Harry Potter and the Curse of Ages

Chapter 9 Dinner Dates

They had only a short few blocks to walk to the restaurant. George ordered a bottle of green bamboo wine for the table as they removed their shoes to sit kneeling at the low table Japanese-style. The restaurants had tables for those uncomfortable sitting so low, but everyone agreed this added to the fun of the night out. The twins had also taken upon themselves to pre-order a selection of dishes to be made fresh as soon as they arrived and served family-style in large bowls.

Before the food arrived, a house elf apparated beside Hermione. He had a large bath towel wrapped at least twice around his waist and held together at the left hip with a jeweled pin. He bowed low, saying to Hermione, "If it please Miss, the house elves of Chang's Restaurant would love to provide the finest of service and hope that Miss understands that they are paid by the tips. If there is anything we might do to make your time with us more pleasant, you have only to let us know."

Hermione's face turned from affront to delight as the elf explained himself to her, and even though the twins giggling spread to the rest of the dinner party, she accepted their message with gratitude.

"You will be able to keep the tips then?" she asked.

"Tips are shared among the staff. Miss can be assured that the elves receive everything they need."

"Are you free, then?"

"We do what we like to do, Miss. We are happy."

Finally she relented. "Well, who am I to rock the boat then?"

She glared at the others as they laughed.

"You two put him up to that, didn't you?" she accused, looking from Fred to George and back.

"Hermione, you're one of our best targets - how could we not?" replied George.

As they shared their wine and then the meal, they kicked around all sorts of ideas for convincing Mr. and Mrs. Weasley to let Ginny go on the tour. As additional bottles of wine were brought out, the ideas got sillier and more grandiose. Ginny kept saying that they should just put it to their parents straight, but she egged the others on as they came up with more and more bizarre stories to tell. The stories became more and more ornately embroidered, and they giggled as they got more absurd.

Harry was thankful for the cool fresh air and the walk back to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, and then over to The Leaky Cauldron. He needed his wits about him to talk to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley when he got back to the house. He was to make the primary presentation, with Ron and Hermione's support.

As they entered they found the lights on only in the kitchen and heard quiet voices and laughter. They came through the door and found Bill, Fleur, Arthur, and Molly sitting around one end of the table with cups of tea.

"Ahh, there you are," greeted Mr. Weasley, rising.

"Dad!" shouted Ginny, while launching herself into an enthusiastic hug. "I was afraid you'd have to go back to the Ministry after dinner."

He gave her back a bit of a rub and then hugged the others, as he replied, "Not on a night like this, dear. I have some parchments to review, but on occasion, even a new Minister has to let others mind the shop."

"That's great," said Harry, "because there's something we wanted to talk over with you."

"And we have something to tell you," said Arthur. "You go first, you seem pretty well wound up to get it off your chest."

"Right then," said Harry uneasily, as he accepted the mug of tea Molly had poured for him. "It's that ..." he hesitated and glanced at Ginny. Ron nudged him. Harry began again, "You see, there's this ..." Harry glanced again at Ginny; Ron and Hermione both groaned as he stammered again.

"We had worked out all sorts of approaches to tell you, but I'm just going to say it. You know that Hermione, Ron and I are going on a promotional world tour for our Famous Wizard Cards. I can take a guest and I want to take Ginny. Can you let her go?"

"Oh," said Molly woodenly. Arthur seemed unable to respond.

Ron nudged Harry and whispered, but not so quietly that others wouldn't hear, "What happened to all those delicate approaches we worked on."

"Ron, some of those were not delicate - they were lies. I've never had a family before. I'm not going to start off with one lying to them."

"Ginny," said Arthur, "were you in on devising stories to tell us?"

"I knew about them, Dad. I was there."

"No, Ginny. You were there, but you kept saying to just be direct. Your contributions were just to make us see how silly we were all being."

"Harry," said Arthur, "were you really going to tell us tall tales?"

"I've done a fair bit of that over my years as a wizard. I'm not proud of it, but things have not been exactly normal for me."

Arthur looked his wife in the eye and she understood his concern. "So, Harry," she asked, "what made you change your mind?"

"Well, of course, part of it is as I said, I don't want to start out with this family on a lie. But even stronger was Ginny not liking it. I couldn't stand the thought of not being a man she can respect. I'm a better person when I'm with her because I don't want to disappoint her. I don't know if I can be as good a man as her father and brothers, but I aim to try. And that's why I need her with me - Professor Dumbledore, erm, Albus, says it'll be as much about letting people get to know the real me, rather than the stories that have spread around. I want to show people the best Harry, and around Ginny, I try to be the best Harry I can be."

"You're asking us to let our little girl, our only daughter, who won't be of age for over a month, head around the world with you?"

"Erm, yes, but Ron and Hermione will be along, too."

"Wonderful - it appears that they were in on this, and I get the impression they would be too distracted with each other to chaperone you two anyway."

"Dad, it's not really a question of chaperoning," interrupted Bill. "They'll both be at Hogwarts this year, anyway. There's nothing they can do in Kathmandu they can't do at Hogwarts. Besides, on a trip like this, with such an eminent delegation, wouldn't the Ministry be sending aurors along for security anyway."

Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione all suddenly glared angrily at Bill, aghast at his suggestion, and he returned them a superior, bemused smirk. Arthur and Molly whispered together a few seconds, then turned back to Harry and Ginny. "Okay, then. Ginny can go. I will be looking into the availability of an auror, although we're stretched very thin."

"Understand, though, we expect frequent owls with things written from each of you."

"Of course. Thanks so much," said Harry with evident relief. "Oh, that reminds me." He ran upstairs and returned in a few seconds with the owl cage.

"Here," he said, handing the cage to Arthur. "Congratulations, Minister. Now you'll have a family owl capable of keeping in touch with us anywhere."

Molly lifted the cover off the cage to reveal the handsome barn owl Harry had gotten.

"Oh, it's so cute!" squealed Ginny.

"Very nice. Thanks, Harry," said Arthur.

"I'll have to admit there's a bit of self-interest there - I got a bit tired of dodging the debris from Errol's landings."

"Yes, I guess he's due for a rest. He might make a nice companion for Buckbeak."

"I thought this was good for the Weasleys - it's not ostentatious like an eagle owl, but big enough to carry larger packages. Also it will be thrilled with the garage at The Burrow when you're not living here."

"Good reasoning, Harry. Does this one have a name yet?"

"No, I just got him this afternoon."

"Well, Molly, do you want to do the honors?"

"Hmm," she said, as she looked him over. Then she went to the refrigerator for a strip of cold meat to give him. As she handed it to him through the wires of the cage, she said, "Preston. That's your name: Preston."

"Preston," agreed the others.

"A fine name, dear," said Arthur.

"Better then Pigwidgeon," said Ron under his breath. No sooner had he mentioned his owl, than he heard a tittering coming down from the small owlery atop the house. They heard a thump on the door and Hermione gave it a push to let Ron's tiny Scops owl in. It zoomed excitedly all around the room.

"Right then, you feathery git, this is Preston. Show him to the owlery, and don't be a pest about it." Molly opened the cage and let Preston out, as Hermione again opened the door and Pig led Preston up to his new home.

"Right, then," said Hermione, "if that's settled, what's your news?"

"Fleur and I will handle this," said Bill, reaching over to gently take her hand. "Fleur and I are getting married."

They all cheered for the news. Harry and Ron gave Bill back slaps, while Ginny and Hermione squealed with Fleur and demanded to see the engagement ring.

When things calmed down, Arthur said, "Right now, they're aiming for a winter solstice wedding."

"I'm guessing that's magically significant," said Ron, "but I'm not sure."

"I think it is more symbolic," said Fleur, "but it is the shortest day of the year, all the days that come after are sunnier, and I think that from that day on, all my days will be brighter having such a fine brave husband."

Ginny and Hermione started to get moist-eyed at this explanation. Harry nudged Ron in the ribs, saying, "And Bill likes it because it's the longest night in the year."

Ron laughed, "Who can blame him with a bride like that?"

Hermione gave Ron an angry glance, but Bill just grinned. "Now, Ron, she'll be your sister-in-law - let's not be doing too much noticing."

Harry shook his head. "Get used to it, Bill, if you aren't already. Even without the veela-magic, she turns heads. Besides, it's not as if you haven't noticed how pretty Hermione is."

Hermione turned open-mouthed and adoringly toward Harry. Bill blushed a bit and said, "Well ...," which had Hermione turning back toward Bill with the same expression, and Fleur putting on a faint but distinct scowl at him.

Arthur came up behind Ginny and put his arms around her. "Don't feel left out, Princess. You're beautiful, too."

"Thanks, Dad," she said, as she bent her head backwards and pulled his head down to kiss his cheek.

"Oh, absolutely," Harry added hurriedly, "but I could hardly ask Bill if he found his sister sexy. It gives me the creeps just to say it."

"Ginger, you needn't worry," said Bill. "I can appreciate your beauty without the kinds of thoughts Harry can't keep out of his mind. Which reminds me, should I go thrash him a bit for those thoughts?"

She grinned. "No, no, that's okay."

"Whew," said Bill. "I just got out of hospital. I didn't want to go back so quickly."

"Well, then," said Molly, "How long will I have the four of you before you start your tour."

"The tour starts in two weeks," said Ron. "There's a big promotional kickoff party on Saturday, the twelfth, at Weasley Wizard Wheezes."

"Oh, good, I'll have you all for two weeks anyway."

"Not exactly, Mum. The week before the kickoff, Harry and I have quidditch tryouts, and this week I'll be helping Hermione find a flat."

"Oh, but Hermione, you know you would be welcome to stay here."

"The offer is very much appreciated, Mrs. Weasley, ..."

"'Molly', dear."

"Yes, Maam, erm, Molly, but I'm afraid I will be keeping very erratic hours with my training at the Department of Mysteries and St. Mungo's. I would be quite a disruption."

Molly peered at her. "You can't be saying you would be more of a disruption than having the members of the Order in and out at all hours and in all conditions, can you?"

"Perhaps there is a certain amount of simply wanting to have a place of my own."

Ginny leaned over to Harry and whispered loudly enough for all to hear, "It's so she can leave her knickers lying about - she's a mess without the help of a house elf."

Hermione's faced reddened, as the others giggled.

Harry whispered back, just as loudly, "I think it's so she can close the door when Ron's visiting."

The others laughed openly at this as Hermione stamped her foot at Harry and Ginny.

Arthur intervened. "It is certainly not unusual for a young person to desire a place of their own once they become financially able. It is not for us to speculate as to the advantages. Hermione, will you be looking at flats in Diagon Alley? With all their investments, I am sure the twins will be able to set you up in a place."

"We weren't going to. Aren't the rents terribly high there?" asked Ron.

"They were," answered Arthur. "With the war over, however, people are returning to their homes elsewhere. I've just reviewed a report on the sudden drop of the rental market in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. There are a number of investors who are overbuilt and want the Ministry to help them out - they say they provided a necessary service for wartime, and they should be protected from such severe loss."

"Would that include Fred and George?" asked Ron.

"No, when I got the report, I discussed it with them. They scoffed. The rent they received during the war almost paid for the new properties they bought or built. They say it's the same for the other landlords there. Several of them were renting out their rooftops for people to pitch wizard tents to live in, and now think that stream of income should be guaranteed to them."

"How absurd - people only gathered in Diagon Alley for eight or nine months," said Fleur. "It is not as if they maintained facilities for years."

So what will you tell them?" asked Bill.

"I asked Fred and George to pop around to the others and let them know that the Ministry needs its funds for keeping prisoners, but if they would like to house a couple of dozen dark wizard in their properties, we might be able to rent their flats for a bit. That shut them up."

"Well, I'll see what they might have available or other properties they would know about," said Hermione. "I was actually thinking of perhaps a muggle flat, so my parents would be able to come around and I could have a telephone to call them on."

Ron got an uncomfortable look, but Arthur became wide-eyed. "Really - a telly-foam? A person can have one in their home!?"

"Oh, of course, Dad," said Harry. "In fact, the Finnegans had one. Of course, the Finnegan side of the family is muggle and they live more among muggles than wizards. Hermione, maybe what you should have is a cell phone instead of a hard line." Then he realized that he was not making sense to the Weasleys. "Oh, a hard line is a phone which carries the messages in wires that connect it to the system. A cell phone uses wireless waves through the air to connect to the other phones."

Arthur looked delirious at hearing this. "Like magic, what will those muggles come up with next!" he said dreamily. The others laughed.

"But Harry," said Hermione, "would a c-phone even work in Diagon Alley - you know at Hogwarts electrical things don't work."

"I saw a witch in Diagon Alley speaking into what looked like a cellphone this evening. It could have been something else, but you can find out. Maybe you can borrow one from the phone company to test, or - I know, my cousin Dudley's had more than one for years. I'll write him a note of explanation for you to take to him. He's become more fascinated with wizard things now that they don't hate me, so if you offer to show him around Diagon Alley, I'm sure he'll let you test the service there."

"Harry," said Mrs. Weasley, "wouldn't you be able to go along to meet your cousin?"

"Only if we did it this weekend. Monday morning I go to the Ministry for my Apparation Instructor test, then I have to get right back to Hogwarts. Dumbledore wants to show me all sorts of stuff around the school."

"Oh, you'll be before the Licensing Office then?" she asked. Harry nodded and she continued, "Give Percy our love then. Most of the staff there had to be pulled away dealing with the prisoners and paperwork after the war, so he's been transferred there temporarily."

"Erm, is he the junior staff there?"

"Actually," answered Arthur, 'right now he's the only staff there. That's why they put him there. He's so gung-ho about bureaucracy, he'll handle the whole operation himself - promised to modernize the systems while he's at it, using techniques he learned about in Newt-level Muggle Studies. I've already told him that if his new systems really improve operations, we'll put him to work doing the same for other Ministry departments."

"Ah, that explains why he was so happy when he visited me at Hogwarts a couple of days ago," said Bill. "I asked him and he just said it was something I wouldn't understand. A chance to be Grand Poobah of Paperwork for the Ministry - yeah, he's right, I don't understand."

When the laughter died down, Arthur said, "Yes, it's not something that appeals to most of us. I value ever more each day those who have an appetite for it."

Harry sighed. "I only wish he was administering my test before we learned that he was undercover for Albus."

"Why's that, Harry?" asked Fleur.

Harry sighed. "Because the test is focused on the magical reversal knowledge. They already know I can apparate. I've got to show I can fix all the errors that a person can make while apparating. The examiner has to be the test subject."

Ron's face became joyous. "Can I come and watch, Harry?"

"Ron!" scolded Hermione. "Don't hold a grudge. He was on our side all along."

"I know what you're saying, Hermione, but I can't forget that letter he sent me after I made prefect. Anyone who praises Umbridge so enthusiastically deserves to get splinched." They laughed. Then Ron's face turned darker, "and anyone who tells me to turn my back on Harry deserves a lot worse."

Harry had to blink several times to keep his composure. Then Arthur said, "Now, Ron. He had to say those things. Suppose someone had come across that letter - when you are undercover, you have to be totally committed to your role. The slightest lapse can get you killed."

"If you insist then, but I still think he played the git a bit too enthusiastically," said Ron.

"Ron, he has his ways, you knew that even before he seemed to turn on the family. That's why he was the only Weasley who could have pulled off the ruse."

"Yeah, yeah. But now, Harry - it's fair enough to take your time to make sure you get the reversals right, eh?"

"Oh, I'll have to be very careful," agreed Harry. "I can't afford to fail this exam - I'd be left unemployed."

"Exactly," grinned Ron. "That's the spirit!"