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Authors Note: I'm sorry to say, I have just had to re-upload quite a lot of this story, due to a ham fisted attempt at editing it that I badly messed up, due to 'finger trouble' as the old RAF Pilots used to put it, and probably down to encroaching senility too. ;o)
Silly Me! Anyway, it has at least allowed me to correct several typos, as I don't have a beta at present, plus correct some of my more awkwardly phrased passages and dodgy dialogue. ;o) But now we're up and running again hopefully, so let's all take...
A Trip to the 'Garage'.
A little further along Diagon Alley, to the rear of the large structure of Gringotts Bank was a small and slightly more 'industrial' looking part of Diagon Alley, this was where there were some workshops for various artisans to make their goods, such as magical jewellers and many other trades, plus some 'lock up' storage units for the shops use, in which they held their reserve stocks. One of these small warehouses had it's entrance wide open and decorated with Union Flags and other bunting, although quite why would have seemed a mystery to anyone 'not in the know'.
The Royal Party headed straight for this small building, which for all the world looked just like a simple double garage for car parking with a workshop over the top. Hermione encouraged them to enter the space inside and as the Royals did so they felt a strange indescribable prickling sensation all over and experienced a brief distortion of vision as they crossed the threshold.
With their normal vision returning almost immediately the Royals and their escorts saw that the inside of the 'garage' seemed to have disappeared and in front of them they saw some sort of tunnel-like corridor, down which they could hear the buzz of an anticipatory large crowd coming to them from what was obviously a much larger space beyond. The King turned to Hermione and asked, "What just happened Minister?"
"It's complicated Sir," Hermione replied. "The threshold of that lock-up has been imbued with a custom made spell, created by magical researchers in my Ministry. It is somewhat similar a permanently open Portkey, which is a type of magical transportation we use. Crossing that threshold you go through an open portal that transports you instantly to the venue for this afternoon's event. The land this magically constructed venue is on is actually many miles from London, on the South Downs and is a place we witches and wizards often use for large open air events. Using magic we can very quickly construct the type of arena we need for a given event, and when it is over just as easily dismantle it. I came here when I was young to see the Quidditch World Cup being played."
The King nodded, satisfied with Hermione's explanation.
They walked on through the tunnel into the backstage VIP area of what was obviously a large outdoor arena and were greeted by Kingsley Shacklebolt, who took Hermione aside and asked, "How did it go back there in the Alley, Minister".
"You wouldn't believe it Kingsley." Hermione beamed at him. "The 'walkabout' itself went brilliantly, Victoria Jane was amazing with the crowd, but the best bit of all for me came right at the end. Believe it or not Their Majesties can now add an entire new species to their list of loyal subjects. The Goblins have given their verbal allegiance to the Crown! It's more than I could have ever dreamed of when I started my rights campaigns."
"That's amazing news Minister," said Kingsley looking staggered. "And what's more it's a fitting tribute to your tireless campaigning after the war. I take it there will have to be some sort of formalised inter-species treaty drawn up later? If I can assist in the negotiations in any way please let me know, as I'm on good terms with several of the more senior Goblins. They still have quite a hierarchical society and it helps if you know who's who and what's what in their 'world'. I'd also get your Brother in Law, Bill Weasley in as a consultant in the negotiations as well, if I were you. He has a knack of getting along well with Goblins, he really seems to understand their culture and even has Goblin friends, which is very rare for a human."
"Thank you Kingsley, sage advice as ever, and I'll certainly act on it." Hermione replied.
All the while Hermione and Kingsley had been talking the Royal trio had been seated, recovering from their long and somewhat tiring stroll, having a cup of tea, which to the adult Royals' astonishment and Victoria Jane's delight had been served to them by two smartly uniformed House Elves, and now they were quietly 'composing themselves' and awaiting the beginning of the next, 'public' part of their day. The music had finished just before they'd arrived and everyone 'backstage' could feel the excited anticipation of the crowd building in the arena.
Having finished speaking with Kingsley, Minister Hermione walked over to where the Royal trio were seated and said, "Well, if you feel ready and a bit more rested Your Majesties I think perhaps it's time to go and meet the rest of your loyal magical subjects. Would you like to follow me?"
"Certainly Minister", the King replied and the Queen nodded her agreement. The Royals took Victoria Jane by her hands between them and they and Hermione headed up a short stairway and through a velvet curtain onto what was effectively a 'stage set' which had been designed to closely resemble the famous balcony of Buckingham Palace, which was in fact the only bit of that whole building the Royals actually liked. It had decorative columns running up either side of the 'stage' area.
Walking out and waving to the huge crowd in the multi-tiered arena, which was open to the clear blue late afternoon sky, they all took in the scene. Because it was built on the same spot the place reminded Hermione very much of the 'feel' of the arena that had been built for the Quidditch World Cup that she, Harry and the Weasley family had attended when she was young. It was however not an oval, but more like a triangle in shape, or an amphitheatre, with ascending rows of seats all facing the 'balcony' they stood on. There were huge muggle-style view-screens on either side of them, so that even the furthest away spectators could get a good view and a PA, donated for use by the famous Wizarding band who had previously been entertaining the crowd, was to be used, to assure that everyone would hear them speak, since using a Sonorous spell on the Royal couple and their daughter had been vetoed by Hermione, just as a precaution.
Firstly Hermione, as Minister, approached the microphone, to greet the crowd and introduce the King.
The Monarch then made a short speech thanking the magical populace for the warmth of their welcome and the love that had been shown to himself, his wife and daughter. Also thanking all who had arranged the day's visit and in particular Minister Hermione Weasley, Harry Potter as Head Auror and Kingsley Shacklebolt whose help and organisational genius had been invaluable, for their tireless and rapid work to bring the event about. He also thanked the Goblins, several of whom had arrived as representatives and had entered their own swiftly organised box in the arena, commending them for their generous welcome at Gringotts and publicly accepting their astonishing and unexpected pledge of loyalty to the Crown.
Then the King introduced his wife and the Queen stepped up to the microphone and more or less reiterated the King's thanks and added that she'd had found Diagon Alley to be a wonderland and could hardly wait to get back there after leaving the arena, for the Royal Family's private 'shopping spree'. Joking that she hoped the shopkeepers in the Alley would accept her credit card. Finally came the moment all the crowd had been anticipating and the couple called their daughter, Princes Victoria Jane Windsor over to the microphone, to join them and say a few words.
She bravely stepped up to the mic and as she did so the crowd went wild, clapping and cheering, so that she had to take a moment to allow the huge noise to die down before she could speak.
When it did go quiet she said, quite informally, "Hello everyone. It's lovely to be here and see you all. I was amazed when Minister Hermione and Mr Shacklebolt came to tell me that I am a witch. I can't tell you what a wonderful surprise it has been and how brilliant I'm sure it's going to be, going off to Hogwarts in a few days. I can't wait to see it!" She beamed at the crowds and went on, "Like Mummy and Daddy I'd like to thank everyone who's been involved in organising this lovely day out and like my Mum I can't wait to get back to Diagon Alley later to buy my school things and get my wand. I can't believe it, I'm actually going to get a magic wand!" She said the later with her voice taking on a distinctly girlish, excited squeal which the whole crowd loved. Then calming down a bit she finished by saying, "Well, I'd better finish for now, and if any of you out there have children you're sending off to Hogwarts for the first time I look forward to meeting them and hope we'll all be good friends. Thank you all for coming, I love you!"
Once again the crowd went wild and began to loudly chant Victoria, Victoria, over and over again, rhythmically clapping along with her name. Hermione walked up to the microphone alongside the Royal trio. Raising her hands to ask for calm, as the crowd couldn't possibly hear her over their own chanting. She eventually managed to quieten the noise and said. "I have one more little surprise for our wonderful Royal Princess, and with that she handed her own wand to Victoria Jane, saying quietly to her away from the mic, "Don't worry my dear, my wand's already been primed to work properly for you just this one time and only needs your magic to trigger it. Now is the time when you get to use your first proper spell! When I give you the signal wave my wand at that small box on the ground over there and clearly say the word Incendio. I think you'll like what happens, she winked. Do you remember the spell Victoria Jane?"
"Yes Minister Hermione, you said to wave your wand at the box on the ground and clearly say Incendio, just let me know when and I'll do it."
Happy that the Princess had grasped the spell Hermione turned back to the microphone and spoke saying, "We'll here it is, the moment when our beloved Royal Princess is going to do her first ever 'grown-up' spell, wish her luck! Are you ready Princess?"
Victoria Jane nodded at her, "Then off you go," Hermione said.
The young Princes proudly raised Hermione's wand and waved it in the direction of the small box on the ground, as she had been told, clearly enunciating Incendio, like she had been doing spells for years.
As she did it a fuse running out of the box and laid along the stage burst loudly into fizzing life and then swiftly ran straight up a column towards the top of the structure. When it got to the top there was a loud bang, signalling the start of a massive display of George Weasley's finest 'Superbright, Daylight, Heatless Fireworks' which he'd donated from his joke shop, to add a spectacular finale to the afternoon's festivities. It was an even more spectacular display than that which he and his late brother Fred had set off to annoy Dolores Umbridge, when she had been terrorising the pupils of Hogwarts.
It was a really massive and impressive display of magical fireworks, with dragons made of fire soaring across the sky, loud explosions and huge multi-coloured starbursts. Victoria Jane shouted to Hermione over the noise of the explosions, "Did I really set all that off Hermione?"
"You certainly did Victoria Jane." Hermione smiled at her. "It was your magic that lit the fuse, not mine. You're going to be a great witch. But for now you'd better give me my wand back for safety's sake, don't worry though you'll be getting one of your own in a little while."
The young Princess beamed with pride to think her magic really worked and handed Hermione back her wand, thinking to herself, "I bet I'll learn to be even better with one of my own!"
As the fireworks came to an end the Royal trio left the stage and the massive crowd began to disperse from the arena. Backstage the Royals, Hermione, Ronald, Harry, Ginny and Kingsley, then sat down in the V.I.P. Area and were served a substantial meal by Ministry employed House Elves, who were catering the event. Eating at that time would permit the crowds to fully disperse and give the Aurors a chance to clear any stragglers from Diagon Alley, to which they'd soon be returning in order to visit the shops there, which were keeping open that evening for the Royals' exclusive use.
Everyone was very hungry after the day's events, during which they'd only had time for a snack of 'finger food' in Gringotts, but Victoria Jane in particular bolted down her early dinner, anxious to get the meal over, so as to get back to Diagon Alley and shop for her Hogwarts requirements and particularly her wand. She could hardly wait, and perhaps her mummy and daddy would let her have an owl too!