The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and everything in it belongs to JK Rowling.
Also, my continued thanks to MikkiSteele for keeping an eye out for typos and errors. I'm eternally grateful.
Chapter Seventeen
The car rattled through the tunnel, causing Heather to sway in her plastic seat. She wasn't paying any real attention to her surroundings or the voice calling out stations overhead, having taken the underground enough times recently to know instinctively when the train arrived at her stop. Instead, her focus was fixated on the scrap of parchment in her hands. It was a clipping from The Daily Prophet that she had read so many times by now that the words were permanently etched on her brain, but that didn't stop her from feeling the need to reread it at least once a day.
Potter to be charged?
In an explosive testimony yesterday during the trial of Delores Umbridge, former Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic and Head of the Muggle-born Registration Commission, Harry Potter admitted to having not only observed the accused sentencing innocent muggle-born witches and wizards to imprisonment in Azkaban, but actively helping Umbridge carry out that act.
Until yesterday, little was known concerning Mister Potter's illicit entrance to the Ministry on the Second of September last year, beyond the bare fact that he did break in, alongside his ever present accomplices, Ronald Weasley, and the muggle-born witch, Hermione Granger. In the short hours since his testimony yesterday, these details have been revisited and form a picture quite different from what some have come to expect from 'The Chosen One.'
According to his testimony, Potter assaulted a senior Ministry witch, Madam Mafalda Hopkirk of the Improper Use of Magic Office, and took her identity using Polyjuice Potion to enter the Ministry. How he ended up in the courtroom with Delores Umbridge is still unknown, but the courtroom notes of the day in question clearly show Potter's presence, under the guise of Madam Hopkirk, for each of the trials. This means that Potter watched silently as more than a dozen innocent muggle-borns were sentenced to Azkaban before the day's events were mysteriously drawn to a close. Mister Potter claims to have attacked Umbridge before escaping, however there is nothing besides his word to corroborate this.
The Ministry has so far been unwilling to divulge further information on the matter, citing reasons of Ministry Security. This is the very same excuse Potter hid behind during the trial, despite the best efforts of the defense to get the whole truth of the matter. Official statements from Minister for Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt have not shed any further light on things, except to say that "Potter's actions on that day have been reviewed by myself and certain senior DMLE officials, and our verdict is that he did what he had to do, considering the circumstances of the Ministry at that time."
Many will join this reporter in feeling that these statements have failed to calm the rising anger now being directed at 'The Boy who Lived' who was previously regarded by many as the reason He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named and his regime was defeated at least. But is there more to the story? Was Potter really the knight in shining armor he's been painted as? What other sordid secrets of his treachery might still be lurking out there, and will the Ministry be as active to cover these up as they are with this episode? As always, I, Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent, will work tirelessly to shed light on the truth.
Underneath this article was the first paragraph of another.
of Delores Umbridge, former Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic and Head of the Muggle-born Registration Commission was sentenced today to one life sentence in Azkaban for each person who did not survive their wrongful imprisonment there. At last count, that equals a total of twenty-seven life sentences, each to be served consecutively.
These words didn't cheer Heather. very much. As far as she was concerned, that wasn't long enough for someone like Delores Umbridge. "You know what we need," said Katie cheerily, sliding into the seat next to Heather without warning. Heather hardly reacted. She had been aware of Katie's presence since she boarded the train.
Since the Umbridge's trial she had taken to riding the underground to avoid anyone magical. Reporters were unable to pester her here without risking a breach of the Statute of Secrecy, and beyond that there was something about feeling like a muggle that was oddly appealing these days. Her friends were taking it in turn to ride with her so that no one bothered her. Most of them knew by now that Heather preferred solitude and privacy during these trips, and so hung back, watching from a distance. Katie however, hadn't.
Heather folded the clipping and stuffed it back into her pocket, trying to ignore Katie. It had been a long day, not that she could recall a short day in the past weeks, and she had been hoping that Katie would forgo her usual talkativeness in favor of a silent trip home. Not that Grimmauld Place was really home. Heather wasn't entirely sure when it had become to much to bother apparating back to the Burrow each night, especially on the nights where she left the Ministry so late that she risked waking people up with her arrival. On top of that, the warm, close knit environed of the Burrow meant that if she went silent for too long, it was bound to be noticed and then questions would be asked, questions she was in no mood to face. This would make Mrs. Weasley worry and cause Ginny to confront her, and the last thing Heather wanted right now was someone trying to pry into her mind. So, over Ginny's irate objections, Heather moved enough of her clothes and other possessions to Grimmauld Place, citing the reason of cutting down on her commute. She intended to return to the Burrow after the trials were over, but the prospect was not very appealing at the moment.
When it was clear that Katie wasn't going to take the hint, Heather sighed and replied, "No, what do we need?"
"A girl's night out" suggested Katie excitedly.
"A what?" Heather asked as the train took a tight turn.
"You know, just us girls, going out and getting absolutely blasted." Katie explained eagerly.
"Right? So the newspapers can get a good picture of me in the Leaky Cauldron or somewhere drunk off my arse? No thanks." Heather grunted, looking out the pitch-black car window.
"Well, what if we went somewhere that couldn't happen?" Katie asked thoughtfully. "I mean come on. We all need a break and I've been wanting to get dressed up for ages."
Heather could hear the pleading note in her voice. "Listen, if you can think of a place, I'm all for it." she replied after a long moment, more to get Katie to drop it than anything else. She privately doubted Katie would be able to find such a place, and so didn't think that her tacit agreement would come to anything anyways.
She had just taken a bite of her turkey sandwich the next day during a break from court when Katie once again swung herself into the chair next to her. Rather than eating in the Atrium, Heather had retreated up to the Auror office, somewhere the press was forbidden entry. "I've got it figured out." Katie said quickly, causing Heather to choke in surprise.
Heather looked balefully at her while trying to swallow. "You've got what figured out?" She asked, massaging her throat after she got the mouthful of sandwich down.
"The girl's night out! We'll go into muggle London." Katie whispered ecstatically.
They were alone in the breakroom, but Heather glanced around reflexively before fixing Katie with a dubious look. "You can't be serious."
"Why not? Makes sense to me. After all, reporters can't follow you out there. It'd violate the Statute of Secrecy if they were to swarm you on a muggle street."
"And what are we going to do for muggle money or identification?" Heather asked, trying again to derail Katie's plans.
To her dismay, Katie was prepared for that objection. "Funny you should ask." Her smile broadening smugly. "It just so happens I've made a friend here who can set us up with id's easily enough, and Gringotts can convert our gold for muggle money."
"Please tell me you haven't told anyone else about this," Heather groaned. She hadn't known it during their years together at school, but living at Grimmauld Place had taught her that if you had a secret, you didn't tell Katie. Susan had even gone so far to say, "You'd be better off putting it down in a howler than telling Katie." If the information hadn't been stamped classified by the Ministry, she'd blab it out pretty quickly one way or another.
"I may have mentioned it…" she said trying far too hard to look innocent. Heather groaned again. "Hey," Katie said across her, "you said that if I could find a place where you could go without the press finding out then you were all for it."
"One of these days my mouth is going to get me in trouble." Heather replied exasperatedly. "All right, fine. But if we're going to do this," she added, "we need to invite Ginny. She's going nuts at home with her mum all the time, and if she finds out we went out and partied without inviting her, she'll murder me."
"Of course!" Katie said excitedly, causing Heather to look around again, sure they were being overheard. "I was thinking we could invite all the girls at the house too!"
"So me, you, Ginny, Susan, and Luna?" Heather said, ticking off each person on her fingers. "You do realize that besides me, no one on that list has a clue how to act in the muggle world, right?"
"Oh, how hard can it be?" asked Katie, waving her hand dismissively. The cogs were spinning rapidly behind her eyes. "All right, I'll get the id's straightened out. We'll just need a picture of everyone so that my friend can make them up."
"I suppose I can get some muggle money at Gringotts," said Heather, still wondering if this was a good idea or not. "You all can just pay me back later."
Katie beamed at her. "I think that'd be best. It'll attract some attention if all of us were seen converting money. Creates too much of a trail."
"Oh yes," Heather replied sarcastically, wadding up her sandwich wrapper and getting up, "need to maintain operational security and all that, right?"
Katie announced the idea at dinner that night. Susan agreed as soon Katie said they'd be going out into the muggle world. "I've always wanted to go out like a muggle!" she gushed, "I was an NEWT student in Muggle Studies before the Carrows took over the subject." Luna, whose strength was returning quickly now that she had a roof over her head again and was eating something approaching a normal diet again, nodded her approval of the plan in a less exuberant fashion.
Heather didn't say anything but focused on her dinner, pork chops and mixed vegetables. It was actually edible for once. Since her arrival at the house, the meals prepared there had become increasingly more palatable, mostly due to her and Susan's influence. Kreacher had been scandalized to see his mistress cooking on her first night, and had wrung his ears in protest, until Heather explained that this was something that she, and everyone else, wanted to do. No one was expecting Kreacher to wait on them and serve them, unless he wanted to. Slowly, comprehension dawned on the old elf, and to satisfy his feelings of propriety, she had "allowed" him to help her chop the potatoes.
Others had been quickly banned from the kitchen long before Heather had moved in. According to Katie, Ron and Neville had spent hours cooking one evening, and proudly laid out what they called steak for dinner. The kindest description of what had been served was shoe leather. Seamus had insisted it would make a good roof shingle. Suffice it to say, neither of them were allowed to cook ever again.
Ginny's enthusiastic "YES!" practically screamed off the parchment the next day. Heather had asked her to send a picture that could be used for the id, and Ginny had cut one out of the many family pictures scattered around the Burrow. Because her mother wouldn't approve of what they were going to get up to, Ginny would be presenting it as a weekend catch up with Heather before she had to go back to working full time.
Still wondering just how she had talked herself into what she considered a mad idea, Heather climbed the marble steps of Gringotts after getting out of court on Friday. She had left the Ministry around ten o'clock, and had chosen to apparate to Diagon Alley, so as to get back home quickly. Between now and their going out tonight they still had to go shopping for muggle outfits to wear and Heather knew that would take hours. She was bowed through the doors and into the lobby, noting there were none of the scowls she'd received on her previous visit. Within moments of her entrance, a liveried goblin approached her, and upon learning what she was after, escorted her to her vault. Vault Six hundred Eighty-Seven was emptier than it had been in her entire life. Paying back Gringotts and setting up the fund for the victim's families had drained almost everything her parents had left her. Still, between what little was left here and the Black vault, she still had more than enough to live on, not counting her Ministry paychecks.
Unsure of just how much it could cost for almost half a dozen girls to go out for a night of partying, Heather converted enough galleons, sickles, and knuts to give her about six hundred muggle pounds. She hoped that would buy them each a suitable outfit, cover their bar bills, and hopefully leave her a reserve of muggle money she could use when she returned to Little Hangleton. She also intended to get a commuter pass for the underground.
Much as she had predicted, not one of the magically reared witches had a single idea about shopping in muggle London. Even Heather, who had visited the city a handful of times with her aunt and uncle growing up had forgotten just how large the metropolitan sprawl was. Without any other ideas, they set off as a group towards what Susan thought she remembered as a shopping center and wandered the streets aimlessly for close to an hour before Katie politely asked a passing policeman for directions. In an alley outside the shopping mall they were directed too, Heather pulled out her mokeskin pouch and divided the bills between each of them, warning them to ration it.
Her repeated cautions were forgotten the moment they stepped through the doors. Ginny, Susan, and Katie looked dumbstruck by the many stores and crowds, while Luna gazed around with bemused interest. In a flash, everyone was tearing off in a different direction, Luna being physically dragged by Ginny. This left Susan and Heather standing alone. Heather didn't mind this over much. Ginny and Luna hadn't seen each other since the battle and so obviously wanted to catch up. Also, if she were being completely honest, she had hoped to get through this shopping trip without any help from Ginny, remembering all too well their last trip to Diagon Alley together.
"Where should we start?" Susan asked excitedly as they were jostled aside by muggles trying to get past them.
"Why not there?" Heather suggested, pointing at the store directly across from the entrance. In the window display were several mannequins dressed in outfits clearly meant for a younger crowd.
Susan turned out to be a wonderful shopping companion. Not only was she so excited to be getting to experience muggle life for herself, but she also knew when press a suggestion against Heather's nervousness, and more importantly, when to drop it. She quickly found her outfit in the second store they visited, a rather shiny silver dress with matching high heeled shoes. Heather on the other hand had seen several possible options but hadn't made up her mind. Nothing felt right to her.
Everywhere they went, Heather could feel her senses on the lookout, just waiting for someone to spot her and shout out her name. Every time someone cried out to a friend, or laughed loudly, she jumped. "Relax," said Susan after a while, "No one knows who you are." Slowly this realization permeated far enough into Heather's subconscious to let her calm down. She began to really see the other people crowding the mall, most of them teenagers not much older or younger than she was. Everywhere it seemed there were groups of girls going this way and that between stores, more often than not trailed by resigned looking boys toting handfuls bags.
"You know, this is probably the last store we have to check," Susan prompted as they turned into a dress shop at the end of the mall.
"I know," Heather replied, feeling pressured. She wandered off on her own while Susan inspected a display of earrings, eventually ending up in a section labeled with a large clearance sign.
"Can I help you find something?" asked a voice from behind her while she idly flipped through a circular clothing rack. A red-haired girl that looked a few years older than her was standing there smiling politely, wearing a blue apron over her clothes. According to the nametag on her apron, her name was Marcie, and she was "Always happy to help!" In her arms was a large stack of clothes on hangers, ready to be hung up.
"I'm not sure, really." Heather replied.
"Give me half a mo," the girl said, sliding past Heather and swinging her load up. With practiced grace, she managed to get every single hanger onto an empty rack on the first attempt. "Now then," Marcie turned back to her and wiped her hands on the apron. "What sort of thing are you looking for?" she asked.
"Err, well me and my friends are going out tonight…" Heather began nervously.
"Girlfriends, guy friends, mixed group?" asked Marcie as though this made a good deal of difference.
"My friend Katie called it a 'girl's night out," Heather replied hesitantly.
"Say no more," Marcie said with a smile and led Heather back into the center of the store. Next to a large mirror was a mannequin dressed in an absolutely tiny black dress. "Here you go." Marcie said, gesturing at the rack next to the mannequin. "Take a look at these and let's see what we can find for you."
Heather's first impression of the selection was that a box of glitter and a box of sequins must have exploded at the same time. Everything shimmered, flashed, and shined in the overhead lights even without moving. Reaching in blindly, she extracted a strapless red velvet dress so dark she almost mistook it for black. Well, at least there was no glitter, she mused. She turned to a mirror and held the dress up in front of her. It barely reached the middle of her thighs.
"Looking good!" Marcie said, taking a step back to get the full picture. "What do you think?"
"Err…" Heather began.
"Too much skin?" Marcie asked understandingly. Heather nodded. "Well, I think it would look great on you."
"Me too, if my opinion counts," added Susan who had appeared behind them.
"What about this?" Marcie asked, extracting another strapless dress that was longer, but was covered in sequins. Heather shook her head, dismissing it and the next few quickly. "Are you sure you don't like that first one?" the Marcie asked after Heather had worked her way through the entire rack. She extracted the dress in question and held it up. "Why don't you try it on and see how you feel?" she suggested.
"Yeah, what could it hurt, Heather?" asked Susan.
"You really think it'll look good on me?" Heather asked nervously.
"Only one way to find out," Marcie replied, holding the dress out to her.
Safely inside a locked changing room, Heather disrobed down to her underwear and stepped into the dress. She hadn't worn anything strapless before, and found the sensation of just her breasts, and two rubber like strips on the upper edge of the dress, being all that kept the it in place very strange. It was soft, there was no doubt of that, and she saw that it hugged her frame perfectly. Weeks of being on her transitional potion had done much to give her curves that the dress accentuated well.
To get the full effect, she slid her arms out of her bra straps and tucked them under the dress. If she got this one, she was going to need a new bra to wear with it. Then again, she was about to need a whole new set of them anyway. Much like her new curves, her breasts had grown at least a full size since her last shopping trip. They were beginning to spill out of the tops, which made excessive moment less than comfortable.
"Oy, Heather!" called Susan. "Come on out. We want to see!"
Susan and Marcie were both waiting eagerly. "Oh, you have got to get that!" Marcie practically shrieked.
"Looking good, Potter," said Susan. Without thinking, Heather's neck hairs sprang up. She waited for Marcie to perform the usual flick upwards to her forehead, but it didn't happen. They were in the muggle world. She forced herself to relax. "She's going to need shoes." Susan stated matter-of-factly.
"Oh of course. Hold on a second." Marcie dashed off and returned a moment later with an armful of shoes of all different sorts. Heather tried on every pair, including some which had heels so high she almost toppled over. "I think these would be perfect," Marcie said, holding out a pair of strappy black shoes with a good solid heel that Heather would feel safe putting her entire body weight on without being risking it snapping.
"Have you got some jewelry to wear with this?" asked Marcie when Heather had slid the tiny straps of the shoes into the little buckles and was taking practice steps.
"Err, I'm not sure." Heather replied. It was taking some concentration to remain upright even with the wedge heel. She made a mental note to get some flats as well, just in case she got tired of these before the evening was over.
Between the dress, shoes, jewelry, and underwear, the final total ended up just shy of sixty pounds. After Heather and Susan had gathered up their bags and exited the shop, Susan made straight for a make up store they had passed earlier. There they each spent another twenty pounds on make supply of cash nearly exhausted, they rested on a bench next to mall entrance, waiting for everyone else to get back. Katie showed up a few minutes after they did, beaming triumphantly and holding on tightly to a large pink shopping bag.
Ginny and Luna took more time. Heather was just about to suggest they go searching for them when they finally turned up, Ginny looking goodheartedly vexed. "I had to drag Luna out of this store down the way. They had all these different kinds of earrings."
"Do you like them, Heather?" Luna asked happily, holding the two objects hanging from her lobes out for Heather to see. They were large green leaves of a sort Heather had never seen before.
"Err, yeah!" Heather replied after skipping a beat, "They look really cool."
"I didn't think muggles knew about Dirigible Plum leaves," Luna continued happily, letting the two leaves swing back and forth beneath her lobes.
They departed the mall and decided to find a secluded place from which to apparate back to Grimmauld Place. None of them were eager to carry their purchases all the way back across London. When they got inside the house, Katie immediately declared the third and fourth floors off limits to boys and dashed up the stairs.