dudley who was in the process of taking a drink of his butter beer ended up spraying his mouthful down his shirt and across part of the table. Without missing a beat or even a pause in what he was saying Tom had whipped the towel he had tucked into his apron out and wiped up the mess before passing the towel over to Dudley to clean himself up. "So what message would you like to have me pass on for you fine folks?"

Petunia eyed her son with disapproval before turning back to Tom. "Tell him that those creatures that attacked Dudley came back and chased us out of our home and we are stuck here." As good as the boy had been about helping them in the past she was sure that would get him here quickly. As for the barkeep calling the boy young lord Potter she just figured it was the way he talked and dismissed it without a second thought. No big deal.

Dudley didn't though. He remembered yesterday at that bank place and how those Goblin things helped pay for Harry's birthday gift. Hell, he had seen cottages that sold for less than they had ponyed up and that red head telling his mum that she couldn't get into Harry's vaults, Dud was willing to bet that Tom didn't misspeak. He was willing to bet that these freaks had given his cousin some sort of title and wondered if it was good in the normal world or if it was just good amongst freaks. Humm If Harry was really a Lord then that gave Dudley something to brag about if he decided to return to school next year…

At Petunia's insistence Tom showed the woman where her husband was sleeping before he went to floo the headmistress with her message. Petunia took great delight in opening the door as silently as she could just so that she could slam it as loudly as possible. It took a little control not to laugh at her husband when he fell off the bed and started to moan in pain from the hangover he had acquired from his drinking last night and the pain he acquired from falling on the floor and Petunia had to admit that it was fun throwing the change of clothes at him and telling him in as shrill a voice as possible "Get dressed and meet your son and I downstairs for some lunch. The barkeep made us some spicy chili and fresh squeezed lemonade." With that she turned and exited the room once again slamming the door behind her.

Vernon moaned at the though of spicy food mixed with a tart drink on his already abused stomach. He rubbed his eyes after he looked at the shirt provided and hoped the colors were a product of the hangover. If they weren't he was pretty sure his eyes were going to start to bleed any second. He moaned again as he tried his best to gain his feet and found out that his body just didn't want to obey his mental command. Forcing himself to his feet he shakily made his way once again to the bathroom and after relieving himself he slid down the wall and dropped his head onto his bent knees. Contemplating the lunch he was going to be forced to endure with a vindictive wife and son that awaited him downstairs his rebellious stomach did what all rebellious stomachs did, it decided to empty itself once again despite the fact that it was already empty. Vernon was never quite sure after how he managed to maneuver his face to the proper place which was hanging half way in the bowl of the toilet but he was glad he did even though he had forgot to flush after taking his leak. He had forgotten that he had drank some water when he woke up here earlier but apparently his stomach didn't and it didn't want the water in it any more than it wanted spicy chili in it. Yech.

He dressed and moaned again when the colors of the shirt didn't change before making his way down the stair of the inn. The only way he was able to manage that feat was by keeping an extra tight hold of the banister. Twice his hold saved him from descending the rest of the way downstairs butt first but somehow he did manage it. Once he reached the common room he looked around for his family. Thankfully the light in here was dim enough that it didn't feel like it was trying to attack his head with a sledge hammer.

Tom delivered his message to the headmistress then waited downstairs for Vernon to appear. When he did Tom winced at the look on the man's face. Surly he was suffering from the grandmother of all hangovers and unfortunately the cure for those tasted something like a cross between raw sewage and rotted compost. Well if the muggle could manage to get it down and more importantly keep it down it would within minutes rehydrate his body, reduce the swollen veins in his incredibly red eyes, remove the last traces of fire whiskey from his body and relieve the pounding headache he had to be feeling. Tom glanced over at his wife before he went to get a dose of the potion. He had a feeling that if she knew how bad it tasted she would be tossed on making him drink it or letting him suffer the after effects of his binge. She didn't exactly seem pleased by the fact that he was in this shape at all. Ah well, who knew how the minds of muggles worked, even these wonderful muggles.

It only took Tom a few moments to retrieve the potion for hangovers. He brought over the smoking goblet and placed it softly before the man's hanging head. With a quick glance at the other two Tom softly explained to the threesome, "This potion cures hangovers almost right away. If you're wantin to take it you'll be needin to drink it all in one go. It does taste a bit on the bad side though."

Vernon raised his painful looking red eyes and asked softly, "It'll get rid of this hangover? Are you sure?"

Tom nodded and smiled at the man. Petunia wasn't so subtle. Her voice through years of practice was designed to bend metal and break glass as well as make tortured ear drums bleed. "Drink it Vernon." Vernon wasn't the only one at the table to flinch at the pitch.

With a badly shaking hand he picked up the goblet and brought it to his mouth. Before he could tip it up to drink the stench hit his nose and his gag reflex was activated. Hastily he put the goblet back on the table and tried to control the stomach that wanted to bring up his intestines. Gasping for breath he was finally able to speak. "I can't drink that! I can't even smell that without wanting to spew."

Petunia narrowed her eyes before she waspishly told him "Then pinch your nose so you don't smell it."

Vernon looked at his wife with watery eyes before he raised his hand and pinched his nose closed. Before he raised the cup once again he said to her, "I don't know about the fr-magical people but I'm sure this will poison me. Right now though I don't care. Death would be a release." He narrowed his eyes as he glared at Petunia before picking up the cup and draining the content. There, if he died it served her right for making his last moments alive miserable…

Dudley did try to control his grin at his parent's actions. He knew it was a bit of melodramatics that caused his fathers last words before drinking the stuff in the cup just as he knew his mother wasn't usually that shrill and unfeeling. The two were just acting because well, for his mother it was because she knew his grandfather had died drunk and over the years she had watched Aunt Marge go more and more down that path and she was afraid of Vernon doing the same. Something to do with alcoholism being an inherent trait. She was also a bit afraid that if he ever saw someone enjoying getting drunk that he might also turn into one. As for his father…the man was obviously in pain from his being drunk and he just wanted a little sympathy and knew he wasn't gonna get it so he was being a prat. Dudley was well versed in that. After all he had being a prat down to an art when he didn't get his own way.

Vernon gagged a few times but he managed to keep the horrid concoction down and surprisingly it did make him feel much better after a few minutes. He was even starting to feel the first stirrings of hunger although he sincerely hoped that the inn offered something besides spicy chili and lemonade. Turning to Tom he asked, "Is it possible to get a cup of Earl Grey and perhaps some soda crackers? I don't want to put anything heavy on my stomach just yet."

Tom was all smiles as he went to fetch the tea and crackers for Mr. Dursley and the lamb stew and freshly baked bread for his wife and son. A small pot of jam and another of butter completed the simple luncheon and all three dug in as they waited for a reply from Hogwarts.

Harry was having a good day today. All of his morning classes had gone without a hitch, Dean was released from the hospital wing and Duncan was also released, his arm as good as new. Lunch had consisted of roast chicken, chops both pork and lamb, toad-in-the-hole and shepherds pie as well as a variety of vegetables and puddings for afters.

Harry and Ron made their way back to the library to meet with the rest of their small group to do some more studying before Harry had his last class of the day. He had promised Neville that he would help the boy finish his potion homework for Wednesdays class before he helped Ginny and Luna with their charms homework. He figured that because this was his years NEWT level he had to help Neville first especially since he had talked Neville into taking the potions class in the first place. It wasn't so bad though really. When he had first talked to boy into taking the class he had though he was going to have to baby-sit him through each lesson but once Neville found out that Snape was gone for good he had loosen up quite a bit. Oh, he would never be anywhere close to a master but competent at brewing? Yes, that was well within Neville's reach. Harry felt a touch of pride at the advances that Neville had made this year in all of his subjects. A new wand, some much needed confidence and a little support from friends and it was a very different boy from the frightened, slightly pudgy little eleven year old he had first known.

Matter of fact each of his close friends had surpassed anything he could have expected and he was proud of all of them and most of them would be staying together after the leaving feast. Neville was being groomed to take over Sprouts place in a few years after he completed his mastery in herbology, Hermione would be taking over muggle studies next year and after a few more years of study would also be taking on Binns old job. Harry of course was taking over DADA and the head of Gryffindor House as well as running a dueling club and physical fitness club that would be teaching martial arts and if Luna had her way in a few years she too would be back teaching. The only two from the core group of six that didn't plan or want to teach at Hogwarts was Ron and Ginny. Ron planned on working at the ministry and Ginny had plans to start up a day school in Hogsmeade for the younger children of the area.

It was almost like deja vu watching the young Ravenclaw walking toward the group with a glassy eyed stare that never left Harry's face. "Mr. Potter sir, the headmistress asked me to give you this note sir." Her cheeks were pink with excitement at the experience of personally delivering an important message to the GREAT and WONDERFUL HERO OF THE WIZARDING WORLD.

Harry waited with a half smile on his face for the girl to hand over the note but she seemed to be somewhat lost in dreamland as she just stood there in front of him staring with the note clenched in both hands. With a mental sigh Harry reached out and gently tugged the note trying to get her attention without embarrassing the child "Thank you Miss. And please just call me Harry."

She released the note with a small gasp of breath and the only word for it was simpered as she batted her lashes at the teen. "If I can call you Harry then you must call me Abigail Ok?"

Harry smiled at the girl. "Abigail it is and thank you again for bringing me the message." Expecting the girl to leave now that she had safely delivered the note he was a bit surprised when she continued to just stand there. "Do you need something else Abigail?" He asked.

"Oh no sir. I was just waiting to see if you needed me to take a message back for you." He gave her a nod and thanked her again before opening the note and reading it.

Harry,

I received a rather strange floo call from Tom at the Leaky Cauldron. He said your family was staying there because some creatures had invaded their home and they need to see you as soon as possible. Please report to my office and we will arrange for you to leave from here.

Minerva McGonagall

Harry reached up and rubbed his eyes. This was not the way he had planned on ending what had till this point been an almost perfect day…