Harry Potter and the Mysterious Stubbardmans

Late as usual, Ginny thought to herself. For as long as she had known him, Harry Potter could not seem to get to any place on time. It didn't matter if it was class, Platform 9 3/4 , Quidditch practice, or any event between; he always seemed to only arrive at the last possible second. It would be a miracle if he made it to his own funeral with a few seconds to spare. He was worth waiting for, though. Ginny Weasley had known the moment she first laid eyes on him, before she knew who he was, that she was going to marry the goofy, little boy with round rimmed glasses, big green eyes, and tousled, dark locks.

Bailey's and Dukes Ice Cream Parlour and Gift Shop was the place to be for two young people in love on Valentine's Day. It was built next to Honeydukes and had opened a few months after its originally scheduled opening, the war being held responsible for it's delay. Mr. Bailey and the owners of Honeydukes jointly owned the establishment.

While waiting for her beloved misfit to arrive, Ginny entertained herself by recalling the disastrous date Harry had had with Cho Chang. It gave her a secret pleasure, thinking about how awkward Harry behaved on his first real date with the girl he had a crush on. How stupid of him, she giggled to herself. Now it was Ginny's turn to be the Chosen One's date on the most romantic day of the year.

She quietly sipped a cup of tea, glanced out of the shop window, and then looked around at all of the sweets in the display counter and on the shelves, all were appropriately designed in the forms of hearts to reflect the holiday. She raised the teacup to take another sip when, suddenly, she was startled by a figure that instantly appeared by her side.

Ginny gasped.

"Did I scare you?" Harry grinned, leaning down to kiss Ginny on the cheek.

"No, I always jump a mile out of my seat whenever someone comes over to kiss me."

"Just how many people have tried to kiss you, today?"

"Not counting you?"

"Well...yeah," Harry replied, taking a seat opposite her. The nervous expression on his face was priceless.

"Hmm, let me think," Ginny teased. She pretended to count on her fingers then, deciding she had got even with him, replied, "No one."

Harry chuckled, realizing he had been outsmarted. "Good. Let's keep it that way." He reached across the table and took Ginny's hands in his. He looked longingly into her eyes, studying the detail of their brown colour. He looked at her auburn hair then down at her porcelain-like hands.

"Harry, is everything okay? Is there something you want to tell me?" Ginny asked reluctantly.

Harry said nothing at first; he just kept looking down at her hands, caressing them with his thumbs. He was procrastinating. He knew what he wanted to tell her, but the words kept getting lodged in his throat. Finally, he experienced a wave of courage and was ready to express what his heart was feeling.

"Can I take your order?" the waitress interrupted Harry's moment.

Both Harry and Ginny jumped. Ginny looked at Harry, hoping to get a cue as to what to tell the waitress. Harry looked back up at the attendant.

"Can we get one Lover's Delight with two spoons?"

"One Lover's Delight coming up," the waitress replied, quickly scribbling the order on her pad then returning behind the counter.

"Harry, was there something you wanted to tell me?" Ginny anxiously inquired.

"Er...well...I...just wanted to say...I ...you're really special to me, Ginny, and..." Again, the waitress interrupted Harry.

"I'm sorry, I forgot to ask you what flavour ice cream you wanted. You get two flavours."

"Uh, chocolate and strawberry?" Harry answered, looking back at Ginny for her approval. Ginny smiled and nodded. "Yeah, chocolate and strawberry."

"Okay," the waitress said, scribbling again.

"You were saying?" Ginny prodded, hoping to jog Harry's memory about what he was trying to tell her.

The problem was, Harry's moment of courage had a very small window. Unfortunately, the discussion with the waitress exceeded its time limit. Harry released Ginny's hands, placing his own back on his lap. Ginny looked down at her tea, which, after taking another sip, she discovered had cooled. She peered over to where the shop had an area for greeting cards. It took her by surprise when she saw who was standing there.

"Harry, look over by the greeting cards," Ginny whispered.

"Huh?" Harry replied, straining his neck to see where Ginny was referring. "Hey, isn't that Grace?"

"Yeah, but when did she come in? I didn't hear the bells ring when the door opened."

"Yeah, you're right. That's strange. She couldn't have taken the secret passage way. Only you, me, Ron, Hermione, and George know about that."

Moments later, the waitress returned with their order. "One chocolate and strawberry Lover's Delight with two spoons." The waitress placed the enormous boat-shaped bowl of heaped ice cream, whipped cream, hot fudge, pink and red sprinkles and juicy cherries on the table, then laid two long, silver spoons in front of Harry and Ginny. She smiled at them and walked away.

"How are we going to eat all of this?" Ginny whispered in a panicked tone of voice.

"Yeah, I know. Where's Ron when you need him?" Harry joked.

Ginny happened to look back over at the greeting cards area. Sure enough, Grace was still standing there, pretending to be looking at the merchandise, but Ginny wasn't fooled. She could see Grace periodically looking back at her and Harry.

Occasionally, Grace would give Ginny a soft smile then turn away. Ginny shifted over more on the bench so that Harry's head would block Grace's view, but Ginny could still see the mysterious Hufflepuff.

"Harry, I need you to do something for a moment," Ginny plotted.

"What?"

"Pretend you're looking at those boxes of chocolates over on the other side of the display counter."

"Why?"

"Just do it. I want to see something."

"Look, if you want me to buy you a box of chocolate, it's too late. I already did," Harry revealed.

"You did?"

"Of course, I did! I'm not stupid you know. I'd have to be out of my mind not to buy you a gift on Valentine's Day."

"Well, just go over there, anyway. I want to see if my suspicions are correct."

"What suspicions?"

"Harry, just go over there, please?!"

"Fine. Relax. I'm going, but there better be some strawberry ice cream left by the time I get back," Harry grumbled, getting up from the booth.

Ginny continued to observe Grace as Harry casually strolled over to the boxed chocolates at the other side of the shop. Grace quickly moved from the greeting card area and behind another display to watch him. That's weird, Ginny thought.

Harry pretended to be interested in the different boxes of chocolates. He would periodically look back at Ginny, every once in a while gesturing to her to give him the next instruction. Ginny would wave her hand out of frustration, until she finally gave up and signalled Harry to return to the booth. For a moment, Grace and Ginny locked eyes before Grace turned away and rushed out of the store.

"Whoa! What was that all about?" Harry inquired with an annoyed tone.

"Harry, I'm not sure, but I think Grace might be spying on us."

"What makes you think that?"

"Well, didn't you see how she immediately moved away from the greeting cards and behind that stuffed animal display to watch you?"

"Ginny, it could just be coincidence."

"No, Harry. She was watching you."

"Well, if you're so certain, maybe we should get out of here and go back to school. Besides, it'll be dark soon."

"Maybe I can get the waitress to put this in a container for us. We can eat it tonight," Ginny suggested.

The two stood up from the booth, walked over to the counter with the bowl of melted ice cream, and asked the server behind the counter if they could have a container. The waitress gave them a small, Styrofoam bucket and Ginny dumped the contents of the bowl into it. Harry paid the server, and then he and Ginny proceeded out of the shop.

As they walked outside, they heard a commotion behind them. They turned to see what it was and, at that moment, a monstrous being, flying furiously at Harry, swooped down dangerously close and shot a curse. The curse hit Harry hard, knocking him to the ground. Bystanders began to panic and run in all directions. The curse hit Harry on his upper arm. It felt as though someone had taken a sword and sliced him through. The strange thing about the injury was it bled briefly then seemed to heal, leaving a deep, thick, grotesque scar.

"HARRY!" Ginny screamed, dropping the container of ice cream and running to check on his condition.

"What the devil was that?" Harry exclaimed, sitting up and rubbing his injured arm. His sleeve was torn clean from shoulder to elbow, with splatters of his blood staining it. Both he and Ginny examined the wound. It was the most gruesome, jagged scar they had ever seen.

"Are you alright? Does it hurt?"

"No, but...LOOK OUT!" Harry cried, as another hideous creature, similar to the one before it, swooped down again. It shot a curse at both Harry and Ginny, but luckily the curse missed.

"Ginny, run. Go back into the shop!" Harry ordered.

"No! I'm not leaving you. You're still too weak."

"I'll be fine. Just go!" Harry pulled out his wand and readied himself, as he saw one of the creatures rounding for another attack.

The creature was pale with large hideous scars covering its face. It had a bony stature with lanky arms and legs. Its fingernails were long, sharp and black in colour. It wore tattered clothes, much like an abused house elf. Harry steadied himself, making certain that his timing would be impeccable so that the curse would knock the beastly creature off its broom.

As the evil predator circled around for another shot, Harry held firmly onto his wand. The scar-riddled being began to rush in Harry's direction, but just before it got off another curse, Harry retaliated.

"PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!" Harry shouted with all of his might.

Ginny was correct in her assessment. Harry was still weak, but he was showing signs that Aristotle's therapy treatments were working. Though Harry felt all of his energy leave his body, the curse was effective. It caused the monster to freeze up while its broom continued to fly away, sliding out from between the creature's legs. The ugly beast dropped forty feet onto the pavement. It died instantly.

Harry and Ginny sensed that they weren't out of danger. Wondering where the other monster had flown, it wasn't long before their worst fears would come to be. In the distance, they could see a large swarm of beasts flying toward them. Harry's injury and lack of energy made it difficult for him to stand. Ginny tried lifting him to his feet, but it was no use. Harry was too weak.

"Ginny, run back in the shop and get someone to help you," Harry commanded.

Ginny quickly did as Harry had told her. Just as she entered the shop, the swarm of creatures began bombarding curses at Harry, who had sought shelter under an awning.

"HARRY!" Ginny screamed. She tried to run back out to him, but a shadowy figure, standing behind another display, sent an Incarcerous spell. It hit the ginger-haired girl's delicate frame. The unknown figure escaped before anyone could see, leaving Ginny on the floor, struggling to get free. The clerk ran out from behind the counter, along with the waitress to try to free Ginny's tightly bound limbs.

Meanwhile, outside the shop, Harry was certain he was going to be killed by the hideous creatures, but just as everything seemed like it had reached its worst, Aristotle flew down on a motorcycle in the shape of a dragon.

Harry gazed up at its magnificent form. The motorbike was a classic Dragginz model. The body of the dragon was composed of the bike's engine. Its claws appeared as though they were holding the wheels in place, and its eyes were the bike's headlights.

Aristotle expertly manoeuvred the bike, dodging curses, before landing next to Harry.

"Quick, Potter. Grab my hand," Aristotle ordered, reaching his hand out so that Harry could latch onto it.

Harry sat up and grabbed Aristotle's outstretched limb. Aristotle gave the injured boy a strong yank, helping him to his feet.

"Get on, Harry, fast! We haven't much time!"

"What about Ginny?"

"She'll be okay," Aristotle assured. "My cousin, Bridget came with me. She'll rescue Ginny!"

Harry jumped onto the back of the dragon-shaped motorbike and wrapped his arms tightly around Aristotle's waist, just as another creature was diving in for an attack. Not a second later, Aristotle kicked off, prompting the bike to spread it's wings. The bike was airborn once again, moving faster than any broom Harry had ever been on.

He could feel the stinging wind hitting against his face as he peered over Aristotle's shoulder. Just as several creatures came rushing toward them, Aristotle pressed a button near the bike's speedometer and flames spewed from the mouth of the bike's dragon-shaped head. Harry was amazed.

Soon, the two made it back to Hogwarts. Aristotle landed the bike on an open field, close to the Quidditch pitch.

"What the heck were those things? And where's Ginny?"

"Don't worry. She'll ...erm...be here soon," Aristotle stuttered.

"You're not sure, are you?" Harry asked accusingly.

"Harry, don't worry. She's in good hands."

Harry glared at the therapist for a moment then, while still trying to catch his breath, asked, "What were those things? Look what one of them did to my arm!" Harry pulled back some of the torn sleeve to show Aristotle the newly formed scar.

"Ah, yes! Sclerodons!"

"What?"

"They're called Sclerodons--vicious creatures that inflict horrible scars on their prey. They send out curses that are almost as painful as the Cruciatus curse. They use the curses to torture their victims to death. You're lucky they only scarred your body. It's worse when they psychologically scar your mind."

"Well, I can't worry about that. I've got to find Ginny."

"Harry, it's too risky to go back now. Besides, I told you before, Bridget was with me. She'll rescue Ginny. I promise..." Before Aristotle could finish his sentence, there was a loud grumbling sound coming from another motorcycle. Aristotle and Harry turned to see another Dragginz bike landing near by. Ginny jumped off and ran toward them. A woman, who looked to be in her late thirties that Harry didn't recognize, dismounted the bike.

"Harry," Ginny cried. She threw her arms around his neck and buried her face under his chin.

Harry lovingly wrapped his arms around her body and held her tightly, kissing her on the head. "Ginny, are you okay?" he asked concernedly, pushing her far enough away from him so that he could see her face. It was streaked with tears and she was shaking.

"Well, that was some ride. I could use me a Blonde Curly," the slim, petite woman said. Bridget Candelier was one of the finest Aurors on the force. She had similar hair colour to Aristotle's, blue eyes like her brother Titus, a rich Irish brogue, and a smile, when she showed it that left little doubt that she and Titus were siblings. She was short-changed when it came to height, but that didn't stop her from looking like a ferocious fighter.

Bridget, along with two other Aurors, Hilda and Tilly, were known for their daring and bravery. They had been good friends with Tonks, and were saddened at the loss of their close friend.

"Harry, I don't know if you ever met my cousin," Aristotle interrupted Harry and Ginny's spur-of-the-moment cuddling session.

"Oh, hello," Harry responded, extending his hand to greet Bridget.

"Pleased to be finally introduced," Bridget said in a husky voice.

"Harry, you did a fine job fending off that Sclerodon. They're not easy creatures to fight," Aristotle said.

"Well, I certainly credit your therapy sessions, sir. I'm truly grateful for everything you've done for me this year," Harry humbly stated.

"What say we continue this conversation back in the castle? It's getting pretty cold out here and it's close to curfew," Aristotle suggested.

"I'm game for that," Bridget agreed.

There was a moment of silence. It was then that Harry asked about the motorcycles that Aristotle and Bridget were riding.

"Aristotle, where did you and Bridget get your bikes? They're amazing!"

"Erm...well, once you become an Auror, you're required to choose a specialty. Bridget and I are members of a special tactics force. You get these bikes when you pass a series of challenging tests and make it on the force."

"Wow, that's cool."

Harry escorted Ginny over to where Bridget was standing with her Dragginz motorcycle, then he hopped on the back of Aristotle's bike. The four slowly made their way down to the castle. While inside, Aristotle continued the conversation he had started when he introduced Harry to Bridget.

"Harry, I think it's time we worked on your coordination, now that you seem to be gaining most of your magical powers. Bridget, here, is a hand-to-hand combat expert. She could provide you with some valuable insight to your fighting techniques."

"That sounds wonderful. I'm looking forward to it." Harry smiled.

"Aristotle," Ginny interrupted, "while I was back in the shop, someone had shot the Incarcerous spell at me."

"That's true, Ari. I found poor Ginny, here, bound up," Bridget confirmed.

"Did you get a look at the person who did it?" Aristotle asked, throwing a quick glance at Bridget.

"No," Ginny answered, although she had suspected it was Grace.

"Well, it's no longer important. What is important is that you're both safe and sound, and back here before curfew. Now, why don't you two run off to the Great Hall and catch some dinner. Bridget and I are going to pay a little visit to your headmaster."

Harry and Ginny took Aristotle's advice and walked to the Great Hall. Meanwhile, Aristotle and Bridget made their way to the headmaster's chambers.

Headmaster Candelier had been expecting their arrival, having heard what had happened. No one knew just how he found out so quickly, but both Aristotle and Bridget had an idea.

"That was quite a save," the headmaster praised, leading the two to a small round table with four chairs. "Can I interest anyone in a drink?"

"A shot of firewhiskey will do it for me," Aristotle answered, pulling out a chair for Bridget before seating himself.

"You know what I like, dear brother," Bridget answered.

"Yes, yes, a Blonde Curly. What is there about these drinks that you like so much?"

"Well, you know, the ginger is good for the stomach, and I love the cherry flavored syrup. Throw on a few extra cherries while you're at it."

Headmaster Candelier went over to a wooden cabinet that had gargoyles carved on it. It stood on four long legs. Inside, there were various bottles of drinks. Headmaster Candelier had the cabinet concealed behind an ancient shoji. He prepared the drinks, pouring two firewhiskeys for Aristotle and himself and made Bridget her Blonde Curly.

"Here you go," the headmaster said, handing the drinks to the other two, before settling in one of the chairs.

"That was a close call. What do you suppose we do now? We can't just lock Harry up, even though it would be for his own good," Headmaster Candelier proposed.

"I don't know what the answer is anymore. He has made some tremendous strides in his therapy sessions. He handled that Sclerodon as if he never lost his powers," Aristotle commented.

"That is very hopeful, but there's still the issue with him not being completely cured. It might have been just luck that he got that foul creature on the first shot. If he had missed, he wouldn't have had the strength to shoot again, and that's what worries me."

"That lucky shot might have given him a false sense of his own abilities," Bridget added.

"Well, that's where you come in, my dear. I want you to teach Harry some of your tricks." Aristotle grinned.

"Certainly. I'd be glad to. Just tell me when and where."

"He's due for another therapy session this Wednesday afternoon, just beside the Quidditch pitch."

"Consider it done." Bridget lifted her glass in a gesture to toast the others then took a long guzzle of the cherry red-coloured beverage, slapping her lips with pleasure. "Ahh, that's a good Curly, brother!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Harry and Ginny met up with Ron in the Great Hall. They finished their meal, and then Ron and Harry walked Ginny to her dorm room.

"Ron, would you wait in the common room for me? I just want to talk to Ginny a little more."

"You want to talk to her or snog her?"

"Ron! So what did you and Hermione do this afternoon?" Ginny quipped.

"Nothing as exciting as what you and Harry did."

Ron trotted downstairs and sat on the couch in front of the fireplace, waiting for Harry. From his back pocket, he pulled out the Valentine's card that Hermione had given him and reread it.

"Ginny, are you certain you're okay?" Harry asked, holding her hands in his.

"Yes, I'll be fine, but I'm almost positive Grace shot that Incarcerous spell at me."

"Well, we'll look into it tomorrow. Try to get some sleep. Oh, and Ginny?"

"Yes, Harry."

"Happy Valentine's Day."

"Is that what you were struggling to tell me at the ice cream parlour?"

"No. What I wanted to say was...I love you." Harry gently pulled her toward him. He softly placed his lips upon hers and cupped his hands around her face.

Ginny responded by surprising Harry with a move that left him feeling helplessly out of control. She ran her hands under his tee shirt and rubbed the bare skin on his back lightly with her fingertips. This caused Harry to deepen his kiss, pulling her face firmly up against his. He began to breathe more intensely. She could feel his chest rise and lower more briskly. He dropped his hands to where he could run them along her back then back up to her head, where he sifted his fingers through the strands of her hair. Ginny began to stroke his back with her fingers, increasing the pressure as she ran her hands up and down his spine.

She realized the moment was growing more passionate. If things didn't stop, she would have to end their evening together with Harry feeling more frustrated than satisfied. She abruptly pulled her hands away and pushed Harry back. He was still breathing heavily.

"What's wrong, Gin?" He struggled to catch his breath.

"You have to go. Ron's waiting for you," she answered morosely.

Harry sighed then nodded in agreement. He turned around and slowly walked to the kitchens.