The Aftermath of the First Hogsmeade Visit
Harry is now in his third year of Hogwarts. One of the perks of third year is visiting the village of Hogsmeade. With Ron and Hermione, they explore Hogsmeade, visit the shops, and the boys indulge themselves on sweets and food. Will it all lead to a visit to the school healer?
Lily smiled at the excited faces and chatter among the third years. Today was the first Hogsmeade Day of the year, Harry's first one. He had been a couple of times with her when she needed to stock up on potion supplies. She didn't take him every time, only a few times. The few times she took him with her, she used it as an excuse to spend time with her son. When Harry had gone with her, they only went to the apothecary, Honeydukes, and the Three Broomsticks.
She had debated whether or not to sign Harry's permission form. There was a reason.
Peter Pettigrew had escaped prison over the summer.
Lily was worried he would come after Harry. James convinced her he would be safe with the Aurors present in Hogsmeade, assuring her the Aurors would especially look out for Harry.
Lily scanned the Gryffindor table for her son and his friends. She smiled when she found him at their usual spot, most likely discussing where they would like to go.
Seeing Harry happy, talking with his friends about their adventure into the village, confirmed she had made the right choice.
Of course, she had made it clear, like any other privilege, she could take it away.
When breakfast was over, Lily headed to the entrance hall to wait for her son. James flooed to Hogwarts the night before. He gave Lily a money bag to give to Harry. She had forgotten about it when she left her quarters, having to turn around for it when she was almost to the Great Hall.
Harry locked eyes with her when he looked in her direction. She crooked her finger in a 'come here' expression.
Harry listened and walked over to where she was standing.
"Dad brought this last night. Spend it wisely. Get any supplies you need." She handed him the money bag. "Dad said to treat Ron and Hermione to lunch. Is Neville with you?"
"Yeah, he's with us."
"Okay, add him too."
"Thanks, Mum. Is Dad going to be here later?" He asked.
Lily nodded. "He will be."
"Okay. See you later, Mum."
Harry kissed her cheek and went to join the others heading to Hogsmeade. Lily watched him go a few steps before she thought of something and, in two strides, reached her son. She grabbed the hood of his hoodie and turned him around to face her.
"Don't stuff yourself with sweets, alright?"
"Okay, Mum."
"Last call," Professor McGonagall called.
Harry said bye to Lily and ran over to join Hermione and Ron in line. He waved to her as they walked out the door.
Lily waved back, watching them go until they were out of sight. She headed up to the hospital wing, where she planned to spend the day cleaning and organizing since there weren't many students staying in the hospital wing this weekend.
With just the first and second years in the school, Lily found the time to do some potion brewing. Between her and Severus, they were always fully stocked with potions.
Lily's specialty was a potion for girls. It was a version of the contraceptive potion. The potion helped balance girls' menstrual cycles, especially the heaviness and cramps, working similarly to Muggle birth control.
Lily had made it so much she could make it blindfolded.
She administered the potion to fifteen girls from ages thirteen to seventeen. There was a discussion on why they wanted to take the potion if they were opting to. Anyone under the age of seventeen needed permission from their parent. Some had a recommendation from their healer. Others, like Hermione, asked her advice on whether or not to take it. After consulting with Hermione and Jane, Lily recommended starting with a low dose of the potion following her next cycle.
Jane Granger even told Lily that she wished she had something like that when she was Hermione's age.
The potion had worked for Hermione. Jane had written Lily personally to thank her for helping her daughter. Hermione thanked her for her help when she came for her next dose.
The one downside to the potion was the side effects. It took a lot of trial and error for nearly every girl who took the potion. Loss of appetite to extreme moodiness was the most common side effect. Mood swings were brought to the forefront, especially with Hermione. Lily stifled her laughter when Hermione asked her if there was a way boys could understand what girls went through during that time of the month.
The reason why she had asked was because of Ron. Harry had witnessed the moodiness Lily had during her time of the month. He knew what to expect and walked on eggshells around Hermione. Harry even tried to warn Ron to be careful, but the redhead shrugged.
When Harry told Lily that Hermione had punched Ron, she couldn't help but laugh.
From then on, Harry and Ron began keeping track. They even marked a calendar of when Hermione's moodiness began. When Neville asked what the marks were for, Ron explained to know when Hermione was moody next month.
After she had finished the potions, Lily headed back to her quarters. She wasn't there long when Professor Dumbledore flooed her, asking her to meet him in his office. When she arrived, she was surprised to find her husband. He was sitting in one of the chairs across from the headmaster's desk.
"What's going on?" Lily asked.
"The minister has decided to send Dementors up here to search the grounds for Pettigrew," James explained.
"Okay, and this concerns us how?" Lily asked.
"Harry."
Lily nodded, sitting down. She remembered what happened on the train here. Thankfully, Remus was there. He had looked after Harry until they made it to Hogwarts. When they arrived, she checked on her son. She hadn't thought about it until today.
"Since Harry is the most affected by them, I thought we would teach him how to repel them."
"How?" Lily asked.
"The Patronus charm," Dumbledore replied. "I've convinced Fudge that they stay near the gates. But Hogsmeade is another story. Since the Aurors are patrolling the village, the Dementors will fly above the castle on these days."
"On the days the students are visiting Hogsmeade," Lily clarified.
Dumbledore nodded. "They can patrol from the sky as well."
"There's another thing. One word from Kingsley, and they return to Azkaban," James added. "If they cause too many problems for the school, they will."
"Fudge agreed?" Lily asked.
"It was a compromise," James said. "If Fudge had his way, they would be more than just the ones around the gates. They would be all around the school."
"It was my idea with the Aurors in Hogsmeade. Pettigrew could kidnap one of them, not just my son. It's a risk I wasn't willing to take. They all have given me their word they would look out for Harry," James explained.
Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, looking older than he was for the first time since Lily could remember.
"How much does Harry know?" he asked, suddenly breaking the brief silence.
"Everything," James answered. "I wasn't going to send my son to this school and him not know what's going on. He doesn't know, though, what Pettigrew tends to do."
"He doesn't know Pettigrew would want to capture him and," Lily couldn't finish. The mother's intuition in her couldn't let her finish.
Dumbledore watched as Lily got up and began to pace. Suddenly, she stopped.
"Thank you, Albus. For bringing this to our attention." With that, Lily left the office and briskly walked down the corridor.
"Lily, wait up."
Lily stopped for a second to allow James to catch up. Then she walked briskly down the corridor. James didn't need to ask where they were going. They quickly reached the corridor leading to the Defense against the Dark Arts classroom and Remus and Sirius's shared quarters.
"Mischief Managed," James told the portrait. Lily walked in first.
They found Remus sitting in the chair by the fireplace. He had a book in his hand and a cup of tea sitting on the table beside him.
"Remus, could you do us a favor?" James asked, bringing the werewolf's attention to the couple in the room.
"Sure, anything, Prongs." Remus closed the book, sitting it on the table. He leaned forward as James and Lily lowered themselves onto the couch.
"Can you teach Harry the Patronus charm?" Lily asked.
If Remus was surprised, he didn't show it. "Is this because of the demeanors?" At James and Lily's questioning look, Remus added, "It's in today's Prophet."
"Yes, we know how the Dementors could affect Harry. I rather he knows how to repel one," James retorted.
"I can talk to Harry about the lessons after class on Monday if you like."
"Talk to Harry about what?"
Remus, James, and Lily turned at Sirius's voice. He walked into the sitting room, sitting down a stack of graded papers.
"Teaching Harry how to do the Patronus charm," Remus replied.
"I thought he might need to learn that. How long are the Dementors going to be here?" Sirius asked.
"Until Peter is captured. You know that," James deadpanned.
"Any sightings?"
James shook his head. "He's laying low for now."
"I hope you find him."
"So do I," James murmured.
Sirius joined James on the couch as Lily took the chair opposite Remus. She needed to talk with him about his potion. James and Sirius were, discussing how things were going in the Auror office.
"I wonder what Harry's doing right now."
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
Harry followed Hermione, Neville, and Ron around Hogsmeade. They visited all the shops they wanted to stop at, the post office, and went to the Shrieking Shack. When Hermione headed to the bookshop, Ron and Harry went to the joke shop.
"Of course, she goes to the bookshop."
Upon entering the joke shop, Harry, Neville, and Ron started looking for things Harry could use for pranks on James and Sirius. They had spent the past few weeks pranking Harry.
The straw that broke the camel's back was when Sirius sipped a potion in Harry's drink that turned his hair pink.
"I hope you both know this means war," Harry told them as they cackled over the pink hair.
The boys met with Hermione at Honeydukes, where they loaded up with sweets. After making their purchases, they left the shop. Deciding to rest, they sat on a bench to discuss where they wanted to go.
Hermione decided to go into the Muggle shop. Angelina told her that was where she could find some of her feminine care products. The boys opted to wait for her on the bench. They munched on some of the candy they picked up in Honeydukes while waiting for Hermione.
"I can't wait to try the Three Broomsticks. Fred and George said that their food was good."
"I can recommend a few things," Harry said. "I don't know what I'm going to get yet."
Hermione had returned from the Muggle shop, and four friends headed to The Three Broomsticks.
Lily's warning that morning had fallen on deaf ears.
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
After their discussion with Remus, James and Lily headed to her quarters. Noting the time, Lily decided to make a cup of tea. James headed to the sitting area, picking up Harry's Transfiguration essay he had checked.
Lily brought him a cup of tea, and they discussed their conversation with Dumbledore.
"Do you think Harry would be okay?" Lily asked.
"I think he will. Remus said he would teach him the Patronus charm. He'll be armed with that if a Dementor gets close to him."
"I guess I'm just worried," Lily murmured, sipping her tea.
"Lily, you're his mother. You'll worry about Harry even when he's thirty." James paused to take a sip of his tea. "I wonder what he's up to?"
"Probably, hanging around with Neville, Ron, and Hermione and exploring the village. I heard Hermione talk about visiting the Post Office. The boys said they wanted to go to the joke shop and go to Honeydukes. I hope Harry didn't fill up on sweets."
"He'll be fine, Lily. If he comes back with a little stomach ache, I wouldn't worry about it. He knows your rules and will follow them."
Lily knew James was right. "I met with Professor Flitwick the other day. He wanted to discuss Harry's last Charms essay. He complimented how well-written it was and how informative it was. I told him Harry had read my old Charms books over the summer."
"When did he do that?" James asked.
"During the week, he was grounded. The first week of summer break," Lily reminded James.
"Oh."
James stood up from his chair, walked into the kitchen, and refilled his cup. "What would you say about me coming up here once a month on the nights of the full moon?"
"I would say be careful if you do," Lily replied. "I know that you and Sirius would go and help Remus. Have you told Harry yet?"
"I did, one night over the summer. I told him the rules. He understood. I told him when he's older, we could discuss the possibility."
"No," Lily said firmly. "I know Harry would want to, but that can wait when he's of age."
"Lily, he'll be fine. Besides, I haven't even asked if he would be interested," James assured her.
"If you do, can you make it clear he will not join you on these full moons until he's older, a lot older?" James knew it wasn't a request.
"It's not like I'm going to start Animagus lessons and throw him out with us after his first transformation. I would wait until he's mastered it before I let him, making it clear if he is out there without our knowledge and permission, he will be grounded for a long time."
"Alright, that makes me feel a lot better."
Finishing his tea, James put his cup in the sink. He then headed toward Lily's bedroom. He was staying over the weekend since he wasn't on duty. On Monday, he was going to give a lecture to the seventh years. Mainly the ones who were interested in becoming an Auror.
Professor Dumbledore decided that James would begin to work with those seventh years earlier in the year and at different periods throughout the year. The Head Auror, Rufus Scrimgeour, approved.
"Are you staying here?" Lily asked, walking into the bedroom.
"No, Lily. I'm going to go and bunk with Harry in Gryffindor Tower," James replied, his voice laced with sarcasm.
"Let's head to dinner. I think the students who went to Hogsmeade are back."
James followed his wife out of her quarters. In the corridor, he took her hand, and they walked together to the Great Hall. Entering the Great Hall, James followed Lily to the Head Table.
"Evening, Minnie," James greeted Minerva.
Minerva sighed. "Hello, James." She had given up on getting James not to call her Minnie. In private, Harry called her Aunt Minnie. The irony of it made her laugh, to be honest.
James sat down in the seat beside Lily. Sirius traded seats to sit next to James.
"What time are you meeting with the seventh years, James?" Sirius asked as he passed James and Lily.
"I'm thinking ten," James replied. A plate, silverware, and a goblet appeared in front of him. When the food appeared, they began making their plates.
"That early?" Sirius inquired.
"Yes. I thought I would stay and help Remus with the fifth years."
"Great, maybe you could sit in on the third year's lesson too?" Remus said as he sat down.
"Should I be worried about the three of them sitting so close together?" Professor McGonagall asked Lily.
"No. It's when they're talking low," She trailed off.
"What is it, Lily?" James asked, noticing her trailing off. He followed her gaze to the Gryffindor table. They found where Ron and Hermione were sitting, but their son was nowhere to be found.
"Where's Harry?"
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
Harry laid in his bed. He was curled in a ball and clutching his stomach. He, Ron, Hermione, and Neville had returned to Hogwarts and Gryffindor Tower. On the walk back, Harry noticed his stomach was starting to hurt.
He knew Lily wouldn't be happy with him when she found out. She was bound to since he didn't show up to dinner. Ron asked him if he was going to dinner. Harry shook his head, trying to keep from throwing up at the thought of food.
Ron and Neville left him in the dorm. By some miracle, the boys kept Hermione from charging up to the third-year boys' dorm. Once he was alone, he changed out of his jeans. They were starting to feel tight and digging into his bloated belly. Unbuttoning his jeans, Harry discovered they left red indentations from where they dug in. He slid his jeans off and slipped on his pajama bottoms. Thankfully they were stretchy.
He didn't want to think about what he had stuffed into his stomach. At The Three Broomsticks, he had the chicken and chips meal with the slaw. To drink with lunch, he had a Butterbeer. It was Hermione and Neville's first time having it and Ron's second time. Harry had it before. It was among the drinks James kept well stocked at home. Then he, Ron, and Neville ate more than enough sweets at Honeydukes. There wasn't a free sample they didn't try. Plus, Harry had dipped into the stash he had bought. To top everything, they got ice cream from the parlor on the lower end of the village. Ron ate nearly as much as Harry, yet he didn't feel like his stomach was about to explode.
Harry reached over to his bedside table and picked up the mirror. Maybe he could call Lily, and she could bring him a stomach soother?
Noticing the time on the alarm clock, Harry realized Lily would be in the Great Hall for dinner. Most likely, she didn't have her mirror on her. He didn't know James was there. If he did, he would have called him.
Figuring he would have to wait, he laid back down. Harry slipped his hand on his t-shirt, rubbing his stomach to attempt to bring himself some relief. His belly grumbled, apparently not really happy with him right now.
He muffled a groan as he felt his stomach roll.
Harry dozed off, falling asleep with his hand on his stomach. He wasn't asleep long when he heard footsteps enter the dorm. Figuring it was one of his dormmates, he didn't think anything of it.
He felt a hand on his forehead, patting his shoulder, then he was lifted off the bed. Harry inhaled, smelling a familiar woodsy scent. It smelt like James's body wash.
"Dad?" Harry asked.
"It's me, Son. I got you. I will warn you that you had your mother worried."
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay, son. I did the same thing on my first Hogsmeade trip. I felt just as bad as you do right now."
Harry lolled his head against James's shoulder. He knew they were going to Lily's quarters. He kept his eyes closed as James carried him to Lily's quarters.
Lily waited with the portrait of Nurse Helga propped open for James.
"I figured this was going to happen," Lily commented as James approached. "Are you feeling alright, sweetheart?"
Harry shook his head. "I'm sorry, Mum."
"It's okay, baby. I'm not mad."
She could find it in her to be mad. She should have expected it, to be honest.
James carried Harry into his bedroom in Lily's quarters. Once Harry was lying on the bed, he curled into a ball, hugging his middle. He felt his stomach roil.
"Can you lie on your back for me?" Lily asked.
Harry nodded, turning to lie on his back. He knew Lily was performing a diagnostic charm when he felt the familiar tingling. The tingling spread throughout his body, but was mainly felt in his abdomen. Just as quickly as it happened, the tingling disappeared.
"Just as I figured," Lily murmured. She looked up at James, giving him a half smile. "Indigestion."
James nodded mutely. He sat in the chair in the corner of the room, grateful for the hundredth time Lily had her own quarters and a bedroom for Harry. There were many nights since Harry started Hogwarts James would come up and stay for the weekend. Harry would stay in Lily's quarters, and they would spend time as a family. Many nights he would slip into Harry's room and watch him sleep.
Lily did the same thing.
"I don't think you would want a stomach soother, would you?" Lily asked.
Harry shook his head slowly, groaning slightly. "I don't think it would stay down."
"Okay."
Lily sat down on the edge of Harry's bed. She reached over, grabbing the hem of his shirt. When Harry removed his hands, Lily pulled his shirt up. Seeing her son's belly, she noticed how bloated and distended Harry's stomach was.
"No wonder you're uncomfortable," She whispered. She could see the indentions his jeans had left. "Do you want me to rub your belly?"
Harry nodded, eyes closed as he felt his stomach roll.
Lily laid her hand on his stomach. She started to rub slow, soothing circles.
"Does this feel good?" She asked.
Harry immediately nodded. James chuckled.
"Good."
As her hand made their circles, Lily felt his stomach rumble under her hand. This didn't surprise her, especially when Harry's stomach rumbled loudly.
"That didn't sound good," James noted.
"I know, but it's a good sign. It means that the digestive system is working."
The warm and soft hands felt wonderful on his stomach. Harry never complained about Lily's stomach rubs because they always felt good.
Harry's stomach gurgled. For a second, he thought he was going to throw up. He winced, covering his mouth with his hand.
"Are you going to throw…?"
Before James could finish, Harry let out a loud burp.
"Feel better?" Lily asked.
"Some, it doesn't feel as stuffed as before."
Lily resumed the massage, rubbing in soothing circles. Harry continued to release the trapped air from his achy belly.
"How did this happen?" Lily asked suddenly.
"I ate the chicken and chips meal with the slaw at The Three Broomsticks. Ron, Neville, and I got the large. Hermione got the small. We picked large because you got three pieces of chicken instead of two. We had candy samples at Honeydukes, and I ate some candy I had bought. Then we had ice cream from the ice cream parlor.
"No wonder your stomach hurts. That was too much," Lily commented. "Did you eat all the candy you bought?"
"There's some left," Harry replied quietly. "Sorry, Mum."
"Are you afraid I was going to be mad?"
Harry nodded slowly. He was afraid Lily would be mad.
"I'm not mad, I promise. How's your stomach feeling now?" Lily asked.
"A little better." It did feel better. Lily noticed that his stomach wasn't as bloated as it was. It was no longer distended, either.
"Want me to continue rubbing your stomach?"
Harry nodded. Lily smiled softly, knowing Harry just wanted comfort. His stomach was feeling better after letting out the air.
"Do you think you can handle a stomach soother now?"
Harry nodded.
James helped him sit up while Lily went to get to the potion. She returned with the potion, and a cup of water. She uncorked the potion, handing it to Harry. He took it, bringing the vial to his lips, and swallowed.
"That should help you feel better," Lily said, taking the vial and handing her son the cup.
Harry sipped on the water before handing Lily back to the cup. He laid back down as Lily sat back down on his bed.
"How about I keep rubbing your belly until you fall asleep?"
Harry nodded.
Lily pulled Harry's shirt back up. She began to rub his stomach again, rubbing the same soothing circles.
Harry's even breathing told her and James he had fallen asleep.
"I think he's asleep," James whispered.
Lily nodded. She kept rubbing Harry's stomach until she was sure he was asleep. When she was done, she pulled his shirt down and tucked the blanket around him.
"I'll stay in here tonight," Lily said, standing up from the bed.
James merely nodded. He conjured a bed beside Harry's bed. Lily would never leave Harry when he was sick, even if it was something as simple as a stomach ache.
"Good night, Lily Flower," James whispered.
"Good night, honey."
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
Lily woke up the next morning, slightly disoriented. She was in Harry's bedroom in her quarters. Before she could think of why she was there, the day before came back to her.
She looked over at Harry, noticing he was still asleep. The blanket was pilled at his waist, and his t-shirt had ridden up a little, baring a small patch of his stomach. It looked like Harry had slept a rough night before as the T-shirt was wrinkled, and his hair was wilder than Lily had seen it in a long time.
Lifting up the t-shirt, she noticed Harry's belly had returned to its normal flat self. She straightened up his shirt and blanket and left him to sleep. Walking out of Harry's room, she headed to the kitchen. James was awake and had a cup of tea ready for her.
"Thanks, babe."
James smiled. He leaned over to kiss his wife good morning as he had for the last fourteen years.
"How's Harry?" James asked when they broke apart.
"He's still asleep," Lily replied. A flush from the bathroom made James and Lily look toward Harry's room. "Or he was."
Harry shuffled into the kitchen. "Morning," he mumbled.
"How are you feeling this morning?" Lily asked, raking her hand through her son's bedhead.
"Better."
"Think your stomach is up for some breakfast?"
"Yeah," Harry answered, sitting down at the table beside James. He ruffled his hair. Lily placed a bowl of cereal and a cup of orange juice in front of her son. Harry started to eat as Lily made herself breakfast.
"I was thinking," James began, pausing for a second to sip his tea. "Since I'm here until tomorrow evening, I was thinking you and I could do something together."
"Quidditch?"
"Quidditch," James agreed. "We could also go for a fly together as well."
Lily leaned against the corner, watching her boys. She smiled as she watched them talk and joke with each other.
After they finished breakfast, Harry headed to the bathroom. He quickly took a shower and dressed for the day. Thankfully, Lily had some of his clothes in her quarters. He stepped out ten minutes later, dressed, and ready to head to the pitch.
James stood at the door, with his broom in hand, waiting. "Ready to go?"
"Yeah. We'll have to stop at the tower and get my broom."
James and Harry headed off to get Harry's broom and head to the pitch. Lily headed to the potions lab to brew some potions for the hospital wing.
Walking to the potions lab, she thought about what had occurred over the last twenty-four hours. It didn't surprise her Harry had come back from Hogsmeade with a stomach ache. Really, she should have expected it. She should have known better. Harry was known to ignore her warnings. Her warning not to overdo it in Hogsmeade was one of them.
She knew there would be times when Harry would come back from Hogsmeade sick. If he did, she would take care of him. It was the first visit, and according to Poppy Pomfrey, it's the aftermath of the first Hogsmeade visit.
AN: Thank you to those who have followed, added to their favorites, and reviewed. I hope you enjoy reading the series as I do writing them. Have an idea for a story and want to share? Feel free to post it in a review or message me.