Harry Potter and the Curse of Ages

Chapter 7 Dinner Plans

Harry foresaw a problem with the promotional tour, though. Dumbledore was right - he needed Ginny to come along too. Two years previously, even perhaps the summer before, a long holiday with Ron and Hermione - assuming the worries of the war had been resolved - would have been splendid. However, now that Ron and Hermione were openly a couple, they would want to have much of the free time with each other only. Not that they wouldn't make time for him, but still they would need couple time and he was all for it. Even more importantly to Harry was that it just wouldn't seem like a holiday if he couldn't get Ginny to come along with him. He had no doubt that she would want to come too, although he would go through the formality of inviting her. But he couldn't be sure that Molly and Arthur Weasley would go along with it.

Harry thought through the steps. He ran up to the owlery after retrieving a couple of pieces of parchment, a quill and some owl treats from his office. Hedwig was already swooping down to him when he whistled to her. He might have been more comfortable writing the letter at his desk, but he hadn't seen Hedwig since the Battle of Hogwarts and wanted to spend the time with her. He checked her feathers and the magical talon he had conjured for her before giving her the owl treats.

"None the worse for eating Wormtail then? Excellent, Hedwig. You were brilliant in the battle." Hedwig replied with a hoot, perching with her magical talon and grasping the owl treat he handed her with the natural talon.

First, Harry wrote a couple of quick letters to Ron and Hermione not to say anything to anyone else so he could ask Ginny himself and so that they could coordinate a strategy for getting Mr. and Mrs. Weasley to agree to Ginny coming along. Ron and Hermione at least had contractual obligations with the Chocolate Frog Company obligating them to participate in promotion, so it would be hard for the Grangers or Mr. and Mrs. Weasley to say no as to them. But Ginny was another matter, and although she was coming of age in mid-summer, Harry felt it was best to have everyone agreeable to her coming along.

Then he wrote a letter to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley asking if he could visit on Friday and stay through to Monday morning, so he could go directly to his Monday morning Apparation Instructor test at the Ministry. He had a standing invitation, and he knew he would be welcomed even if he did not write first, but it seemed only decent to give a warning. The weekend would give him plenty of time to invite Ginny and talk with her and Ron about how to present the idea to their parents.

By the time Harry was done with the day's training sessions with Madam Hooch, Hedwig had returned from delivering messages first to the Weasleys and then to Hermione. Harry was showing Sirius's portrait the spells he had learned for magical reversal of apparition accidents when Hedwig arrived, carrying responses from the Weasleys and Hermione. Mrs. Weasley's short note said that they were still staying at Grimmauld Place (though it had been willed to Harry by Sirius, it had been used as the Minister of Magic's London home both for security and convenience ever since Arthur Weasley had become Acting Minister of Magic) and they would be delighted to have him around. Ginny had added a 'Yippee!' and Ron drew a 'thumb up' picture - at least that's what Harry thought it was supposed to be: it could have been a rude hand gesture instead, but Harry couldn't imagine why Ron would draw that or why Mrs. Weasley would send a letter with that drawn on it.

Hermione's response had said that she had been invited for the weekend as well and would arrive Friday afternoon at about 4 p.m. Harry would not be able to get there until 5 p.m.

"Well, Sirius, in the mood for a trip?"

"Where to?"

"Grimmauld Place."

"No, thanks. I'm glad it's being put to good use, and I'm sure Molly has done wonders, but I'll pass."

"Too many bad memories?"

"Yeah, that and Molly and I never really got along anyway."

"Oh, well, okay. So how do you think I should convince her to let Ginny go on an around-the-world promotional tour with Ron, Hermione and me?"

"Well, you could offer to take Molly as well," said Sirius mischievously.

"Ahh, yeah, I'll keep that in mind."

"What's the matter, Harry? I thought you liked Molly."

"I love her dearly, Sirius, like a mother. That's the problem. I want a holiday without motherly supervision."

"I don't know, Harry. I think I should get Phineas Nigellus to put a bug in Molly's ear to accompany you."

You're looking to be a present to Kreacher, aren't you?" said Harry with a wicked grin.

"Whoa, buddy, not fair. Alright, I'll stop teasing. I don't really have any good advice for you; after all, I never really could work around Molly either. Why don't you owl Ginny, Ron and Hermione, though, and invite them to dinner Friday night. That'll give you a chance to invite Ginny properly for the holiday and you can all plot together."

"Now you're talking, Sirius!" replied Harry, as he turned to his desk to get out some parchment.

"Maybe you'd better ask Fred and George, too. Nobody has more experience than they do working around Molly."

"They didn't always get away with it."

"Nobody does, but they do the best."

"Right you are," said Harry, sitting down to write and withdrawing a quill from the desk stand. "By the way, Sirius, what do you do in the hours when there are no living people to talk with?"

"Oh, well, that's another reason I'd rather stay put. Hogwarts is a fantastic place for a wizard portrait. Lots of places to explore, Sir Cadogan and I go on lots of quests - yeah, they're meaningless, but we have fun anyway, - there are lots of gaming groups, and a lot of portraits of women who as living women may have been unreceptive to romantic intentions because they were concerned about the potential problems realize that as portraits, all the negatives are gone."

"Portraits can, erm, get involved that way?"

"It's not completely the same as in life, but we do well enough," replied Sirius with a playful tone. "There's a cubist chick in Vector's office who is just amazing! You wouldn't believe the things she does! Do you want to watch sometime?"

Harry turned suddenly to look over his shoulder at him. "Erm, wouldn't that be kind of creepy?"

"Doesn't bother me. I'm a portrait - being looked at is my life, well, so to speak. There are plenty of other portraits who wouldn't mind, at least in a private office like this. Admit it - you're curious, aren't you?"

"Well, yeah, of course, but, erm, maybe some other time."

"Okay, suit yourself. No big difference to me. Let me know if you get curious enough."

"Yeah, I'll keep that in mind." And Harry knew that somehow, that notion would linger in his mind.

Harry had owled his invitation to dinner to all concerned the very evening Sirius had suggested it. He was through with his training sessions by 4:30 Friday afternoon, so he got a weekend bag packed, got cleaned up and changed into some of his best muggle street clothes. That really was not saying much, as he had not really taken the time to buy clothes yet. He had plenty of plain t-shirts, several overshirts, the jumpers Mrs. Weasley had made him, a few pairs of blue jeans, and some workout clothes. Realizing this, he decided for going to a wizard restaurant on Diagon Alley rather than a muggle restaurant. This allowed him to cover up with wizard robes, though even those were still too obviously school robes rather than the more stylish selections.

His first stop was Diagon Alley. He apparated to the space set aside in The Leaky Cauldron for orderly apparition.

"Mr. Potter!" called Tom, the owner, from behind the bar. A chorus of greetings sounded from the other patrons, with a smattering of applause and a few scraped chairs and hurried footsteps fading down corridors. "How about a butterbeer or something a mite stronger? On the house."

"Aah, you've twisted my arm, Tom. I suppose I have time for one, but only if you'll call me Harry."

Tom got a look of surprise and delight. He pulled a pint mug from the tap with just enough head to it. "That's very kind of you, Harry. Not many of my customers want the serving people to be so familiar."

"You've got a job to do and you do it excellently. I see no reason you shouldn't be treated equally, and I'd rather you call me Harry, than to impose the formality of me calling you 'Mr. ...' erm, you know, Tom, I've never known your family name."

"Oh, it's 'Riddle', Harry," Tom replied. Harry jolted at that. Tom smiled, "I guess you've heard of my namesake. Surprised though, since he disappeared long before even your parents were born. But then, as I think on it, you two had some similarities - he was an orphan, too, raised by muggles, and he got an award when he put a stop to some dark doings with that Chamber of Secrets at the school. Is that how you come to know of him?"

"Something like that," said Harry darkly.

"He was the most charming fellow. Well, not the first time I met him, when he was still a boy, but Hogwarts agreed with him, and he was the pleasantest chap every time I met him after that. Truth be told, that's not always the case with Slytherin students, but then, there's some Gryffindors with a bit too much swagger as well. I haven't seen or heard of him since he quit Borgin and Burkes: it must be fifty year ago. Wonder what happened to him - I hope he didn't come to a bad end."

Harry had been debating whether he should say anything, but the glowing description of Voldemort's younger self turned the decision for him - pleasant people aren't always nice, and rough or brusque people should not be assumed to be bad. "You really don't know, do you, Tom?" asked Harry.

"Oh, it is something bad then, isn't it? Was he in the battle then?"

"He was the cause of the battle, Tom, he was Lord Voldemort."

The sudden gasping and nervous susurration told Harry that quite a few people in the bar had been listening in. He glanced around and even saw the telltale strings of extendable ears. He'd have to take that as a warning, that unless he had made precautions, all of his conversations would be of interest to various and sundry.

"But Tom was such a handsome young man, and You-Know-Who was so strange and snaky-looking."

"He went through a lot of magical processes in seeking immortality and power. Very few people recognized him afterwards, usually only by his magical aura."

"But he wasn't already a bad one when I knew him, was he?"

"He stopped the trouble with the Chamber of Secrets by stopping his own opening of it."

"Well, I'll be. You aren't pulling my leg, are you, Harry?" Tom asked, shaking his head dolefully. "Not really a joking matter, is it? Well, from what I've heard, nobody but Dumbledore would possibly know what's up better than you, so I guess I'll take your word for it. Still, it comes as quite a shock."

"Yeah, but it would be shocking no matter who Voldemort had started out as."

"Any other amazing revelations you can let me in on?"

"I'm sure, but I don't want to tell all my tales at once, then I'd come to be a bore whenever I stopped in," said Harry with a grin and a wink. He finished his mug and laid down a couple of sickles.

"I said that was on the house, Harry."

"I know, but I don't want to wear out my welcome. Besides, I need a favor. I'll be passing through again in a half hour or so; I have a quick errand in the Alley just now. I was hoping I could stow my grip here."

"Well, of course, hand it over. That's a service that comes with housing the portal to Diagon Alley. Just remember there's always a cold one and space available here for Harry Potter."

Harry smiled. "I will remember that, Tom. And it's good to know you mean it." And Harry did know that Tom meant it, as he had been getting better control of his legilemency and was now practicing employing it with a light touch to sound people out a bit. He was perfectly aware that not everyone would be as keen on him as they professed, just as when he was a second-year and overheard Lucius Malfoy warning Draco not to openly voice dislike for Harry.

Harry hurried through to the dustbins and tapped on the magical brick to open the portal to Diagon Alley. He remembered his first visit to Diagon Alley with Hagrid. It seemed like a lifetime ago, and in many ways it was. He slowed a bit before Quality Quidditch Supplies to see what the new models of brooms were. He still loved his Firebolt, most of all because it came from Sirius, but he was fully aware that if he became a professional seeker, he would probably be expected to get an even faster, more maneuverable broom. That could wait.

Harry quickly made his way to Eeylop's Owl Emporium. He surveyed the many messenger owls available. He looked around at the many stunning birds on display and then talked to Eeylop about the advantages and care of different species. Harry made a selection and was soon hurrying back to the Leaky Cauldron with a large bird cage with a cover over it. He recovered his case and accepted the butterbeer that was offered.

Harry apparated directly to an alley near Grimmauld Place. He preferred to walk the quarter mile around to the Black house - now his house, though the Minister of Magic was using it for the time being, with Harry's blessing - than to use the Floo Network, especially while carrying an owl. Harry found himself getting reflective as he approached the front door, remembering the first time he came here, as well as the subsequent occasions. He realized that so many things had happened since Voldemort's return that he had not really had a chance to sort it all out. Even now the events of life seemed to be careering forward without a chance for Harry to assess them. He hoped that taking the promotional tour, besides giving him time to be with his best friends without the stress of actual or impending war, would give him the chance to gain some perspective.

Suddenly the door burst open and Ginny came rocketing out. Harry had to catch his breath at how beautiful she appeared. Part of that effect was four days absence from the girl he loved. However, something was also different about her appearance. But before he could even figure out what, she had thrown herself against him and pulled him into an enthusiastic kiss, which he had no reluctance to return.

As the kiss ended, Ginny kept her arms around him and looked up into his eyes. "Missed you," she said quietly.

"So I gathered," Harry replied. "I missed you, too."

"I guess you two are past the 'make him wait on date night' stage," Harry heard from a deep voice in the vicinity of the door. He looked up.

"Bill!" Harry called. "You're out of hospital! Entirely better?"

Bill grinned broadly. "Not until I've milked it for all the TLC I can get, but I'm getting around fine now. I only spent a couple of days at St. Mungo's after the party was over at Hogwarts." He held up a cane. "I'll only need this for a few more days."

"Excellent," said Harry.

"Well, if you'll excuse me," said Bill, "I still have some dressing to do for my dinner date."

As Bill headed in, Harry looked quizzically at Ginny. "He and Fleur are taking Mum and Dad out to dinner. They're to meet Dad at the Ministry," she explained. Then she sighed. "I've barely seen Dad these 4 days. There are so many things for the Ministry to do - there are more prisoners from the war than Azkaban can hold, St. Mungo's is packed with injured from both sides and the enemy injured have to be guarded, there are property forfeitures, war trial preparations, all sorts of things. Dad's had to be in touch with the muggle Prime Minister to explain the things that spilled over to muggle attention and to make corrections. He's also seeing about getting advisors from the muggles to help with the legal procedures: he admires the way they've worked to protect people's rights even when they are accused of war crimes. He remembers the way the trials were conducted after the first war and your trial and wants to make sure that everyone has a fair chance to put on a defense based on facts and law."

"Well, I can see him as the right man for the job, but I really had hoped to be seeing more of him."

Ginny nodded. "Me, too. Life goes on and we make do."

Harry nodded. Harry picked up his bag with one hand and handed the owl cage to Ginny, so that he could hold her hand as they walked up the stairs into the house.

She lifted up the cage. "An owl, obviously, but it seems small for Hedwig."

"And she wouldn't need to be taken in a cage either. No it's a present for your parents, for your father getting the vote to be made the actual Minister of Magic. I remembered when I was getting ready I had promised to get a healthier owl than Errol for them once I had the chance."

"Can I look?"

"Nuh-uh. Your hand's occupied."

"Alright then, I'll wait." Then Ginny called as they came through the door, "Mum! Harry's here!"