Redemption

Chapter Thirty-Seven:

Next morning, the Great Hall was alive with excitement. Hogsmeade weekends were always a welcome distraction from the mundane schedule of school life - not that anything at Hogwarts could quite be classified as mundane.

The Gryffindors bound for Diagon Alley were even more excited. Especially Harry, since he hadn't been there for a couple of years. He remembered that Fred and George had opened their joke shop up there, and he was looking forward to visiting them. He also remembered thinking of how he'd love to take Wufei there. That seemed a lifetime away now.

As chatting students began to leave the hall in groups, Duo, Trowa, and Quatre made their way past the Gryffindor table and outside. After a brief moment of eye contact, Harry took their lead and stood, his friends following. When they made it out into the Entrance Hall, Wufei pointed out the three lingering just off a corridor upstairs.

Catching up, all eight of them continued down the corridor. Once they were out of earshot of a group of giggling girls, Quatre pulled something out of his pocket. "I got this at breakfast," he began. "It's from the Headmaster. We're to go to his office, from where we'll be traveling by floo powder to the Leaky Cauldron. It also mentions not to be too open about it, but I suppose you guys have already figured that out."

"Well, of course," Ginny drawled. "We aren't stupid."

Harry laughed at her indignation, although a part of him wondered if Dumbledore would meet them before they left.

When they reached the stone gargoyle, Quatre looked down at the note, and then spoke. "Strawberry Pocky," he said with an odd expression on his face.

"Isn't that a Japanese sweet?" Hermione asked as the stone jumped aside and they walked up the spiral staircase.

Duo grinned. "Yup!" he said cheerfully. "Best thing since sliced bread."

"You know, I don't really get what's so great about sliced bread," Ron said in an aside to Harry. "I guess it's a Muggle thing..."

"Not really, I don't get it either," Harry Replied.

The office seemed empty at first, but then three figures came down the stairs from what, Harry assumed, was Dumbledore's personal quarters.

"Morning!" Lupin called brightly, but before anyone could answer, a loud complaint issued from Duo.

"Don't tell me he's coming," he said contemptuously. However, he wasn't referring to Lupin, but glaring, rather, at Professor Peacecraft.

Dumbledore smiled brightly. "I cannot send a group of students and young associates to Diagon Alley completely unescorted, now can I?"

Harry didn't think that was exactly what Duo was unhappy about, but there was no further complaint.

"Morning, Remus," said Ginny, changing the subject.

"Well, if everyone is ready," Dumbledore's eyes lingered on Harry for a slightly extended moment, "just take a pinch of Floo Powder, say Diagon Alley, very clearly, and enjoy your day away." He handed a list of requirements to Quatre and then nodded at them all.

Whilst Lupin, Quatre, Duo and Ginny left one by one, Harry's thoughts lingered on Dumbledore. He hadn't really thought about much other than Sirius and Wufei until the other night. Now, he couldn't help thinking that the Headmaster looked extremely tired and worn, as though he'd been working endlessly for the past several months.

After Ron, Hermione and Wufei went through, Mr. Peacecraft hung back to let Harry go first.

"Actually, if you wouldn't mind, Professor Dumbledore, may I have a quick word?"

Milliardo, after casting a questioning glance at the Headmaster, shrugged and stepped into the fire, calling 'Diagon Alley!'

"What is it, Harry?" Dumbledore asked, not a flicker of his thoughts showing in his aged face.

"Sir, I-" Suddenly, Harry was unsure of what to say. There were so many things on his mind that he didn't know what to ask first. Then, it all came out in a rush. "What's going on? Why hasn't he moved yet? What have you been doing? Why haven't you told me anything? Considering the prophecy and all, shouldn't I be involved?"

Completely to Harry's surprise, Dumbledore laughed softly. "I've been waiting for such questions, Harry," Dumbledore told him. "Please, do not think I have been avoiding you, or that I am now, but I have been incredibly busy this year. Today, I want you to enjoy yourself. Tomorrow, if you wish, I will answer your questions."

Harry hesitated a moment, then nodded. "Okay, sir."

He took a pinch of Floo Powder, threw it into the fire, stepped in, and spoke his destination. A short while later, he stumbled out of the fire into the Leaky Cauldron, where nine people stood waiting for him.

Coughing weakly, straightening his glasses, and brushing down his robes, Harry grinned at them all. "Shall we go, then?" he asked.

Tom, the bartender, waved to him, and then slipped off into the storeroom.

"Right. Well, Quatre needs to go out into Muggle London first to draw out some money, so I'll go with him," said Lupin, pulling off his robe to reveal a ragged assortment of Muggle clothes. "Why don't the rest of you go out into the Alley, and we'll meet you at Florean's in an hour."

"Sounds like a plan," Milliardo Peacecraft said cheerily.

Having established a plan, they split up. The professor opened the Alley entrance, and as the brick archway unfolded, the bright street full of bustling wizards and witches appeared.

Harry noted that the place seemed a little less busy than any time he'd been here, but then, that had been between school years when students came to buy their supplies. "So, where do we go first?" he asked the others.

"Well normally I'd suggest Gringotts," Hermione answered. "Although being halfway through the year, there isn't really any need."

"Actually, I could do with drawing out some more money. I want to start ordering the Daily Prophet," Wufei explained.

"Gringotts it is, then." Ginny grabbed Hermione's hand and dragged her down the street, the others following after, with their escort lagging behind.

Duo had been in complete awe to see the wizarding bank, and when he'd taken the cart ride down to Wufei's vault, he'd let out a scream of pure enjoyment. "That was awesome!" he cried, once they came to a halt back at the foyer entrance. "Talk about fun with banking!"

After Gringotts, everyone had been eager to visit Fred and George, Duo asking about what one might find in a wizarding joke shop. Ginny had grinned at him, somewhat evilly. It seemed the two were fast becoming friends, to no ones surprise. "Oh, you'll love it," she said.

Strolling down the sunny streets, Harry thought the only thing that could make the morning perfect would be to slip his hand into Wufei's. Briefly, he thought about doing it, but then remembered just who he was. If word got out that Harry Potter was gay, there would be no end to the gossiping and ridicule. All he'd need was the Daily Prophet to latch onto the story, and that would be the end of his private life.

Ginny was leading the way, having been the only one to visit the joke shop so far. She was chatting with Duo, saying something about having run out of Effervescent Paint Pellets. They followed her down a side street and finally to the front stoop of a fairly large shop with a sign flashing all the colors of the rainbow, letter by letter, bearing the words 'Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes; for all your mischief making needs.'

Harry suddenly felt a surge of pride. Now that Mrs. Weasley had all but submit to the fact that two of her sons were undertaking what she considered to be an unsuitable profession, he was quite glad to have leant the twins enough money to get this place up and running.

Stepping inside, he found that he was rather impressed. The store was unusually tidy for Fred and George. There were shelves stocked with all their old merchandise such as Canary Creams and Headless Hats, but also new gags and tricks lining the rows. He peered at a shelf full of what appeared to be Slinkys, but on further inspection, shimmered in and out of vision.

"What on earth are those?" Harry asked no one in general.

"Isn't it obvious?" a voice called to him. "They're Springing Foot Traps. You place them on the stairs and they turn invisible. Then, when someone steps on them, they grow large enough and latch on to people's feet. New product; just got onto the shelves last week. We've already sold a batch full."

"George!" Ginny yelled, tearing across the room and behind the counter, where she leapt on her elder brother.

"'Allo, Ginny," he replied swinging her off her feet. Placing her back down, he turned to the others. "Harry, Ron." He nodded to each of them. "Blimey, never thought to see you in here, Hermione."

She mumbled something about just visiting, gazing a little apprehensively at some of the items on the shelves.

"Good to see you, Wufei," George continued, ignoring Hermione's disapproving eyebrow.

"You've met?" asked Harry.

"Of course! We are still living at the Burrow," said George as though this was obvious. "That is the whole point of Apparating, you know. Makes it easy to travel around."

"Where's Fred?" Wufei questioned, looking around a shelf.

"Oh, he's out the back, t-"

"Look out!" shouted the man in question.

Everyone jumped aside just in time as a multicolored, sparking Catherine Wheel zoomed past and out the open door, Fred Weasley tearing after it.

"Uhoh," George muttered. "Old Mandy Taper is going to have another fit..."

"What... was that?" Duo asked slowly.

"Uh, Fred was experimenting with our fireworks, trying to make them change color and whatnot." George explained, craning his neck to look out the window where Fred could be seen running frantically down the street after the escaped firework. "I think we'll stick to experimenting with the sparklers from now on, though... Uh, anyone want some tea? Business is slow today. Some git is putting on a Muggle magic show down in Pentagonal Square."

After Trowa, Duo and Professor Peacecraft had been introduced to George, they all went into the back room - except for Duo, who elected to have a look around, and Trowa, who stayed with him, apparently to keep him out of trouble - which was in a much more fitting state of disarray. There were patches of color everywhere, which occasional changed, and several sparklers wrote 'crap' 'penis' and 'Umbridge is a whore' in mid air. Spotting this one, Harry choked on the tea he'd just sipped.

George grinned. "That's one of the old ones. Special Hogwarts Edition." Even Hermione and Milliardo - who'd heard all about her from Lupin - laughed.

"Oh, George, before I forget, I need some more Paint Pellets," Ginny said suddenly.

"Really, Ginny," Hermione scolded. "You're a prefect. You ought to be-"

"Don't be such a wet rag, Hermione. She needs to redeem herself somehow." George frowned. "Prefect. Honestly, I think Dumbledore's gone barmy. First Ron, and then Ginny... By the way, did you ever end up deciding what your reward would be?" George called from the front of the store.

"No. I just told mom to wait until I really wanted something. It's not as though I need a familiar." George nodded upon reappearing with a couple of boxes. Apparently he knew about Ginny becoming an Animagus. "And thanks to you two, I already have a new broom."

Before handing the box over, George cast an accusatory glance at the Professor. However, Mr. Peacecraft seemed quite thoroughly absorbed in watching a patch of violet slowly fade to magenta.

"I still can't believe you got her a broom." Ron glared into his tea. "All I got was a set of dress robes."

"Yeah, but Ginny uses her power for evil. You're just sad, mate," said Fred from the doorway.

There was another round of greetings.

"So, what happened? Did the old bat give you hell?" George asked him finally.

"Naw. I managed to corner the thing down Hummingbird Lane, but I think it ran over one of Olga's cats. It had this patch of singed fur over its back when I ran past it."

George winced. "Let's hope she doesn't figure out it was us, eh?"

They sat around for a while longer swapping stories. Duo ended up buying a few bits and pieces.

"Just for study," he insisted, although there was a slightly evil glint to his eyes.

Eventually, Wufei pointed out that it was already past an hour. They said goodbye to the twins, and headed back out into Diagon Alley towards Florean Fortescues. When they arrived, Quatre and Lupin were already sitting at a nice sunny table outside with two enormous ice cream sundaes.