Harry Potter and the Angel of Justice

Chapter Three - Holiday with the Weasleys

Click here for chapter illustration.

The truck slowed and Harry could feel that they were losing altitude. They landed with a jolt on the same road that he, Fred, George and Ron had used when the Weasley boys had rescued Harry back when he was twelve. Mrs. Weasley had been happy to see him then, but she had gone spare about the method of his delivery to her house. He wondered if the same telling off that the twins and Ron had received was awaiting Mars upon their arrival.

Shortly after landing, Harry and Mars pulled up to the Weasley's yard in the mammoth truck and stopped. It was late, around 10:30, but Bill Weasley and a tall beautiful girl with long blond hair were standing outside waiting for them.

"Wow, Charlie wasn't kidding. Bill's fiancée Fleur is really stunning!" Mars admired Fleur through the windshield.

Harry agreed. Fleur no longer had that haughty look that had made her appear distant and unapproachable. She was staring at the windshield with a friendly smile.

"She's part Veela, Mars. Her grandmother was one," said Harry as he opened his door. Mars nodded and they both got out of the truck.

"'Airy, it is vairy good to see you!" Fleur exclaimed, swooping down on Harry, kissing him on each cheek and then hugging him.

Mars and Bill shook hands; Bill greeted Harry and then introduced Fleur to Mars. Mars surprised both Fleur and Harry by greeting her in French. Mars and Fleur exchanged some rapid chatter in fluent French, leaving Bill and Harry looking lost.

"You lot stay out here 'till I come back," said Bill. "I need to tell Mum and Dad that Harry has arrived early. I'm afraid she isn't going to be happy with either of us, Mars," Bill added apprehensively.

"Oh, I've prepared myself for the tongue-lashing. It's been a while, but I can still remember a few she's given us," said Mars, trying to look unconcerned. Harry could tell, though, that Mars wasn't looking forward to Mrs. Weasley's telling off.

Bill went inside and Fleur turned to Harry to ask about his holiday. Harry started to tell her about his relatives' enchantment but paused when Mars strode past them, wand in hand. He and Fleur fixed their eyes on Mars as he reached the middle of the yard, pointed his wand about in circles and waves, and cried, "Golemnus Sentinelle!" Slabs of rock began creeping out of the ground and piling up in two places near the front of the yard. When the rock piles, which looked like granite in the moonlight, were each about four feet wide and twelve feet long, they stopped growing and started changing. The granite piles slowly transfigured into huge wolves made of stone. They were lying down but with their heads up, looking alert. Mars walked over to the statues and whispered something into each of their ears and he then called over Harry and Fleur, looking rather pleased with himself.

"What are they, Mars?" Harry asked, impressed.

"They are guardians. With you here, the Burrow needs a bit more security. These should make life very miserable for any Donnies who dare to show their face," answered Mars.

"Zey are not normal guardians zoe, are zey?" asked Fleur as she gazed at the wolves.

"That's correct, Fleur; they are much better. A lot more complex than the Gargoyles in front of your headmaster's office," Mars beamed at Harry. "They should come in very handy -"

"Harry!" squealed Ginny Weasley. Ron's little sister had just come out of the front door in her nightdress and slippers and was running up to Harry. Harry turned and smiled at her just as she reached him throwing her arms around his neck and squeezing him. Harry hugged her back and was surprised at how good it felt. When Ginny let go of him Harry still hugged her for a moment. When he realized what he was doing he quickly released Ginny and put his hands behind his back awkwardly. He was positive he was going pink. Fleur confirmed his suspicion with the smile and wink that she gave him. Harry started to feel less pink and more red.

Ron now also came outside and called to Harry. He shook Harry's hand and clasped him on the back. "All right, mate?"

"It's fab now. But the two and a half weeks on Privet Drive were the weirdest ever," answered Harry. He now felt at home. Being around Weasleys seemed to always raise his spirits. He started telling Ron about his summer, but Ginny coughed, interrupting him.

"We like our friend Harry very much, but his manners could use some work. My name is Ginny Weasley and this is my brother Ron. Am I right in assuming you are the infamous Mars?"

Ron and Harry's eyes lit up in surprise while Fleur put her hands over her mouth and suppressed a laugh. Mars, however, looked impressed.

"Infamous?" Mars beamed down at Ginny, who was literally half his size. "Who have you been talking to?"

Before Ginny could answer, however, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had come outside with Charlie and Bill in tow. Both the Weasley parents greeted Harry and Molly fumed over how thin and pale he looked. Harry, however, thought Mrs. Weasley was the one who looked pale and thin. She had always looked plump before, but she now appeared almost slender and very pale. Harry knew how sick with worry she must have been and hid his annoyance with her fussing.

Charlie and Bill now moved to each side of Mars and appeared to be preparing for the assault that they knew their mother was bound to launch. Fleur leaned on Bill's chest as though physically lending him moral support. Mrs. Weasley let go of Harry and turned towards Mars.

"Bringing Harry here without an escort was very dangerous," accused Mrs. Weasley.

"Molly, we were invisible and flying at 350 miles per hour. How in the world do you suppose Tom Riddle or any of his Donnies were supposed to accost us? The only time Harry was in danger was when Kingsley slowed us up for a few minutes," replied Mars, who seemed to be trying to keep his tone friendly.

"You still could have had people with you. I know many of us would have volunteered."

"But that would have delayed Harry's departure for days. You know how Alastor can be. He would have wanted detailed maps of the route with likely ambush points highlighted and other nonsense."

"What's wrong with that? A few days' delay to ensure his safety."

"His family was under Voldemort's control, Molly! They were all victims of the Imperious Curse. He was not safe there, not at all."

"No!" she whispered.

"Yes!" Mars, Bill and Harry said in unison.

"They were trying to lure me out to where Voldemort could attack me," explained Harry. "My cousin Dudley had a fake acceptance letter from Beauxbatons. They had him pretending to be a wizard and acting all friendly so I would trust him."

Ron, Ginny, and Mr. and Mrs Weasley all gasped in horror. Mrs Weasley looked at Harry with sympathetic eyes, but then she turned on Mars. "We are very glad to have Harry with us, Mars, but if I find out you brought Harry here by yourself because you were trying to bait You-Know-Who out into the open to attack you, I'll make sure Dumbledore banishes you for life!"

"Mum, be reasonable!" argued Charlie.

"You have been listening to Kingsley Shacklebolt too much, Molly. Harry came here the safest possible way," said Mars. He sounded hurt by the accusations. "I have to leave now and reverse the curse on Harry's relatives. Bill, I need a word with you, please."

Bill and Mars walked over to the wolves and spoke quietly.

"What are those statues?" asked Mr. Weasley, breaking the silence.

"Zey aren't statues Meester Weasley, Mars created special guardians to watch over ze Burrow. I 'ave never seen such a piece of transfiguration," answered Fleur.

Charlie piped in, "See, Mars is looking out for us. Give him another chance, Mum. No one's perfect."

Mrs. Weasley's only response was a "Hmph."

Mars and Bill walked back over to the rest of the group. "Goodbye, Harry," said Mars somberly. "It was wonderful to meet you, Fleur, Ginny and Ron. I'll let you know how it went when I return."

Everyone but Mrs. Weasley said goodbye to Mars and he silently walked back to his truck and left.

"Harry'd be dead without Mars' help, Mum," said Charlie.

"I don't remember anyone else providing our home with protection," added Bill.

"That's enough! If you two keep hanging around with that hooligan you'll end up dead or in Azkaban," shrilled Mrs Weasley. Her eyes were full of tears.

Harry saw Bill and Charlie shaking their heads as they walked behind their mother.

Mrs. Weasley insisted that everyone go straight to bed without talking. Bill transported Harry's things to Ron's room and said goodnight. After Harry changed into his pajamas, he sat down on Ron's bed and they began whispering. Ron had just asked about Harry's first meeting with Mars when his door opened. Harry and Ron both scrambled for their beds before they saw that it was only Ginny entering the room.

Ron, a hand over his heart, whispered angrily, "Ginny, you scared us half to death."

Ginny ignored her brother's complaint. She walked over to the bed and sat down between Harry and Ron. She said quietly, "We don't have to whisper, I heard Mum and Dad snoring when I listened at their door." She smiled at both of them. "Start at the beginning, Harry; I want you to tell us everything."

And that is exactly what he did.

The next morning Harry and Ron were awakened, too early for their tastes, by Mrs. Weasley banging on Ron's door.

"Why's your mum so sore with Mars anyway?" Harry asked, yawning.

"I don't know, but obviously Bill and Charlie do. Bill will have already left for work, but I bet Charlie is still having breakfast. Let's ask him," Ron suggested eagerly.

They dressed hurriedly and ran downstairs into the kitchen. Charlie was eating breakfast with Ginny and, because there was no sign of Mrs. Weasley, the boys instantly started quizzing Charlie about Mars.

"Mum has been wanting Harry to be here since the beginning of Summer. Why is she so annoyed that Mars brought him? Harry said without Mars twisting Dumbledore's arm he'd still be with the muggles," said Ron.

"Kingsley didn't seem to like him either. Why is that?" added Harry.

"One at a time, lads," said Charlie with his mouth full. He swallowed and continued. "I don't know why Kingsley doesn't care for him, but Mother hasn't trusted him since I was in my fifth year at Hogwarts and she found a lot of the mischief that Bill, Mars, and me used to get into. She blamed him for everything, said we were perfect angels until that ruffian Mars came along." Charlie chuckled.

"I thought you guys never got into trouble?" asked Ginny.

"Yeah, Mum always tells us that!" added Ron.

"I said mischief, not trouble, Ginny. Being caught is something the twins and Ron do well; we usually skipped that bit about being caught and concentrated on having fun," Charlie grinned. "But it wasn't always fun; lots of times Bill and Mars were just interested is learning new things."

Ron was still frowning at Charlie over the bit about being caught, but Harry was intrigued. He asked, "What were you trying to learn?"

"Well, we often looked up things in the restricted section of the library, and it was usually about the protective spells that guarded Hogwarts or other highly enchanted places. The books there didn't have much more than hints about it, though. Mars was almost fanatical about those wards. I don't think I remember him studying classwork more than a total of fifteen minutes his last three years," mused Charlie.

"Don't those books in the restricted section scream when you open them without a signed note from a teacher?" asked Harry, who knew only too well what the shrieking sounded like.

"Don't know about you, Harry, but we usually used a silencing charm on something we wanted kept quiet." Charlie winked at him.

Harry scowled.

"Fifteen minutes of studying? How bad were his marks?" asked Ron.

"Almost as good as Bill's, if I remember correctly. We stole quite a few ingredients for potions too, especially after that git Snape started teaching," said Charlie.

Harry and Ron exchanged guilty looks.

"We would also sneak out to test jinxes on the trolls that used to live in the Forbidden Forest. McGonagall caught us so many--er, I mean, almost caught us so many times, it was hilarious. Mars always got us off, until..." Charlie paused.

"Until what?" ed Charlie's audience.

"Until Mars and Bill became fixated on finding the Ancient Library. A small library filled with books so powerful most are banned from Britain. They say that Hogwarts kept all of their most powerful spell books in it," said Charlie in a spooky voice.

"That's just a myth. Something to scare first years with, Charlie," said Ginny.

"I've never heard of it, have you, Harry?" asked Ron. Harry shook his head.

"Hermione told me it was listed in the Myths and Legends part of 'Hogwarts: a History,'" said Ginny authoritatively.

Ron and Harry rolled their eyes at the mention of the most boring book ever written.

"Myth, is it, Ginny? The same chapter of the book you put so much trust in says that the Chamber of Secrets was a myth too!" retorted Charlie.

Ron, Ginny and Harry shivered. All three had been in the Chamber of Secrets and had only bad memories of it.

"Did you ever find the library?" asked Harry.

"Oh, yes. It took four tries to find it, and the place where we had to search was not a good place for students to be wandering around after curfew. I was very nervous every time we sneaked in there."

"Where?" they all asked loudly.

"Dumbledore's office."

They all gasped. "You broke into his office?" asked Ginny, astonished.

"That part was easy. He always used the name of some sweet as the password. The hard part was finding the library once we got in there. Bill and Mars decided that Dumbledore had it transfigured to make it very difficult to locate. I mean it could be anything. A peppermint imp, a quill, some parchment, anything! Dumbledore has loads of odd stuff lying around his office," said Charlie, his eyes glowing with reminiscence.

"What did it turn out to be?" asked Ron, on the edge of his chair.

"A portrait. Bill spotted one that wasn't of an old Headmaster at Hogwarts, but instead a particularly nasty former school governor. He thought Dumbledore would never have a portrait like that in his office unless it was a joke. It had to be it. So the three of us cast the charm to reverse the transfiguration and a door appeared where the portrait was."

"Ooooh," muttered Ginny.

"Mars opened the door the carefully..." said Charlie tantalizingly slow.

"AND?"

"The berk set off an alarm! Mars, who had always been so annoying about checking for jinxes on anything we touched, didn't even think about an alarm," Charlie laughed. "He was so excited that we had finally found it that his guard was down. I still tease him about that!"

"You got caught?" said Ginny peering through her fingers which had covered her eyes.

"Yep. Dumbledore showed right up and said 'Good evening' and we all jumped out of our skins. My heart skipped several beats. Then he said 'The head boy, a prefect and our most gifted student all breaking into my office at the same time? Your head of house Professor McGonagall will never believe me.' He was grinning ear to ear, but we weren't. That might be the only time I ever saw Mars look scared. Not that Bill and I weren't terrified, mind you. Then he goes, 'Well, since Minerva will never believe this, I might as well let you off without punishment, but I will be informing--' "

"--Your parents!" finished Mrs. Weasley. She was standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips. "You're lucky you weren't expelled!"

All four of them jumped out of their chairs.

"Oh Mum, Dumbledore was more entertained by scaring the wits out of us than he was mad. He always said curiosity wasn't a crime," retorted Charlie after a moment's recovery from the surprise.

Mrs Weasley then went on a good long tirade about responsibility that must have lasted twenty minutes. Finally she let the four of them leave. Charlie had a mission to accomplish for the Order, so he left the Burrow. Ron, Ginny and Harry went out to the small paddock that the Weasley family owned to practice quidditch.

It was the first time that Harry had played quidditch in ages and he thoroughly enjoyed himself. It was also the first time that Harry had played with Ginny. She flew very well and passed the muggle volleyball they were using in place of a quaffle with precision. Harry and Ginny tried getting the faux quaffle past Ron to help him train for keeper, and the Weasleys threw golf balls for Harry to practice as seeker. The three of them spent the next four days practicing quidditch and doing a few household chores for Mrs Weasley. Harry had not been this carefree and happy in the last two years.

Ron was still fixated on quidditch strategy. At first Harry groaned when Ron wanted to show him his plans, but he relented and was quite surprised. Ron now had diagrams to illustrate the quidditch plays he had sent to Harry earlier in the Summer. They were much more interesting this way. Ron's ideas were concise and logical and that made them a lot easier to follow than Woods' talk of grand strategy. One evening Harry and Ginny were in Ron's room after dinner and he was explaining to them one of his set plays for scoring a goal.

"Two of our chasers are here and here," he pointed to the diagram. "And one of the beaters is up here. The beater needs to hit a bludger through this area, forcing a rival chaser to move this way," he pointed again, "thus clearing a passing lane to the third chaser over here, and then that chaser should only have to beat the keeper to score. I call it the right swing attack," Ron finished by pointing at the label at the top of the diagram and smiled proudly.

"What about the opponent's beaters, Ron?" asked Harry.

"Remember, at the beginning of the play, they were accounted for. You can only use this play in certain situations. That's why the team has to know so many different plays," answered Ron.

"How many plays have you drawn up?" asked Harry.

"Well, I have fifteen different plays for scoring on their side of the pitch, two long distance scoring ones, five for stealing the quaffle at mid-pitch and four different setups for defense. So far," Ron answered, turning pink.

"That's brilliant, Ron!" said Ginny.

"Just fantastic, mate! If we get a decent third chaser, the cup is as good as ours," added Harry.

"It's not much different than chess, really," Ron replied, as humbly as he could manage.

They all heard someone running up the stairs to Ron's room. The door burst open and Charlie came in with an envelope in his hand.

"What's up, Charlie?" asked Ginny.

"You know about the quidditch match on Saturday?" asked Charlie, panting slightly.

"Don't remind me," Ron grumped. He looked at Harry. "The Cannons are playing the Wimbourne Wasps for the Premiership crown. Dad tried to get tickets, but they were all snapped up."

Ginny also looked disappointed.

"Well, lose all the long faces, you lot. A golden eagle just brought this parcel for the three of you," said Charlie, grinning. He held out the envelope in one hand and some parchment in the other.

"All three of us? Who sent it?" asked Ron.

"Who do you think would use a golden eagle instead of an owl to send posts?" asked Charlie sarcastically.

"Mars!" said all three loudly.

Ron snatched the letter from Charlie and read it aloud.

Dear Ginny, Harry and Ron,

I had planned to be back in Britain by now, but my mission has taken a new twist and I will be gone for another week at least. I bailed a ministry official out of trouble a few weeks ago and in gratitude he gave me seven tickets to the Premiership match. Since I cannot make it back for the match I sent the tickets in this parcel.

I knew that Ron and Ginny followed the Cannons so I had planned on going with you three, Charlie, Bill and Fleur. Please take these tickets and invite someone in my place.

Sincerely,

Mars

PS Make sure Molly knows that there will be tons of security there.

"Yes!" yelled Ron, and he pumped his fist in the air while Harry and Ginny made excited noises. Charlie wore a wild smile.

"Bill's working on Mum now, and Dad's taking our side, so I think she will let you three go. Let's go see if Bill needs any support," said Charlie as he headed out the door. The three of them followed Charlie down the stairs and into the kitchen where they could hear Mrs. Weasley arguing with Bill in the living room .

"This is just like Mars! He's not even in the country and he's putting people at risk. He knows full well that Harry should not be out in public!" wailed Mrs. Weasley.

"Mother, these are prime seats. We'll be in the same box as the Minister of Magic. There will be aurors in our box and the whole place will be crawling with security," Bill said firmly.

"Molly dear, Bill is right. Very few places will be as safe as that top box," added Mr. Weasley.

"Mars left me the keys to his truck, so we should be able to get there quickly and safely," said Bill.

"Fine! Take Mars' side," said Molly, in a voice full of tears. "Trust his judgment more than your own mother's. Just like when you were in school. I knew this would happen if he ever came back."

"I wish you would quit blaming everything on him." Bill sounded annoyed. "C'mon Dad, let's go get the truck."

Harry heard Bill and Mr. Weasley leave through the front door. Mrs Weasley had already given in so there was no longer a reason to go into the living room. Charlie whispered goodbye and hurried out the back door, probably to go get Mars' truck with Mr. Weasley and Bill. Harry, Ron and Ginny were about to go back upstairs when they heard a new voice from the living room.

"Madame Weasley, what did Mars do to make you 'ate eem so?" asked Fleur's voice kindly.

"Oh, Fleur, dear. I don't hate him at all," said Mrs Weasley, clearly crying. "He's just too dangerous to have around such impressionable young people. Mars thinks nothing can hurt him and that he can handle anything. Well, he may be as all-powerful and invulnerable as he thinks he is, but the people around him aren't. Charlie and Bill have never been able to say no to any of his crazy ideas and I ... I am terrified that he will get them killed."

"Killed?" gasped Fleur.

"In my dreams," Mrs. Weasley sobbed, "I see them dead all of the time. M-my boys dead. I can't get the images out of my mind."

"Oh zat is so 'orrible. What 'appens to zem?"

Still sobbing, Mrs. Weasley answered, "All the boys are just lying there, motionless and lifeless. Arthur and Harry too. I then see Ginny and I living in this house, so alone and empty. Oh, I am so scared for them!"

Harry could hear Fleur saying comforting words. Harry remembered Mrs. Weasley seeing her sons, and himself, dead when she had confronted a boggart last summer. Her greatest fear was apparently still the same. He felt guilty for eavesdropping and decided it was time to leave. He turned and saw that Ginny's eyes were full of tears; Ron looked as sad as when his father was at death's door in St. Mungo's Hospital last year. Harry put his hands on their shoulders, whispered "Let's go," and gently pushed them towards the stairs. Harry again felt the guilt of putting the people he cared for in danger.

The mood the next morning at breakfast was much happier. Ron and Harry made it downstairs early so Bill and Mr. Weasley were still eating. Everyone seemed excited about the next day's match. Mrs. Weasley's fearful mood seemed to have passed, but Harry suspected that she was just putting on a brave face.

"Have you decided on who to invite to the match?" asked Mr Weasley.

Ron and Harry shook their heads, but Ginny said quickly "Luna."

"Solaris Lovegood's daughter? Why, that's a great idea, Ginny. We haven't done many neighborly things lately," added Mr. Weasley.

Ron groaned. "Not Loony Lovegood!"

"Don't call her that! She's not loony, just a bit different," said Harry defensively.

"But she has been coming over here all the time this holiday," Ron objected.

"She's only been by twice, Ron, and I don't see what you're complaining about. She's been very nice to you," snapped Ginny.

"That's what scares me," Ron whispered to Harry. Harry ignored him.

Ginny wrote an invitation to Luna right after breakfast and sent it with Pigwidgeon.

After being the subject of constant ridicule in the Daily Prophet last year, Harry still made sure to read the paper closely each day. He was always on the lookout for more reports of mysterious deaths or another hint of a split in Voldemort's ranks. Neither appeared in today's paper, but there was an article on the quidditch match tomorrow. This would have not struck Harry as special, since it was for the Premiership, but this article was the lead news story, not the lead sports story.

Lennon to Speak at Premiership, Celebrating Dumbledore's 160^th

Senior Wizengamot member Jo Anne Lennon will be the pre-match speaker at the Premiership Saturday. She will be leading the celebrations of the venerable Albus Dumbledore's 160^th birthday. Her speech will highlight what Dumbledore has meant to so many of us. After the match there will be a special fireworks show featuring all of the Hogwarts Headmaster's favorites. The concessions will also feature Dumbledore's favorite sweets, and a new special 160^th Birthday Edition Dumbledore Chocolate Frogs Card will be unveiled.

The rest of the article was mostly about the logistics of hiding the match from muggles, so Harry stopped reading it. Jo Anne Lennon, from what Harry had read and heard about her anyways, didn't seem the type of woman that Dumbledore would like leading a celebration of his birthday. Surely someone would have pointed that out, wouldn't they? The article had mentioned that Dumbledore would not be able to attend, so Harry figured that Dumbledore had let his displeasure be known.

There was a knock at the door, so Harry quit reading the Daily Prophet and looked around the room. He thought he might be the only person on the ground floor so he walked over to the door to answered it. Just before he reached it, Charlie bounded into the room.

"Better let me see who it is, just to be safe, Harry," said Charlie. Harry nodded.

Charlie looked up at a mirror that hung on a wall to the left of the door and waved his wand a bit. Slowly a picture appeared of a tall thin man with a friendly face and blond hair scattered with bits of gray. Standing next to him was a girl with long matching blond hair and a look of surprise on her face. Harry recognized the girl immediately.

"That's Luna Lovegood." he said.

"And her father Solaris. I haven't seen him in years," added Charlie. He opened the door, greeted the Lovegoods and invited them in.

"Hello," said Harry and Luna to each other.

"Daddy, this is Harry Potter. Remember the great interview he gave the Quibbler last year?" said Luna airily.

"It was our best-ever seller! How could I forget the lone voice of reason? Please let me shake your hand, Mr. Potter," said Mr. Lovegood.

Harry reached out and shook his hand.

"Yes, yes. That article really cut Fudge down to size. But this Lennon woman seems to have taken up his slack in the power-grabbing department. She will get hers though. She will," sighed Mr. Lovegood.

The rest of the household must have heard the knock and they too entered the living room. Mrs. Weasley greeted Solaris warmly and shook his hand, Ron said a quick hi to both Lovegoods, and Ginny went up to Luna and gave her a hug. Mrs. Weasley offered the guests some tea and everyone went into the Weasley's small kitchen.

"Molly, I think it is just lovely that your daughter invited Luna to go along with her and her brothers to the Premiership! There is a bit of a complication we need to work out, though," said Solaris.

"What's that?" ask Mrs. Weasley.

"Well, I'm leaving on a four-day business trip to Madrid tonight and I was going to drop off Luna with my sister in London. She really wants to see the match though..."

"Then she can stay with us for four days. We'd love to have her, wouldn't we?" asked Molly brightly.

"Of course." said Harry and Ginny quickly. Charlie nodded and smiled, but Ron just barely moved his head.

"Wonderful! Luna tells me that your youngest son made prefect and that he led his shorthanded quidditch team to win the Hogwarts House cup last year," said Solaris.

Harry looked at Ron, who was going pink, and he noticed that Luna was staring at Ron.

"Why, yes, he did!" said Mrs. Weasley, glowing with pride. "We are so proud of him."

Ron saw Luna staring at him smiling and he went scarlet. Ginny suppressed a giggle and Harry did his best to hide his amusement.

"By the way, Molly, when did you get those fabulous wolves in your front yard? I don't remember seeing them a few weeks ago," asked Solaris.

"Er," muttered Mrs. Weasley, at a loss for words.

"A wizard named Mars conjured them to help look after Harry," volunteered Ginny. "He is also the one who got us seats in the Minister's box."

"Mars?" Luna and her father exclaimed loudly.

"Yes, do you know him?" asked Harry quickly.

"Well we know OF him. Don't we, Luna?" asked Solaris.

"Of course we do. We know all about him. Most people think he is an American, but his mum was English. His dad is from Florida. He is the greatest wizard since Merlin, and also a powerful seer. It's also rumored that he can see the future of everyone in the world," said Luna breathlessly.

Harry thought Luna sounded a bit like Hermione answering a question in class.

"He also created his own branch of magic, he knows what everyone near him is thinking, and he killed a dragon when he was just seven!" said Solaris in awe.

"He can speak to people in their dreams, and he went back in time and taught Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin how to cast the spells that protect Hogwarts," finished Luna. "Oh, how I hope I get to meet him!"

The rest of the people at the table, even Mars' close friend Charlie, looked skeptical or even downright irritated at these pronouncements. Luna was always full of such ridiculous ideas and now it seems that she got that trait from her father. Harry had been quite impressed with Mars, but the Lovegood's claims about him beggared belief.

Luckily Charlie changed the subject to tomorrow's quidditch match and everyone followed his lead. Luna continued staring at people around the table for the rest of the conversation, but Harry was quite sure that Ron and he were getting more than their shares of her gaze. After twenty minutes or so Solaris said goodbye and told Mrs. Weasley that he would drop Luna's baggage off that evening as he left for Madrid.

Chapter Four - Jo Anne Lennon

Click here for the chapter illustration.

Ron and Harry were awakened in a very undignified way on the morning of the Premiership. Harry felt himself floating in the air and the feeling of freedom that it brought was wonderful. Suddenly he was forced painfully out of his dreamworld as gravity yanked him downward. He screeched as he hurtled toward the floor.

*WHAM*

He slammed to the floor and bounced painfully. He grunted loudly and heard Ron swearing in pain. They both looked up and saw Ron's elder twin brothers, Fred and George, standing in the bedroom door with their wands out laughing heartily at Harry and Ron.

"Wake up, sleepy-heads!" cried George, grinning ear to ear.

"Time is galleons, little bro! Quit wasting it and get up!" quipped Fred.

Ron sprang to his feet and yelled, "All you had to do was speak up, or at worst give us a poke!"

Harry sat up and greeted the twins. "Hullo Fred, George." He rubbed the spot on his back where he had landed.

Ron looked annoyed as he helped Harry to his feet. He glared at his brothers and snapped, "What are you two doing here so early anyway?"

"We heard you also got tickets to the Premiership, so we decided to have breakfast with the family before apparating to the match," answered Fred.

"You two got tickets?" asked Ron in surprise.

"Yep. We're providing the fireworks for Dumbledore's birthday celebration. Two tickets were included with the deal, but I must say they're not nearly as good as yours," answered George.
They heard Mrs. Weasley calling from below.

"Well, hurry it up then. We don't want to be late," said Fred, and the twins disappeared with a *crack*.

Harry and Ron quickly dressed and started down the stairs, yawning. In the kitchen the entire Weasley family, sans Percy, plus Fleur and Luna, was already crammed around the table.

"You two dears will have to eat off the counters, I'm afraid," said Mrs. Weasley as she placed two plates of bacon, eggs and toast on the counter nearest the table. "Just not enough room at the table."

The talk in the kitchen was cheerful and almost exclusively about the Premiership. Ron, Charlie and Ginny all sported Cannon badges, and Ron was wearing the Cannons hat that Harry had given him for Christmas two years ago. Luna said she had made a special hat that she would wear for the match.

Harry had only been to one quidditch match outside of Hogwarts before. It was the world cup two summers ago, and over 100,000 wizards and witches had attended. Ron told him less then 15,000 spectators would be expected today, but that was still many more than Harry was used to seeing. It was very exciting to Harry, even though he didn't have a favorite team. He looked around the kitchen as the Weasleys and guests ate and conversed happily. Harry then thought about how much today contrasted with his days last summer. He smiled broadly. His birthday was coming up, soon he would be back at Hogwarts, he was no longer considered a nutter, and there was no Umbridge at the school. His grin grew even wider.

Soon breakfast was finished and everyone helped clean up. Bill made it clear that he planned on leaving in fifteen minutes and anyone who wasn't ready would get left behind.

Ginny squealed in indignation. "Bill! You should have warned me earlier."

"Well, if you hurry, you'll be fine," answered Bill grinning.

"But that's not enough-" started Ginny.

"The more time you waste arguing about it, the less time you'll have, Ginny," interrupted Bill. His tone indicated that he was really enjoying himself.

Ginny was looking very put out and uncertain, but Fleur walked over to her, put her hand on Ginny's shoulder and said, "Ginny, do not worry, 'e will not leave wizzout us." She was smiling mischievously. Ginny and Fleur went upstairs together and neither seemed in any kind of a hurry.

Luna walked over to Ron and Harry. She said, looking at Ron, "I don't know why they can't be ready in fifteen minutes. It'll only take me three or four." She smiled at them and wandered upstairs.

"What's the big deal? Fifteen minutes is plenty of time." Ron sounded confused.

Charlie laughed and looked at Bill. "Ten galleons says you wait for Fleur and Ginny, Mr. Tough Talker." He shoved his older brother.

"Shut it," answered Bill in defeat.

Although Luna had gone upstairs after the other girls, she returned first, just a few minutes later. On her head was a magnificent hat with what looked like a real miniature cannon. She looked quite pleased with herself as she walked up to Harry and Ron in the living room.

"I will be supporting the Cannons today, so I made this hat. It sounds very realistic," she said, tapping it with her wand.

*BOOM!* It sounded, and blue-gray smoke poured out of the barrel.

Charlie, Bill, Fred, George, and Harry were all very impressed and whistled or clapped. Ron, however, looked aghast.

Luna ignored his displeasure and curtsied for those who were still clapping.

Forty-five minutes later, Ginny and Fleur strolled out the front door looking like royalty. Harry thought the both of them looked fantastic and had no complaints about the time that he and the others had spent waiting. Ron, however, obviously did not share Harry's opinion.

"It's about time!" sputtered Ron. "If I were driving we'd have left you both!"

As Fleur passed Ron, she patted his head and said patronizingly, "You'll feel vairy different about zat quite soon."

Fred and George said goodbye and disapparated with a loud *Crack*.

Everyone loaded into the Hummer, which easily accommodated all seven of them. Bill, Fleur and Charlie sat up front, and Ginny, Harry, Luna and Ron sat in the back. Bill started it up and headed down the road.

"There are butterbeer dispensers in the front and back, plus some other drink and food dispensers that Mars put in. I wouldn't trust them, though; Mars has odd tastes," said Bill.

Harry looked at the buttons that were built into the backs of the front seats with interest. The drink buttons were marked Coke, Bourbon, Iced Tea, and Butterbeer, and the food buttons were Pretzels, Nachos, Real Nachos, and Peanuts.

"Iced Tea? That sounds disgusting!" Ron frowned.

"It is!" answered Bill and Charlie in unison.

"Mars was always trying to get us to drink it. Ugh, that was horrible," said Charlie.

"The bourbon was worse, though. He calls it the nectar of the gods! I love Mars like a brother, but NEVER let him cook for you. It's like eating molten lava. We nearly died, didn't we, Charlie?" said Bill.

"Yeah, that reminds me. The snacks are good, but don't get the real nachos. Apparently to prove you're a 'real' man in Texas you have to eat your weight in hot peppers each month," answered Charlie.

The four teenagers in the back looked nervously at each other. They took turns pressing the butterbeer button, and four bottles popped out. Harry thought it tasted excellent and he leaned back and relaxed.

"Mum said we weren't to fly, but to drive the whole way. However, I think that'd be a waste. Do you lot agree?" asked Bill eagerly.

Everyone agreed quite vocally, so Bill engaged the invisibility booster and the car and its passengers vanished. Bill then pulled a lever backwards and the Hummer lifted off the ground. When they had raised above cloud level, Bill pulled another lever and the truck accelerated, knocking everyone back in their seats.

"Wow!" exclaimed Ginny, Ron, Luna and Fleur.

"Great, isn't it?" said Charlie. "I get to drive on the way back!"

The trip to the stadium took only about forty-five minutes of flying time and ten minutes of driving. Bill had to go through two Ministry checkpoints, and then they found a place where a few hundred other muggle-looking vehicles were and parked.

Ron was still acting offended by Luna's obnoxious hat. Each time he looked at it he made a nasty face so Harry and Ginny could see. It seemed, however, that the other Cannon fans were not as bothered as Ron. Many groups wearing Cannon colors complemented Luna on her hat and asked her to demonstrate it.

It was a short walk to the stadium, but the group still saw a few people they knew. Bill and Fleur greeted a couple from Gringotts. Harry and Ron also saw seventh-year chaser Katie Bell and her parents, but only had time to wave. Just before they had reached the gates, they saw Seamus Finnigan, his sandy-haired mother, and his best friend, Dean Thomas. Dean and Seamus ran up and they shook hands and exchanged pleasantries.

Mrs. Finnigan, however, walked straight up to Harry and held her hand out. Harry nervously put out his. He remembered vividly Seamus telling him that Mrs. Finnigan almost prevented Seamus from returning to Hogwarts because he was Harry's roommate and she, like many others who read the Daily Prophet, thought Harry was delusional and dangerous. She immediately grabbed Harry's hand with both of hers and kissed it. He was taken aback.

"Oh, Harry, me dear. Please find it in your heart to forgive me. I should've never believed that lying Daily Prophet. I turned me own lad against ya. I feel like such a scoundrel. I'm so sorry, Harry," said Mrs. Finnigan tearfully.

"Er," stuttered Harry, confused by her kissing his hand. Her apology meant so much to him that he was having trouble answering.

"Well, I don't blame ya for still being sore," she said, her head sinking. "If I were you and had gone through what you had, boy, I doubt I'd accept an apology either."

She started to walk away.

"No! Please don't go," Harry said desperately. "I don't hold anything against you. The lies they spread, they were very convincing. I - I would have believed them myself." He grabbed her robe and gently pulled her towards him.

"Oh, what a lovely lad ya are. Me guilt has been a 'orrible burden. You mean so much to us all. What a brave lad then," said Mrs. Finnigan as she squeezed both of Harry's hands with her own. She then left with Seamus and Dean.

Harry was very moved by Mrs Finnigan's reaction. For the first time in his life he understood what an important symbol he had been for people who were terrified of Voldemort. His celebrity had always been a burden to him, a millstone around his neck, but Dobby had told him what an inspiration he was to House Elves. Harry had never taken the elf seriously, but after Mrs. Finnigan's actions he thought he understood what Dobby had meant.

"She's right, you know, Harry," said Ginny, putting her hand on Harry's shoulder. "You're really a wonderful person when you're not mad and shouting." She smiled.

"Enough of this mushiness. Let's go watch the match," said Ron grumpily. He pushed Harry and Ginny apart and walked briskly towards the gates.

The rest of the grinning group followed him into the stadium.

Their box, just as at the World Cup two years ago, was at the top and in the middle of the stadium. It took quite a while to walk up all the steps. Two aurors stood outside the doorway that led into the box. The one on the right side of the door was an unremarkable-looking middle-aged wizard, but the other auror had piercing steel gray eyes, very short hair and severe facial features.

"Names?" asked the auror on the right.

"We're the Weasley party; there are seven of us, and we are guests of Mr. Bagman," answered Bill, showing the auror the tickets.

"Ludo Bagman?" asked Ginny, Harry and Ron.

Bill give them a nasty look and Charlie and Fleur nudged them subtly so they kept quiet.

"Oh yes, Ludo said to expect you. Which one of you is Mars, by the way?" asked the other auror.

"He couldn't make it. I am to give Mr Bagman his apologies," answered Bill curtly.

The auror frowned like he had been denied a real treat, but he motioned for them to go into the Minister's box. They filed in.

There were only a few people in the box when they entered and none were the Minister of Magic or Ludo Bagman.

"Not all the seats are together. I'm still amazed that Bagman got seven seats up here at all. Fleur and I will sit up top, and you lot have front row tickets," said Bill.

"I thought Bagman got run out of town for stealing all those people's money," asked Ron.

"Mars bailed him out. Didn't you read his letter?" said Charlie quietly.

A look of understanding washed across the faces of Ginny, Harry and Ron.

"Money means nothing to Mars. His father is loaded, and Mars spent eleven years as a Spirit Defender. That job is so dangerous it pays almost as much as Cornelius Fudge makes. Most wizards get killed or quit before they finish more than three six-month tours," said Bill.

The teenagers gasped. "Really?" asked Ginny.

"Yep, so getting a senior Ministry member in his debt was worth a lot of galleons to him," finished Bill.

Bill and Fleur went up the steps hand in hand and sat in the top row of the box. The rest of them sat on the right side in the front row.

"What's a Spirit Defender?" asked Ginny.

Charlie opened his mouth to answer but Luna beat him to it.

"They're a group of wizards and witches from around the world who help the natives in the Americas keep the Malsumis Spirits at bay."

"Malsawhat spirits?" asked Ron.

"Malsumis Spirits!" snapped Luna more harshly than Harry had ever heard her use with Ron.

Charlie spoke up. "It's a generic name used to describe the various evil spirits that roam the American mountain ranges and deserts. They would cause tremendous casualties if there weren't a large organization dedicated to containing them. For thousands of years, the Native American wizards suffered alone in this labor. Now, of course, wizards from all over the world join their effort. Because of their sacrifice, the Spirit Defenders are revered in the Americas. Europeans ignorantly call them Demon Fighters, and sadly, because they tend to attract the wilder sort, most Europeans think of them as outlaws."

Seeing the awe on the other's faces, he added quickly, "Well, Mars was my best mate in school. Bill and I used to quiz him about American wizards all the time."

"The average wizard or witch only lasts eighteen months on the job?" asked Harry.

"That's what I hear. I think the eleven years Mars managed is some kind of record," answered Charlie.

"Oh Harry, do you think he'll see you soon? I'd love to meet him," Luna gushed.

"He said in a week or so, but he seems really busy. I sure have a lot of questions to ask him," answered Harry. He could tell from the look on her face what her next question would be, so he answered it before she could get it out. "I'll make sure to introduce you, Luna."

Luna beamed at him.

A few minutes later a group of ten or so people entered the box. Three were aurors--Harry and the others recognized one of them as Kingsley Shacklebolt--and the rest appeared to be Ministry officials. Harry only recognized two of the officials: Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, and Amelia Bones, the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; but they all seemed to know him. A few pointed in his direction and all were looking his way. Kingsley smiled warmly at their group and then got behind the Minister. Fudge and Bones headed toward Harry and the others.

"Harry, dear boy, excellent to see you here. It should be a great match. I'm still shocked that the Wasps upset the Tornadoes in the semis," said Fudge, grinning as he shook Harry's hand vigorously.

Harry was startled. The last two times he had met the Minister it hadn't been amicable. Harry could only stammer out, "So was I."

Mrs. Bones, a stern and powerful-looking witch with a harsh haircut, also greeted him with a smile. "My niece Susan told me how much you taught her in your club last year. I'm very impressed, young Harry." She patted him on the shoulder. She and Fudge then walked down the row to their seats.

Ron and Ginny looked at Harry with equally confused faces. He could only shrug. He suspected Mars had something to do with their change in attitude, but he wasn't sure how Mars had managed it. The teens sat without speaking for a minute or so before a familiar voice behind them broke the silence.

"Ahoy there!"

They all turned towards the entrance and saw the large form of Ludo Bagman. He was wearing his old Wimbourne Wasps robes, which stretched tightly across his frame. His face was rosy and friendly-looking and many people in the box scrambled up to him and shook his hand. His eyes met Harry's and then Bill's. Bagman then waded though the crowd until he reached Fleur and Bill in the top row. He shook Bill's hand and kissed Fleur's and chatted with them both. He then made his way down to the front row and greeted Harry enthusiastically.

"Harry! How really corking to see you. I trust you've been well?"

Harry nodded. Bagman's friendly greeting made him as nervous as the one Fudge and Bones had given.

"We have a mutual friend in that amazing American Mars," said Bagman. Then he whispered so that only Harry, and Ron and Ginny on each side of him, could hear. "Mars really helped me out with the Goblins and a few Wizards as far as debts went. He only required me to break my gambling habit. I didn't think I had a problem, but he convinced me. Yes, he's a damn fine man, that one."

Ludo Bagman shook hands with all five of them and then headed toward an empty area in the front row. He waved at Cornelius Fudge and held his wand to his throat.

"Sonorus!" said Bagman and then his voice was magically magnified so it could be heard throughout the stadium.

"Ladies and Gentlemen. Welcome to the Premiership match between the Chudley Cannons and the Wimbourne Wasps!"

The crowd cheered wildly at this pronouncement.

"Before we start the match, please give a warm welcome to Jo Anne Lennon. She will now pay homage to the greatest living wizard, Albus Dumbledore, on his one hundred and sixtieth birthday!" said Bagman excitedly.

Harry looked on the field and saw Jo Anne Lennon walking to mid-pitch. She was even more attractive in person than her picture had been in the Daily Prophet. Her shoulder-length blond hair had a few perfectly placed spots of gray. She looked like an immaculate, middle-aged muggle woman. She was trim, her face was unwrinkled, she walked almost as gracefully as Fleur, and her toothy smile sported very white teeth. She acknowledged the crowd's cheers with a wave and started her speech.

"Witches, Wizards, Goblins, Hags and Squibs, tonight as we celebrate the 160^th birthday of one of the greatest wizards in British History, I would like to be able to talk about what a glorious day today is in the history of the world. As we celebrate the birth of this man who with his whole heart and soul hates war, I would like to be able to speak of peace in our time - of war being outlawed - and of the absence of violence. These would be truly appropriate things to be able to mention as we celebrate the birthday of Albus Dumbledore.

"Fifteen years after a war has been won, our hearts should anticipate a long peace - and our minds should be free from the heavy weight that comes with war. But this is not such a period - for this is not a period of peace. This is a time of war, but only a phony war is being fought by the Ministry. This Ministry was only moved to admit that any kind of war existed at all after being dragged into it kicking and screaming by Albus Dumbledore and our beloved Harry Potter. Those two heroes last year were continually maligned by the Ministry-controlled press in order to discredit them.

"Despite inarguable proof, there were constant denials that spies and servants of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named existed among the Minister of Magic's closest advisers and friends. Death Eaters were his biggest contributers and influenced his decisions and hirings. Now we are told the ministry has righted itself, corrected its mistakes and learned its lessons. But has it?

"How have the forces of evil avoided so much as one of their number being captured or killed by the Ministry since Dumbledore himself brought in several a month ago? Not only has the Ministry been impotent in defeating the Death Eaters in new battles, they managed to let the fruits of our one victory rot as the above-mentioned Death Eaters escaped from Azkaban with help from within.

"This indicates the swiftness of the tempo of the Death Eater victories in the phony war. As the great Ptolmey said, 'When a great nation of wizards is destroyed, it will not be from enemies from without, but rather because of enemies from within.' The reason we find ourselves in a position of impotency is not because our enemy has such powerful wizards. We have Albus Dumbledore, Alastor Moody and the recently returned great young American wizard Mars on our side. The reason for our weakness is the traitorous actions of those who have been treated so well by our Nation. It has not been the less fortunate poorer wizarding families or the muggleborns who have been traitorous, but rather those who have reaped the benefits our powerful Ministry has doled out. Those from the finest homes, the finest families and finest jobs that the Ministry can give.

"I have here in my hand a list of 57 ... a list of names that were made known to the Minister of Magic as being known sympathizers of You-Know-Who and who are nevertheless still working and shaping policy in the Ministry.

"As you know, until very recently the Minister of Magic proclaimed his loyalty to a man long suspected of being in You-Know-Who's inner circle. Lucius Malfoy was given access to every Ministry secret and held great sway over the Minister himself. Dumbledore exposed Malfoy as the murderous traitor he was and has lighted the spark which is resulting in a moral uprising and will end only when the whole sorry mess of twisted, warped wizards and witches are swept away from the national scene so that we may have a new birth of honesty and decency in the Ministry. We of this uprising demand that Minister Fudge appoint a committee to root out the spies in the Ministry or resign and let the next Minister do it for him!"

As she said the last bit, much of the crowd cheered. She smiled charismatically and added, "Thank you so much for your huge support and warm welcome. Happy Birthday Albus Dumbledore, and good luck Wasps and Cannons!"

When she finished her speech, Lennon held up her hands and spun around, egging on the crowd to cheer. And cheer they did. It seemed that all fifteen thousand were clapping, yelling and whistling. Before she left the middle of the pitch, she glared up at the Minister's box in contempt. As she walked into the stands the crowd was chanting loudly, "Lennon! Lennon! Lennon!"

Harry looked over at Cornelius Fudge and saw that the Minister had his face buried in his hands and was shaking his head. The officials sitting near him looked white with fear and were glancing nervously around the box as if they expected to be trampled by an angry mob. The speech certainly seemed more aimed at stirring up rebellion against the Ministry than celebrating Dumbledore's birthday.

No violence came against the officials however, and the two quidditch teams walked onto the field, pushing the crowd noise up a level. Ron, Charlie and Ginny were cheering wildly in their box and Luna's cannon fired loudly over the cheers. The excitement was contagious and soon Harry was enjoying himself as much as his friends. The referee mounted his broom, pointed his wand at the ball crate, and released the bludgers, the golden snitch and the quaffle.

Harry and Ron followed the players with the two pairs of omnioculars that Harry had purchased at the Quidditch World Cup two summers ago. The action was furious. Harry was impressed with the speed and teamwork of the chasers. They reminded him of the Irish chasers he had seen at the World Cup. The teams were locked in a defensive struggle, with the quaffle rarely moving away from mid-pitch. The chasers and beaters continually stopped the advancement of each team. The lone shot on goal was easily blocked by the Wimbourne keeper. After about ten minutes Harry handed Ginny his omnioculars for awhile, for which she thanked him heartily.

Harry looked around the box. The Ministry officials seemed to have forgotten Lennon's threatening speech and were really getting into the match. Ludo Bagman was animatedly calling the play by play, as usual, but Bill and Fleur were paying the players no attention at all. They each had a set of omnioculars to their eyes, but instead of the match, they were watching the crowd on the other side of the stadium. Harry noted the place where he thought Bill and Fleur were staring and turned his attention back to quidditch.

After an hour both teams had scored three goals, and the atmosphere was thick with tension. Each time the Cannons scored, Luna's hat fired, and this seemed to really stir up Ron's spirit. Luna had managed to move so that she was sitting by him and on the third Cannon score, he even allowed Luna to hug him in celebration. Because of the excitement Harry didn't think Ron even noticed who was hugging him, but Luna, on the other hand, knew exactly what was going on.

Ginny gave Harry the omnioculars back and he immediately aimed them at the spot in the crowd that Bill and Fleur continued to watch. At first Harry didn't see anything of interest, just people watching the match, but then he spotted Jo Anne Lennon, who was ignoring the match and chatting with an evil-looking red-headed and bearded wizard beside her. He had a muscular build and several gold teeth. The wizard was reaching his hand into his robe. Harry focused the omnioculars on where his hand would come out, but just then Ginny grabbed him.

"Harry, they're diving for the snitch!" she squealed. Ginny pushed his omnioculars away from Lennon and the wizard toward the Cannon's goal. "Look!" she screamed, as Harry fought to return his sights to Lennon, but the Cannon Seeker must have caught the snitch because pandemonium broke out all around.

Ron jumped up and down, screaming, "We won! We won!" Charlie lifted Ginny into the air and they both screamed at the top of their lungs, while Luna fired off her Cannon hat. Their box was full of celebrating or cursing people, except for Harry, Fleur and Bill. Harry had given up hope of finding out what the wizard had passed Lennon, but he wanted to ask Bill and Fleur what they had seen. He was trying to navigate his way up to the top of the box where Fleur and Bill were seated, but Ron, Ginny and Luna all caught him in a hug while they sang the Cannon team song. Harry gave up for now and joined in celebrating with the Weasleys.

"That match was over quickly. It'll be at least two hours before it's dark enough for Fred and George's fireworks," said Ginny nervously. "I hope enough people hang around to see them."

Ron and Harry nodded in agreement. Harry wanted the twin's first big job to go over well.

Bill and Fleur had made their way down from the top of the box to where Harry and the others were standing.

"Charlie. Fleur and I are going to apparate back. We have some information we need to pass on," said Bill quietly.

"No worries. We'll stay for the fireworks and I'll drive everyone back," said Charlie.

"Bill, is it about Lennon and that red-headed wizard?" whispered Harry.

Bill and Fleur looked surprised. Bill answered, "Yes, Harry, but I don't want to discuss it here."

"What did he pull out of his cloak?" asked Harry quietly.

"Fermez-la! 'arry." said Fleur, placing a finger over his lips. She and Bill then left the box.

"What were you asking them about?" quizzed Ginny.

"Yeah," added Ron.

"Bill said not to discuss it here," answered Harry.

"Oy, Charlie Weasley!" yelled one of the aurors who had been guarding the entrance.

Charlie looked confused, but answered the auror.

"There's a bloke out here claiming to be your brother George. He wants a word with you," said the auror. Charlie quickly left his seat and went outside.

"Hope there's nothing wrong with the fireworks," said Ron nervously.

Charlie returned shortly, looking excited.

"Apparently not enough people were assigned to the after-game grounds crew. Fred and George need some help setting up and shooting off the fireworks. You lot interested?" he asked with a smile.

After a resounding yes, the five of them made their way to the grounds and met up with the twins. It seemed that a zero must have been dropped from the requirements form that the twins had given the Premiership. Instead of a crew of ten to help them set up, they were given a crew of one.

"And the git sprained his ankle celebrating during the match!" complained Fred.

Luna, Harry, and the Weasleys worked very hard for the next two hours getting the fireworks where the twins wanted them. It was hard but fun work and Harry was really looking forward to seeing the display. The magical fireworks they had designed and set off at Hogwarts had been impressive, but George said that they were mere trifles compared to what Harry was going to see tonight.

"Our first gig had to be a biggie, plus it's for Dumbledore. We can't let the old man down," added Fred.

Finally they had all the equipment in place and the sky was darkening rapidly. The crowd had left the stadium in droves and for a while everyone was nervous that the seven of them would be the only spectators. However, in the last hour, thousands of people had returned in an even more festive mood.

The twins started the show with a multicolored explosive that formed the rough shape of Dumbledore firing sparks out of his wand. The crowd said "Ooo" and "Ah" in unison and clapped enthusiastically. The next set were sparking balls of color that chased each other all around the stadium. Whenever two of them touched, a great burst of color appeared, accompanied by a loud bang. This really got the crowd going. The next twenty minutes or so were a wide variety of excellent pyrotechnics, too many for Harry to remember them all. George then called everyone over to help with the finale. A huge ring of fireworks had to be set off all at the same time, and their team rose to the challenge. The explosives floated into the air and ignited into an enormous and perfectly shaped and colored phoenix. It flew slowly over the stadium and the crowd gaped in awe, as did Harry and Ron. Then, when it was directly in the middle of the field, the fiery bird burst into a huge fireball of blinding light. Out of the explosion fell a tiny ball of flame that slowly changed into a smaller phoenix that regained altitude and flew out of the stadium and into the night.

Harry clapped so hard and screamed so loudly it hurt. He was very impressed by the twins' show. Harry was not the only one impressed; Luna, the rest of the Weasleys and the crowd were thundering their approval. A circle of light appeared on the twins, and Ludo Bagman's voice rang out.

"Thanks so much for a fantastic show, Fred and George Weasley! Ladies and Gentlemen, please make some noise for our supreme masters of pyrotechnics!"

Screams and applause poured down from the stands. Many had their wands out, shooting up yellow sparks in approval. Fred and George bowed grandly to the crowd. Harry and the others from the Burrow congratulated the twins and after a few minutes headed out of the stadium.

Overall their group was a happy one when they finally reached the Hummer. Harry, however, was still annoyed that he had not been able to find out if Bill or Fleur had seen what the redheaded wizard had handed Lennon during the match. He also wanted to know why they were so keen on watching her. They piled into the truck, Charlie started it up, and they headed for home. The talk on the way home was mostly about the match and the fireworks, but Harry's mind was always straying to Jo Anne Lennon.