With Harry, Sirius, Hermione, and Ginny still sitting at the breakfast table, Sirius said, "Harry, Hermione and Ginny are going to be staying for the day. I have scheduled a doctor's appointment for you this afternoon and there's a possibility you will need their support again."
"Along those lines, " said Harry meaningfully, "I'd like to take this moment to acknowledge Ginny for something. Hermione's been my bestie for years. No questions asked. But, if you remember when we first met you, Sirius, after I had dissolved my friendship with that jealous asshole known as Ron, you asked me if Ginny could take Ron's place as my other bestie alongside Hermione. I said that I would like to develop more of a friendship with her but that she could not take the place of a bestie because of our difference in year at Hogwarts. You know, Ginny, you have proven me wrong. Ginny, you've proven to me that despite the difference in years that you are just as much a bestie to me as Hermione, even though we haven't been friends nearly as long."
"I am very touched by the acknowledgement, Harry, " said Ginny sincerely with a tear running down her cheek, "But I must confess that there is one favor I could have done for you but didn't. I personally believe I made the right decision in not doing this favor for you, but I think you have the right to know why I made that choice."
"Let me guess, " said Harry in immediate understanding, "You knew all along that Ron was a terrible person and a bad friend and you could have told me that yourself. You knew that Ron only wanted to be my friend because he hoped being friends with The Boy Who Lived would bring him some of my fame and that he could get some deflected glory from me. You knew that Ron saw me as The Boy Who Lived rather than Harry Potter. But you didn't tell me this because you thought it would be better for me to figure out on my own what a horrible friend Ron really was and to learn from it. I stayed friends with Ron for too long because he was my first ever friend. By having me figure this out on my own, it enabled me to learn a true lesson in a what true friend really is."
"Exactly right, " confirmed Ginny, "I believed that if I told you straight up, you might repeat the mistake of befriending someone who wanted to be your friend for the wrong reasons. I thought figuring it out on your own would allow you to mature and learn a valuable lesson at the same time."
"You know, " said Harry thoughtfully, "The most important part of being a good friend is supporting your friends when they need you. But in this case, you were actually a better friend by not helping me and letting me figure this out on my own. But what exactly did you know about Ron?"
"He's always been a glory hound, he gets jealous easily, and I knew he desired fame, " said Ginny matter of factly.
"I hate it when some people want to justify Ron's jealousy by talking about his large number of siblings, " said Harry fiercely, "But you have the same number of siblings as Ron and one more older sibling. If anything, having another older sibling makes it even harder for you to get attention at home than Ron, but you've never been a jealous person at all. Thank goodness I'm well shot of Ron and that you're my bestie instead now."
"I always had a gut feeling you'd see the light about Ron at some point, " Ginny told Harry simply.
"Sirius, " asked Hermione nervously, "What are you expecting out of Harry's doctor's appointment?"
"I just hope we don't find scar upon scar on him, " answered Sirius uneasily.
"Sirius, " said Harry seriously, "There's something you should know before we go to my doctor's appointment. For a long time, I had scars all over my body owing to the attention of my aunt's frying pan and my uncle's belt. These scars had always remained just as bad as they were when I first got them. But these scars all mysteriously and miraculously healed when Vernon and Petunia died."
"Hmm, " said Sirius uncertainly, shaking his head.
"That does not make sense, " said Ginny in a confused voice, shaking her head as well.
"OHH!" cried Hermione, "I know what happened!"
"What!?" chorused Harry, Sirius, and Ginny."
"Someone, almost certainly Dumbledore, put a spell on Harry using Dark Magic so that any scar his aunt and uncle inflicted upon him would remain completely and permanently intact to the full extent that Harry's aunt and uncle put them on him. The caveat is that such spells to keep the damage one person does to another person permenant 1require that the person or people who did the damage to stay alive to work. If the people who inflicted the damage die, then the spell terminates automatically, " explained Hermione.
"Then this afternoon's appointment may go better than I'm hoping, and we can enjoy a nice fat lunch together afterwards, " said Sirius hopefully, "But why aren't you in Ravenclaw, Hermione, with brains like yours?"
"Well, the Sorting Hat DID seriously consider putting me in Ravenclaw, " said Hermione matter of factly, "But it decided on Gryffindor in the end."
"Did you ask the Sorting Hat to put you in Gryffindor?" Harry asked Hermione.
"Yes, " confirmed Hermione, "I'd asked around beforehand and I thought Gryffindor sounded the best."
"I ask because the Sorting Hat wanted to place me in Slytherin, but I asked not to go into Slytherin, " explained Harry, "So the Sorting Hat does take people's choices into account. I know now that my Anti Slytherin Biases were misguided but that's what it was at the time."
"Even though I'm very clever and intelligent myself, I value courage more, " said Hermione, looking proudly at Harry.
"Of course, " remembered Harry, "Just before I went to face Quirrell over the Sorcerer's Stone, you told me I was a great wizard. When I said I wasn't as good as you, you replied that bravery was more important than books or cleverness."
"I've always admired courage over all other traits, " said Hermione clearly.
"I just hope you don't have to be as brave today as you were yesterday, " Sirius wryly.
At noon, Harry, Sirius, Hermione, and Ginny took an empty potion bottle portkey to the doctor Sirius had arranged for Harry to see, a tall but skinny brown haired woman with purple eyes named Wanda Wellness.
"Hello, there Mr. Black, " said Dr. Wellness in a businesslike voice, "Is Mr. Potter ready for his exam?"
"Yes, I am," said Harry simply.
The truth ended up being that not much came out of the exam. Dr. Wellness took Harry's vitals such as his heartrate and blood pressure and they turned up normal. She had Harry take off all his clothes so she could carefully examine every inch of his body for scars but there were none there. The diagnostic spells she performed on his bones revealed no issues.
"I have only one concern, " said Dr. Wellness clearly, "Mr. Potter is too short for his age and too thin even for that height. Were Mr. Potter a couple years younger I would prescribe a Nutrient Potion. But overdosing on Nutrient Potions can lead to obesity and teenagers are much more prone than children or adults to this side effect. I don't think there's much I can do. My advice is simply for Mr. Potter to eat a lot for a while and see if he can gain some weight. I'm surprised at his lack of scars considering what I heard about his muggle relatives."
"I did have them, " Harry informed Dr. Wellness, "But they healed once my aunt and uncle died."
"That means someone had you under a spell to make the scars your aunt and uncle gave you last forever, " replied Dr. Wellness. "The deaths of your aunt and uncle ended the spell because the spell would've needed your aunt and uncle to stay alive to last. As your aunt and uncle were muggles, they cannot have put any spells on you. Dumbledore must have done that."
"We're sure of that now, " said Harry bitterly.
"I guess there's not much to say then, " said Dr. Wellness. "Now go find Mr. Potter something to eat."
"In that case, " smiled Sirius, "Are you lot up for a big chicken meal?"
"Yes!" chorused Harry, Hermione, and Ginny.
"Dr. Wellness?" asked Sirius, "Can I have an empty potions bottle to turn into a portkey. I can't use the one that brought us here because any individual object can only be used as a portkey once."
"Of course, Mr. Black, " replied Dr. Wellness with a smile, "Anything that can take Mr. Potter to some food right now is a good thing."
So, Dr. Wellness gave Sirius an empty potion bottle that turned Sirius into a portkey Sirius then took Harry, Hermione, and Ginny to Cedric's Chicken Cravings, a sit down restaurant owned by Amos Diggory that he had named after his son Cedric.
They landed in the waiting area. There was a row of chairs that patrons could sit down on while they waited for a waiter or waitress to seat them. Some waiting patrons were already sitting in some of them.
Sirius, Harry, and Hermione all took seats. However, as there were four of them and only three open seats, Ginny had to stand while they waited.
After a while, with her legs starting to get tired, Ginny decided to sing a song as a diversion.
Ginny burst into song and sang:
"Do you ever feel like a plastic bag
Drifting thought the wind
Wanting to start again
Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin
Like a house of cards
One blow from caving in
Do you ever feel already buried deep
Six feet under scream
But no one seems to hear a thing
Do you know that there's still a chance for you
'cause there's a spark in you
You just gotta ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July
'cause baby you're a firework
Come on show 'em what your worth
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y
Baby you're a firework
Come on let your colors burst
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
You're gonna leave 'em fallin' down down down
You don't have to feel like a waste of space
You're original, cannot be replaced
If you only knew what the future holds
After a hurricane comes a rainbow
Maybe a reason why all the doors are closed
So you can open one that leads you to the perfect road
Like a lightning bolt, your heart will glow
And when it's time, you'll know
You just gotta ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July
'cause baby you're a firework
Come on show 'em what your worth
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y
Baby you're a firework
Come on let your colors burst
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
You're gonna leave 'em fallin' down down down
Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
It's always been inside of you, you, you
And now it's time to let it through
'cause baby you're a firework
Come on show 'em what your worth
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y
Baby you're a firework
Come on let your colors burst
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
You're gonna leave 'em fallin' down down down
Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon."
As Ginny finished her song, Sirius, Harry, and Hermione burst into huge rounds of applause.
They all knew how special Ginny's singing voice was, having heard it multiple times, but hearing this performance made something clear to Harry.
But the nanosecond Harry was about to explain what he was thinking, a waitress came and found a table for Sirius, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny.
There were menus on the table. But Sirius, who had eaten at Cedric's Chicken Cravings a few times before, spoke up.
"Harry, Hermione, Ginny, may I make a suggestion for all four of us to order the same meal? I've eaten here before and there's this one meal I KNOW is just totally awesome baby! You don't have to take my suggestion and can order what you want, but I'm very confident you will all love this particular meal, " said Sirius eagerly.
"I'll trust your judgement on that, Sirius, " said Harry at once and Hermione and Ginny quickly followed suit.
"Let's go with the three piece spicy chicken combo. This comes with a big chicken breast, a wing, and a leg with sides of curly fires, sweet corn, and like all meals here, comes with a dinner roll, " said Sirius eagerly, "We'll do Coca Cola Classic for the drinks today."
"SOUNDS GREAT!" Chorused Harry, Hermione, and Ginny.
Within a minute and a nanosecond, the waitress returned to their table with their three piece chicken meals.
"YUM!' cried out all four at once the nanosecond they ate their first bite of the chicken.
"Man, this is the best spicy chicken I've ever tasted, " beamed Harry at once, "O in N.E.W.T. !"
"Certified fresh, 100%!" said Hermione cheerfully.
"Order of Merlin, First Class!" piped up Ginny with a huge smile."
The fires, corn, rolls, and Coca Cola Classic were good, but the chicken was just so good that it overshadowed everything else.
A few minutes into the meal, Harry looked at Ginny and said, "Ginny, with a singing voice like yours you really should be in Hogwarts choir."
"Believe me, I would be if one existed, " said Ginny a nanosecond later, "It's really too bad Hogwarts doesn't have a choir. It has Reading Clubs, Quidditch, Charms Clubs, etc., but no choir."
"That seems a pretty big oversight, " added Hermione, "I hate to agree with the manipulative old bastard on anything, but he was right when said that music is a magic beyond all we do at Hogwarts."
"Despite having a school song, " said Ginny thoughtfully, "We have no school choir. I'll be honest, I'm more disappointed by that all the time especially every time I sing a song and it's clear someone appreciates my singing talent. I'd love to hone and craft that talent in a choir, but alas, that opportunity doesn't exist for me."
"Alas nothing, " said Harry fiercely, "As soon as we return to Godric's Hollow, I'm going to write to Professor Lupin and request that a choir be started at Hogwarts."
Ginny sat stunned, hardly darling to believe it, but managed to give Harry a smile all the same.
The rest of the meal passed happily and uneventfully and after Sirius had gotten, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny back to Godric's Hollow using an empty fries bag as a portkey, Harry, as always, proved a man of his word.
Harry took out his eagle feather quill and some parchment and wrote.
Dear Headmaster Lupin:
Today Sirius took me, Hermione, and Ginny out to lunch at Cedric's Chicken Cravings. Because there were only three open seats in the waiting area, Ginny had to stand while we were waiting for a waiter or waitress to seat us. Eventually, dealing with tired legs, Ginny decided to sing a song as a diversion. Ginny has always had a GREAT singing voice, but Sirius, Hermione, and I were blown away by how GREAT her singing was today, and all naturally burst into rounds of applause when she had finished. During our meal, I told Ginny offhandedly that with a singing voice like hers she should be in a Hogwarts choir. Ginny then expressed honest disappointment about the lack of a Hogwarts choir and admitted that she's becoming more disappointed by that all the time. Headmaster Lupin, I am writing to request that a choir be instituted at Hogwarts for the 1994-95 school year. I mean, Hogwarts has Reading Clubs and Quidditch, and Charms Clubs and the like, but the musically gifted have nowhere at Hogwarts to utilize their talents. While I have every reason to deplore our old headmaster, he was right that music is "A magic beyond all we do here." with here referring to Hogwarts. It actually seems weird that Hogwarts has a school song but no choir. People like Ginny deserve the opportunity to practice, hone, and showcase their crafts and talents just as much as the magically, athletically, and literary gifted students. While my main intent in submitting this proposal is to vouch for Ginny, I'm sure there are other students at Hogwarts with musical talent who would savor the chance to be part of a school choir. Tryouts for such a choir could be held just like they are for Quidditch, but the school houses can be irrelevant to these tryouts. I know how much it would mean to Ginny to be given the opportunity to be part of a choir and how much she would appreciate the chance to use her musical talents on a more frequent basis and I am certain there are other Hogwarts students in her boat as well. Please give serious consideration to the prospect of a Hogwarts choir. Ginny and people like her deserve it.
Sincerely
-Harry.
Harry sent Hedwig off to Lupin with the letter and Hedwig returned with Lupin's response a couple of hours later.
Remus had written.
Dear Harry-
Thank you for your excellent suggestion. I'll admit, while I do have a number of changes planned for Hogwarts for this upcoming school year, it would never have occurred to start a Hogwarts choir. I don't know all the details yet, but I guarantee that Hogwarts will have a school choir in place for the 1994-95 school year. Do be aware of one thing; it's clear that your request that Hogwarts start a choir is a case of a friend trying to create an opportunity for a friend. This is admirable, but you should be aware that Ginny will not automatically be in the choir but will have to earn her place at tryouts just like all other aspiring members. That said, I can appreciate your motivation in hoping to help out a friend. It's the sort of thing you would do. Hoping you are well and good luck to Ginny.
Sincerely
-Hogwarts headmaster
Remus Lupin.
P.S. Be on the lookout for your Hogwarts letter over the next few days. It will explain several changes coming to Hogwarts for the upcoming school year.
Harry handed Ginny the letter and she felt her eyes welling up.
"Thank you, Harry, " said Ginny meaningfully, "You are a great friend yourself and I am very lucky to have developed such a great friendship with you. I can't express in words how much it means to me that you would vouch for me like that. Whatever comes of it, I won't forget the thought you put into this and I'll always remember how you vouched for me."
"I'm glad you will have the chance to be part of a Hogwarts choir. Don't worry about the tryouts. I know you'll be the best there."
Ginny just smiled.