Come Together KeeperPawsoffme Chapter 12

Classes were over faster then anyone had expected. With the addition of the new professors the spirits of the complete student body were much higher. It could be felt in the halls and even in the classes. Students that were no longer interested in class started taking an interest in classes and again and the average grade for the classes with new professors were at an all time high. Dumbledore was very pleased with his school, since it was his idea after all to hire the new staff members.

The ride home on the Hogwarts Express was thankfully an uneventful event, unless you count much laughter, many games of exploding snaps and the fact that two of the oldest students had a duel down the middle of the train that Tonks had to break up. Since they were graduated 7th years she could not technically hand out punishments or write them up but their parents were very surprised when she presented them with written bills for the repair of the 3 doors and the 5 windows that were broken during the duel. Both students were dragged off the platforms by their mothers using the student's ears as incentives.

Narcissa Black, Sirius, the Grangers and the Longbottoms met Draco, Harry, Neville and Hermione on the platform all of the adults seemed to be a little on edge looking over their shoulders and starting at some of the louder noises but they were all very happy to see the kids and suggested that they have lunch in muggle London before heading back to Longbottom Manor. The Weasley children all looked around expecting to see their parents but were surprised when they weren't there. Fred looking over the heads of everyone spotted Weasley red hair toward the back of the platform and attempted to herd the group in that direction. To everyone's surprise and delight Charlie was there waiting for the crowd to clear before going to greet his siblings. "Mum and Dad have a surprise at home so they sent me to fetch you all." Said Charlie "Now I parked Dad's car out in the carpark."
"He let you take the" began Fred

"Ford Anglia?" finished George.

"Cool!" Ginny and Ron said together.

"I'll get home on my own accord" said a very stuffy Percy. He quickly shrank his belongings and popped away presumably home.

"What's the matter with him?" asked Fred

"Guess he doesn't want to fly." said Charlie with an evil grin. "Come on you all hurry up if he stops to see the girlfriend or apply for a job at the ministry we might beat him home.

The five trooped out into the muggle section of Kings Cross Station and out into the carpark.
A quick run through a muggle fast food drive through for snacks for the ride home and the Weasley kids were taking to the skies. In no time they were landing on the lane in front of their house and pulling into the shed where Arthur stored his car.

"WOW!" said George

"That was awesome!" finished Ginny her eyes sparkling.

"Yeah Charlie you drive so much better then dad." Said Ron stuffing the last of the french fries into his mouth. Charlie banished the fast food wrappers so that Molly didn't know that they had been eating junk food.

Molly was a little surprised when none of the kids seemed to be all that hungry as she served dinner that night; she even asked Ron if he was feeling ok since he only had seconds. Everyone said they were just tired. Arthur asked if they were all awake enough for the surprise or should they wait until tomorrow morning. Percy looked up from his book and said. "Mum you aren't pregnant again are you? This is how that big announcement always started."
Molly turned bright red while Arthur appeared to become angry.

"Young man!" He started, "NO your mother is not expecting. Are you dear?"

Molly shook her head

"I wanted to announce that as a family we will be going on an extended family vacation. Part of it will be a working vacation for me but you all will be able to relax and enjoy yourselves. We will be going to France, Bulgaria, Italy and finally Egypt."
"Father," started Percy in what he thought was a very grown up tone. "I wish you had told me about this earlier. I have taken a paid internship at the ministry for the summer I will not be able to go. There's a boarding house for the interns to live in provided so I will take my leave tomorrow and head to work while you all play for the summer." Percy excused himself from the table at that point and headed upstairs.

"Well that" started Fred

"was rude" finished George.

"I'm sure he's actually just disappointed that he will miss out." said Arthur, "now we leave in three days. There will be a lot of activity before. Tomorrow your mother will take you to Madame Malkin's and then Mrs Granger will be meeting you all in muggle London for summer dress robes and muggle traveling clothes. We will be expected to attend quite a few formal and semi casual events. So I expect you all," here Arthur glared at the triplets "to be on your best behavior. Do I make myself more then clear, gentleman and lady?"

The four Hogwarts students nodded.

"Now I will tell you that this working vacation is actually due to you four, Harry, Hermione and Neville. With your extra education and the inspection of the school curriculum this yr and you all's inquiry into additional studies the ministry and Hogwarts has decided that it is needed to investigate some of the other schools and their curriculums, your mother and I will be going to represent the ministry while you four, Neville, Harry, Hermione and Draco will be going to represent Hogwarts and the interest in the advanced classes. Each of the countries we are going to have at least two wizarding schools for us to learn about. Now Egypt has five schools for us to look at two schools with years like we do ages 11 to 17 then two schools with specialty classes that the upper yrs ages 15 to 17 can transfer to for concentrations in education for specific subjects and finally a school that would be comparable to Muggle University. Dumbledore will be meeting us there to carefully go over their program. But he will not be going with us to the other countries Prof McGonagall will be going as well as Prof Flitwick and on the occasion Prof Sinistra."
"Oh thank goodness," said Ginny "for a moment I was afraid you were going to say Snape."

"Don't worry, Ginny he was not invited but you might be surprised who from the ministry has been." Said her mother, "Now all of you head up stairs and into bed within the hour. We have a few big days to get through before we all start this adventure."
Ginny, Fred, George and Ron all trooped upstairs still talking about the up coming exciting summer.