Chapter 13

Dark Clouds

Speaking to Luna seemed to do the trick. Incidents of Ginny's anger exploding at random, and without any good reason dropped of, but on the occasions they did Luna and Ginny would disappear together, sometimes for hours at a time. What they spook about was a mystery to Harry but nor did he ask either of them for details. He didn't want to break the mood. All he knew was that Ginny had a smile on her face after each session, as she put it, and Luna treated him in the same ethereal manner she always had. No hint of judgement or pity ever appeared, for which he was eternally grateful.

Ginny also made genuine apologies to Hermione and Hagrid, both of whom brushed it off saying they understood. She even apologised to Ron which took him completely by surprise, and in private afterwards told Harry that he couldn't remember when she had ever done that.

Everything seemed to be back on track, even Sean Palladino had stopped glaring at him every time they passed each other. He wasn't friendly by any means, but it was an improvement. It couldn't last, Harry knew something was going to disturb the good times they were having, apart from the mountains of homework that seemed to grow larger week by week. He was proved right when, on the last Sunday before the Christmas holidays, he and Ginny were woken up by a loud banging on their bedroom door.

"Harry, Ginny wake up," They heard a muffled, but familiar voice shout. Harry looked at the clock, and saw that it was a few minutes after seven o'clock, and cursed under his breath. Ginny on the other hand opened just the one eye saw the time, and promptly stuck her head under a pillow. Struggling out of bed knowing that there was no chance of Ginny answering it Harry had the presence of mind to check the Marauders Map before opening the door.

It was Hermione. Wearily he thought that no one else would have the nerve to wake them up at this time on a Sunday. Grabbing his dressing gown he put it on. He and Hermione had been friends for years, but he didn't think either of them wanted to test it with his current state of undress. He opened the door but before he could even speak a whirlwind of hair, more flyaway than usual, flew into the room.

"Harry have you seen the paper this morning? No of course you haven't, you don't take it, do you? Terrible news, that poor old witch, what a shocking way to die, especially as the war is over," it all poured out at a typical Hermione rush.

"Take a breath Hermione," Harry interrupted, "and start somewhere near the beginning." Hermione sat in one of the armchairs, but Harry went and sat back on his side of the bed, forcing her to stand up again and follow him over.

"Here you must read it," she said waving the paper at him.

"I don't do reading before my first cup of tea Hermione, you know that." He could hear some bad tempered muttering under the pillow next to him, making him grin. The last time Hermione had ruined his Sunday morning lie in Ginny hadn't been there, and it had been even earlier.

"It's important Harry it involves you."

"So tell me about it then," he said putting his glasses on wondering what ridiculous gossip, the ridiculous paper had made up now.

"Well last night was a really bad one. They're saying another eight shops were destroyed, and they still don't know how, or at least they're not saying how." Harry sighed. He'd been expecting it really. With these eight that made over thirty stores that had now been destroyed. No one believed that it was about collecting the insurance money anymore. It all seemed bizarre as thanks to magic they were all rebuilt inside a week. The main problem was the destruction of the goods in them.

"So how many of those belonged to us then?"

"That's the problem Harry, none of them."

"Why's that a problem?" a dishevelled Ginny said finally emerging from under her pillow, having finally given up on trying to get back to sleep.

"It's a problem because someone has worked out that none of Harry's property have been destroyed, so therefore they believe that he must be behind the bombings."

"Well that's stupid thinking," Ginny said.

"Well I know that, but with this witch being killed the Ministry has decided to take it all more seriously."

"What witch?" Harry asked a sinking feeling in his stomach.

"She was apparently looking for one of her cats, at three o'clock in the morning if can you believe it, and was caught up in one of the blasts. Died instantly the paper says." That was scant comfort Harry thought.

"Cresswell says he's going to insist the Wizengamot starts an investigation into both of you. He says there are a lot of unanswered questions that still need answering. The man's English is appalling."

"But he's the Goblin Liaison," Ginny said. "It's got nothing to do with him."

"Not anymore he's the head of Magical Law Enforcement now."

"Even the Wizengamot wouldn't start an investigation on an accusation without any evidence," Ginny said.

"The Prophet is backing Cresswell, stating that it has hundreds of letters complaining that nobody is taking the threat of a new Dark Lord rising seriously enough."

"They're accusing me of being a Dark Lord!" Harry said.

"Oh not directly, they just say that you should be eliminated from their enquires that's all, but the inference is quite clear," Hermione was trying to suppress her outrage, but it was as nothing to Harry's. He was struggling to get his emotions under control. How dare they accuse him of being a Dark Wizard. He had an irresistible urge to march up to Cresswell and smack him in the mouth.

"Who are these letters from? Do you have any names?" Ginny asked wide awake now.

"Of course they don't. I doubt they even have any," Hermione hissed.

"Cuffe wouldn't dare print something like that without the backing of the Prophet's owners," Harry stated remembering the spineless man with a look of disgust on his face, "unless of course it's the new owners pushing this."

"We need to find out who they are," Hermione said. "I'm sure things will become clearer if we knew."

"I've tried Hermione, but everybody I've written to either doesn't know or won't reply to my letters."

"What about Cho?" Ginny asked.

"She said she had no idea," Harry said looking at Ginny to gauge her reaction to him having written to an old girlfriend without telling her. Ginny though was thinking hard, and either hadn't heard or didn't seem to care.

"Rita Skeeter?" Ginny said.

"She didn't know either, but was really keen on an interview with us," Harry shuddered at the thought of it. "I didn't bother to reply."

"Money!" Hermione shouted, "You need to follow the money."

"What are you talking about?" Ginny said.

"There's bound to be a money trail, and we should be able to follow the one that was made when Harry's shares were bought out."

"Brilliant Hermione," Harry exclaimed, "truly brilliant as usual."

"You've lost me," Ginny said.

"You don't just buy a newspaper with a bag of gold Ginny," Hermione explained. "There are bank transfers, and exchanges of certificates of ownership, and each transfer leaves a massive trail of paperwork. If we follow it back we'll discover the owners." Comprehension dawned on Ginny's face, and then changed into a scowl.

"How are you going to do that? The Goblin's privacy laws will prevent you. You know what they're like. They don't like to tell anybody anything." Harry's sudden elation vanished.

"You're right. I know I have good relations with them, but I don't see them breaking their own rules on this."

"Harry you have a right to know where the money came from."

"They've gone to great lengths to remain invisible Hermione. It'll be some holding company that'll tell us next nothing about them. I should know I have one myself, not that it seems to have helped me stay invisible."

"Try Harry, just try," Hermione begged, "please."

"Alright I'll have a word with Grabbit, and tell him our concerns." All three of them jumped when Dobby popped into the room without warning.

"My great friend Harry Potter wanted some tea," Dobby said holding a tray with four steaming cups.

"Ah Dobby you're a life saver," Ginny said sitting up, grabbing one of the steaming cups while at the same time protecting her modesty with the top half of an eiderdown.

"Thank you Mistress. Is young Mister Wheezy not here?" Dobby asked looking under the bed as though expecting Ron to be lying under it.

"He's still asleep Dobby," Hermione said. "Apparently he didn't think the newspaper article was important enough to get up for." Harry rather agreed with Ron. The news was bad, he agreed with Hermione on that, but it could have waited a few hours. Lying in bed with Ginny on a Sunday morning had become a very pleasant ritual that he would like to become sacred. The trouble with Hermione though was nothing was sacred except the search for knowledge.

"I shall take it to him," Dobby said.

"No, no don't do that I can manage," Hermione said,

"It is no trouble Miss Granger, Dobby likes to serve such great Wizards as yourselves."

"I insist" Hermione said. Dobby made to continue the argument, but Harry cut him off.

"Let her do it Dobby, or the tea will get cold while you both fight over who has the privilege to serve that idle sod. Thanks for telling me the news Hermione. I don't know off hand what we can do about it though."

"Contact Gringotts as soon as possible," she answered heading out the door. "Oh and expect a flood of mail from the rest of the media." Harry groaned inwardly knowing how right she going to be.

"Is there anything else that Dobby can do?"

"No we're fine," Harry said glancing at Ginny, "and thanks for the tea." Dobby gave a low bow, and popped away with a large smile on his face.

"Alone again," Ginny said.

"Whatever will we do till breakfast," Harry said.

"Well I'm finishing my tea. I don't know about you."

"I think you're becoming an addict."

"There are several things I've become addicted to, so drink up, and we may have time for my all time favourite."

"What do you mean may!"

XXXXX

On the morning of the following Friday, the last day of term before Christmas holidays, the letter that they had been dreading arrived. All week Harry's and Ginny's post had been full of requests from journalists wanting comments, and interviews. They had both decided to ignore all of them, not wanting to inflame the situation by a misguided comment. In fact there were two letters. The Ministry in its wisdom had sent one to each of them saying the same thing.

"Well that's going to ruin the Christmas spirit," Ginny said slamming her copy of the letter on the table. Hermione reached across for the letter and began reading it. Harry was still looking at his wondering why these things always seemed to happen to him.

"Well they haven't actual charged you with anything," Hermione said tentatively when she saw the look on Harry's and Ginny's face. "All they want to do is talk to you."

"Oh yea right, that's all. Tell me why it has to be in front of the full Wizengamot, if they're not trying to incriminate us." Harry said. "You'll have to excuse me if this doesn't look like a witch hunt, to use a Muggle expression."

"All you have to do is answer the questions you want to, and refuse to answer those you don't," Hermione said ignoring Harry's anger.

"You think they're going to let us get away with that," Ginny snapped.

"They can't do anything else until they charge you with an actual crime, and you haven't done one so no problem." Hermione was trying to sound up beat, but Harry could tell she didn't believe a word she was saying.

"I'd like to believe you Hermione, I really would."

"But we don't," Ginny finished for him.

"Look it's not until after the New Year," Ron said putting down the copy he had read. "So forget about until then."

"I suggest you get a lawyer," Hermione added. Harry wasn't happy to hear that suggestion. The idea that he was going to have to get a lawyer made the whole thing that much more real, and therefore much worse.

"Something else for us to talk with Grabbit about on Monday," Harry said.

"Well why don't we all make a day of it, and do our Christmas shopping at the same time. Get it out of the way," Hermione said trying to cheer them up.

"Yea sounds great," Ron said. Harry looked at Ginny and saw a smile on her face.

"Ok we'll do that, sounds like fun. I just hope my shopping goes better than last year." Ron frowned for a moment until he realised what Harry meant. They'd had to battle Death Eaters in Diagon Alley last year.

"Lighten up Harry, it's Christmas," he said.

"Come on it's time to catch the train," Hermione said.

"Ah come on, can't we just apparate home rather than sit on that train for hours," Ron complained. Hermione didn't need to say anything she just glared at him. "Alright, alright I'm coming."

The four of them plus Luna were comfortably settled into the Prefects cabin enjoying the extra space, as there was no need for a meeting. An hour into the journey the Slytherin prefect Sean Palladino entered their compartment, a serious and nervous look on his face.

"Potter could I have a word?" he said. Harry and Ginny both stood up. "Not you Ginny."

"It's all right Gin. I'll be fine," Harry said when he saw the nervous look on her face. Palladino stepped out into the corridor and Harry followed, sliding the door closed behind him. Palladino began to walk down the train.

"If you want a word with me then it'll have to be here," Harry said not moving. "Not unless you want Ginny to follow us." Palladino turned around and stood in front of him, his wand not visible. He looked into the compartment and saw everyone in there looking at him.

"Fine," he said.

"So what's the problem?" Harry asked.

"I want to apologise," he hesitated for a moment. "I had no right to accuse you of my father's death. I was angry… and I was wrong." Harry was taken aback at this sudden and unexpected confession. He wasn't sure how to respond.

"Oh… right… ok," he stammered. "Thanks Palladino I appreciate it, but there wasn't really any need to apologise. I understand some of the rage you get, when you lose someone close to you. I hope your Christmas isn't too bad." Harry stuck his hand out not sure if Palladino was going to take it. He could see it had taken him a great deal of courage to get up the nerve to apologise to him, and he wanted to acknowledge that.

"Well we're going to be short of money this year thanks to the Ministry confiscations," he said bitterly. "But we'll do our best." He then took Harry's hand and shook it firmly.

"It's the company you keep that matters," Harry said thinking of the Weasley Christmases he had enjoyed.

"Yea well we'll see," Palladino said clearly not convinced, and started to turn away before stopping. "Oh I nearly forgot the Widdick girls were out of bounds last night, again. I didn't really have a chance to do anything about it this morning."

"They're a nightmare those two. I'll take care of it." Palladino gave a half smile and then walked back down the train watched by Harry until the sliding door opened again.

"What did he want Harry," Ginny asked.

"To apologise," Harry said walking back into the compartment.

"Really, that's a turn up for the books."

"It's not really," Hermione said. "Urquhart's been counselling him all term. It looks like it might have had some effect."

"Perhaps we should get him to have a word with those Widdick girls, because nothing else seems to work with them," Harry said. "I'd send them to do their detentions with Hagrid in the Forbidden Forest, but I think they'd enjoy it. Instead of being scared half to death like a normal person."

"The Forest is too dangerous even for Hagrid remember," Hermione answered.

"I guess. In fact I think I'll find them now and take their wands off them, before something happens."

"You can't do that without just cause," Ron said. Of all of them he was the softest on the twin terrors, and rarely punished them for anything.

"They'll give me a reason, don't worry." Every time he had met them during the last term he had either caught them doing something, generally jinxing something in the castle, or he had found them with complete innocent expressions on their faces. He knew that they had done or were about to do something, what he never found out. The temptation to use Legilimency was becoming overwhelming.

Harry went in search of them, it wasn't difficult to find them as it turned out. He hadn't reached the end of the second carriage when there was the most almighty bang that reverberated up and down the train, and for a moment Harry thought the train might be derailed. With his head still ringing from the concussion Harry managed to quickly track down the source. The passage way had numerous students staggering around in a daze, hands over their ears.

Sitting in a compartment, fortunately by themselves were Hilary and Irene Widdick. The glass in the sliding door and the windows separating them from the corridor was lying on the floor in a million pieces; it was only good luck that nobody had been walking past at that moment. His stomach felt sick at the thought of what might have happened. They would have been seriously injured maybe even killed.

The outside window in the compartment had vanished, and there was a howling gale as the wind rushed in as the Express thundered on. Harry took his wand out and repaired the internal windows and sliding door. There was nothing he could do about the other window all the glass would now be laying beside the track several miles behind them.

The girls themselves were sitting with a stunned look on their faces, and shaking their heads. They'd probably deafened themselves Harry thought as he held out his hand. Both wands were placed in his hand without him having to say anything. The look on his face was enough. He had never been really angry with them all term, until now.

"Can you hear me," he shouted the ringing in his own ears had subsided, although the noise of the wind was loud enough to make normal speech impossible.

"No," they both shouted back. Either they could lip read or they were having him on. He was sure, considering how much trouble they got into, that they were more than capable of both. This time they had gone too far.

"Come with me," he shouted. The corridor of the train was now full of people wanting to find out what was going on. Once the three of them had left the compartment Harry closed the door, glad to be out of the wind and its noise. Ignoring all the shouted questions he frogmarched the twins back to the Prefects compartment, and with a hand on each shoulder steered them into a corner, and made them sit down.

"We're sorry Harry, honestly we didn't know that was going to happen," Irene said in an over loud voice.

"We were just experimenting," Hilary finished her face downcast.

"You could have killed somebody, as well as yourselves."

"What?" they chorused. Harry gave up he wasn't prepared to have to constantly shout at them to make himself understood.

"Stay there," he said making sure they could see his mouth, "do not move." For the first time ever Hilary and Irene looked as though were sorry for their actions, and although he wanted to tell them off further, he just didn't have the heart. "Hermione could you look at their ears, see if you can do something."

In the end some of their hearing was restored, and Hermione said St Mungo's could sort the rest out. In a long drawn out discussion, that took most of the rest of the journey, it transpired that the twins had tried to combine the Sonorous Charm with a Firecracker Hex. Unfortunately it had resulted in the equivalence of a magical feed back loop, which made a noise like a huge explosion, without thankfully the energy of one.

Hermione had made endless notes on what they had done, and how they had done it. By the end she had almost ceased to be disapproving of their actions. The merging of one spell with another was considered the most advanced magic there was. The fact that it was done by two first years, with only a term's tuition was extraordinary Hermione said. Harry found the whole thing more than a little worrying. When the train began to slow down as they neared King's Cross Harry gave the Widdick twins the bad news.

"Hilary, Irene I'm going to have to speak to your parents when we get to the station. They're going to have to know what you've done to the Hogwarts Express."

"Do you have to?"

"That missing window is going to have to be replaced, and paid for."

"Oh," they said together. With a squeal of brakes the train shuddered to a halt and hundreds of students poured off eager to find their parents and begin the Christmas holidays. Harry and Ginny though stayed in the compartment with Hilary and Irene waiting for the crowd to thin out before they disembarked.

The platform was a mass of Christmas trees and decorations. Harry thought that they had gone well overboard this year, even for the Wizarding World. No doubt they were making up for the previous years. He knew he couldn't wait until everybody had left the platform. It would only worry Hilary's and Irene's parents more than he had to, so when he saw that no one else was getting off the train they stepped off themselves.

"Can you see your parents?" Harry asked. Irene though gave a squeal of delight and ran at a couple with two small boys beside them. Hilary was close on her heels. It was obvious that they got their looks from their mum. She had the same wavy blonde hair, and if it wasn't for the age difference they could almost be triplets. Dad on the other hand was tall and balding, and what remind of his hair had gone grey. Harry suspected Hilary and Irene had played a large part in that occurring. With Ginny beside him they walked slowly over, wanting the family to have time to greet each other before ruining the moment.

"Mr Widdick I need to have a quick word before you all go home," Harry said hating himself for interrupting.

"Oh my, Mr and Mrs Potter," Mr Widdick replied. His reaction was one of surprise, and it took a few moments to pull himself together. "This is my wife Darleen. Let me say it's an honour. What can I do for you Mr Potter?"

"Nothing I'm afraid. Your daughters though managed to err… remove one of the windows of the Hogwarts Express's windows on the way back."

"They did what," Mrs Widdick exclaimed. "What are we going to do with you two, all term we've been getting reports of both of you getting into trouble, and now this?"

"The driver gave me the companies address so you can arrange payment with them," Harry said pulling an envelope out of his robes along with two wands. "I confiscated their wands as well. It might be better if you kept them safe. I wouldn't want them to break the underage restrictions."

"Thank you Mr Potter I must apologise for my children, and the trouble they've no doubt have caused you this term," Mr Widdick said taking the wands and the envelope. "Fortunately the company that runs the Express is a client of mine, so the only lawyer I'm likely to deal with is myself."

"You couldn't recommend a lawyer could you Mr Widdick?" Ginny asked suddenly.

"Of course, what sort of legal work are you looking at," Ginny didn't answer but just handed over her copy of the Wizengamot summons. Mr Widdick's expression changed from curious, to disgust and then to anger as he read it. "I can handle this nonsense if you want me to." Ginny looked at Harry and without needing to speak silently agreed.

"We'd be delighted Mr Widdick," Harry said. "What do you suggest we do?"

"Leave it to me Mr Potter.

"It's Harry and Ginny."
"Then you better call me Greg. Now I shall formally reply on your behalf, and state in the strongest terms possible terms the ridiculousness of this meeting, and its libellous nature. We'll also reserve the right to start proceedings against them in return."

"Are you sure that's wise? I don't want to rile them up anymore than we have to," Harry said.

"A good defence is a good offence. If it looks like you're going to lie down and take it Harry, they'll walk all over you."

"I agree," Ginny said. "Greg we have another out standing matter, and it's probably time a professional took it on, can I send you the details."

"Certainly Ginny what's about?"

"I'm refusing to pay a medical bill that Harry ran up at the World Cup." Harry raised his eyebrows up at this. He thought that had been sorted as he hadn't heard anything more about it." Mr Widdick pulled out a card from one of his pockets and handed it to Ginny.

"Send copies of all correspondence to the address on the card, and a return address once you've decided you want to hire me and I'll be in contact."

"Thank you Mr Widdick."
"It's Greg Harry. On a more personnel note we don't believe a word that the Prophet has been spouting for the last few weeks."

"Thank you Greg," Harry said. "Hilary, Irene have a Happy Christmas, and try and stay out of trouble."

"Happy Christmas Harry," they chorused. The whole Widdick family then left by Portkey. Once gone Harry let out a sigh and shook his head.

"Do you think we've done the right thing? After all we know nothing about him," Harry asked.

"We can change our minds so stop worrying. Let's go home." Home, Harry thought that sounded fantastic his home.

"Can't yet I'm afraid we need to check the train for stragglers, and anybody who's been hexed."
"What you mean like Malfoy," Ginny said laughing.

"Yea just like Malfoy," Harry said wondering how Draco was doing. It was coming up to his first anniversary in jail. Only another six years to go if he behaved. There was always the chance that he'd be in the next cell on a trumped up charge he thought. Wouldn't that be a turn up for the books.

It turned out that Ron and Hermione had already searched the train and discovered nobody changed into an unrecognisable blob or fast asleep, so their responsibilities were officially over until the return trip.

"See you on Monday then," Harry said. Ron was going back to the Burrow to no doubt be overfed for the Weekend, while Hermione was off to her parents. From then on Harry was confused as to where both of them were staying. Harry imagined that a great deal of the holidays would be spent at Godric Hollows, where the sleeping arrangements were definitely more relaxed.

"We'll apparate over to you Harry, and then go on from there, if that's ok with you?" Harry just nodded at Hermione and apparated away.