Harry Potter and the Last Goodnight

Chapter 32: Shopping in Diagon Alley

The joke shop was even more extraordinary than Harry had envisioned it. Weasley's Wizard Wheezes had evolved significantly. Harry chuckled when he remembered when they were caught printing up order forms back at the Burrow. Fred and George had most definitely done well for the first year of business.

As Harry walked up and down the freshly restocked isles of gags and gifts, his coins clanged together in his pocket with each step. They had stopped at Gringotts to pick up some money for their last-minute Christmas shopping. He had felt incredibly guilty when he reached his vault, filled with all of the money from his parents. But he was happy to see the Weasleys had more money in their vault than the last time he was with them. He imagined that expenses were a little less now that they didn't have to worry about buying school things for the twins, nor supporting them. They had overnight riches from the success of their store.

Ginny had explained to them that it was a tradition on Christmas Eve for everyone to pick one gift to open up after the meal. He had already picked up some things in Hogsmeade for Ron, Ginny, and Hermione, as well as a few nice plugs for Mr. Weasley he'd saved from the past summer with the Dursleys. For the twins, he bought them a magical address book that organized clients by name, location, or species. He still needed to buy something for Mrs. Weasley and Remus, and because Nora and Eva were going to be at the dinner too, he wanted to make sure they had something to open up as well. The only trouble was he didn't have any idea what to buy for them.

The twins had really outdone themselves with some of the items in the store. Harry caught Ron stocking up on his Skiving Snackboxes. There was a display marked "Holiday Special" with some new flavors on it. He picked out a handful of Peppermint Ice, a tiny chew with red and white stripes. They claimed to give someone such a terrible case of the chills that his nose would run and his eyes water until frost gathered on his eyelashes.

But on the other side of the display, something else caught Harry's attention. There was a set of Gobstones underneath some books with empty insides to hide things in. That was just what Nora needed for Christmas. It was perfect. With any luck, Eva still didn't know what one was.

Harry went up to the counter to pay George. "Aren't you a little old to be playing children's games?"

He shrugged. "It's not for me. It's a gift."

"That's what they all say," George replied. "Just last week we had an old woman in here buying some Firejack Crackers - you know, the kind that explodes. She said they were for her grandchildren, but Fred swears he saw her in the Leaky Cauldron with bright orange lips the next day."

Harry, having no clue what Firejack Crackers were, paid him, and then Mr. and Mrs. Weasley said they had some Christmas shopping to do themselves. Everyone decided to split up for a few hours.

Ron, who was still in a sour mood, followed Harry outside and they window shopped silently together, until Ron mentioned the bracelet he got for Hermione. "It matches the necklace, heart and all," he said sadly. "I can't give it to her now."

"Why not?" Harry asked.

Ron shoved his hands deep into his pockets. "She's not my girlfriend anymore. We're not even on speaking terms. Imagine if I gave her such a gift..."

"Her eyes would probably light up and she'd throw her arms around you and give you a big, wet kiss," Harry laughed.

Ron, however, frowned. "She'd probably throw it back in my face she's so mad at me."

"I don't think so," Harry replied. "Even though she said you're through, I don't believe it. There's still a few days left between now and Christmas Eve. She'll be missing you. And not only that, everyone gets into that special, anything-can-happen mood around Christmastime. That's part of the magic."

"When did you become such a romantic?"

Harry shrugged. "Look, I'll I'm saying is that it's good for couples to fight. It's healthy. And I think that this was just a fight, nothing more. Hermione's coming to the Burrow for a reason on Christmas Eve, and I don't think it's because she loves your mum's cooking." When Ron looked puzzled, he continued. "She's coming to see you. To salvage what she can."

"Do you really think so?"

He nodded. "If it was really over, she would have ended it in a peaceful fashion. You know how she hates to leave things unfinished. You infuriate her; that's probably why she likes you so much."

For the first time in days, a smile broke out on Ron's face. "Yeah. I guess you're right. Thanks, Harry." He stopped walking. "Say, I was looking to buy mum one of those new contraptions that are supposed to scare away the lawn gnomes from the garden. It's a bit expensive. Want to chip in?"

"Sure," Harry replied. He had de-gnomed the garden before, and knew what a hassle it was. Harry had to wonder if this was really a gift for Mrs. Weasley or for Ron. But Harry split the cost and said that he should probably get his mom some flowers too, and he agreed.

Ron went off to buy the gift and Harry found himself alone at last. However, he still didn't know what to get Remus or Eva for Christmas.

As he strolled through the streets of Diagon Alley, he was amazed at how many people were wandering about. And not all of them were witches and wizards - he spotted a hag, some dwarves, and even two hairy creatures he couldn't recognize standing outside of the Leaky Cauldron sharing a pipe. Everyone was out and about for their last-minute Christmas shopping.

After some deliberation, Harry decided to get Remus a book for Christmas. He seemed to enjoy reading in his spare time - or at least when he couldn't fall asleep at night. The best place to start was Flourish and Blotts.

As Harry stepped inside the shop, he could smell the old books, mixed with the scent of nutmeg. There were red streamers and snowflakes hanging from the ceiling. It was very welcoming. One of the wizards working behind the counter offered him some cider. It smelled like the store did, and when he took a sip, it warmed him up inside, all the way to his toes.

"Can I help you with anything, young sir?" asked the attendant. He was wearing a green velvet vest with a patch on it that said "Biggins" and underneath it had his title, "Dusting Specialist."

Harry had planned on just browsing through the store, but now that he was inside, he wasn't quite sure where to begin. "I'm looking for a gift for my... er..." Harry wasn't quite sure what relation Remus was to him anymore. "My friend. A close friend. More like a... father figure, really." Self-consciously, Harry pressed the bangs of his unruly hair against his forehead. If the sales clerk recognized him as Harry Potter and knew he was buying a gift for a father figure, he might have more questions than Harry wanted to answer.

"And what sort of books does he fancy?"

Harry thought for a moment. "I'm not entirely sure. But I know he likes to read when he can't fall asleep."

"Then perhaps you'd be interested in one of the novels in our insomnia section." The clerk led Harry to one end of the store, where there were thick books with tiny print. One, entitled Habits and Habitats of the Midnight Moths, had a picture of a man sleeping with a moth perched on his nose, and every time he snored, the moth's wings would flutter. Just looking at it made him feel sleepy. "They're guaranteed to put anyone asleep within the first ten pages or we'll refund your money."

Now Harry wasn't sure that Remus was reading to fall asleep. Surely, if he was really trying to fall asleep, he would use some kind of potion. "I don't think this is what I'm looking for." He paused. "What about werewolves?" he questioned.

"We've got a whole row dedicated to the study of those deadly creatures," the clerk said. Harry followed him to another section. When Harry glanced at the books, he saw that most of them were about defending yourself against them, or about how inhuman they were. It was definitely not what he was looking for. Harry shifted his weight from foot-to-foot uneasily. "Perhaps it'd be better if I browsed for a bit."

The clerk nodded. "Just let me know if you need any help. There are some more books on the second landing - our new Muggle section is up there as well." He gestured to a staircase.

"Thanks," Harry replied. The clerk went back to his station. Harry drank some more of the cider and glanced around the first floor. He had been in Flourish and Blotts many times before but never looking for anything but his schoolbooks. He decided that the best place to start would be upstairs, and then work his way down.

The section was quite small, but Harry recognized some of the books from his Muggle Studies class. There was a copy of To Kill a Mocking Bird and The Great Gatsby, which Harry was assigned to read over the holidays from Professor Avis. There were many books that he'd never seen before, even during his childhood as a Muggle. He was surprised that many of them were American novels. How did Flourish and Blotts get a hold of the books, anyway?

Finally, Harry settled on buying a trilogy of books about odd creatures called hobbits. It was a great epic adventure, and they sounded like he would enjoy reading them, so he thought that Remus would find the stories interesting as well.

Harry took his things and went back to the clerk, who congratulated him on his excellent purchases. He was just about to leave when something behind the counter caught his eye.

It's perfect, Harry thought. Eva would love it.

* * *

Harry and Ron were shaken awake on Christmas Eve morning by Ginny. "You two had better get up," she said, her voice still hoarse from sleeping. "Mum's gone crazy." The two of them quickly got up and dressed and went downstairs.

Mrs. Weasley was in a frenzy, mixing concoctions by hand and directing wooden spoons to do it with her wand. "'Bout time you two were up. Grab a quick bite to eat. We've got lots to do before dinner tonight."

Harry found that Mrs. Weasley was not exaggerating. Everyone was forced to clean the ground floor of the Burrow from top to bottom. Ginny even called her mother a slave driver when she had her polish all of the candlestick holders by hand - and there were nearly fifty of them in the living room alone.

"Kind of makes you wish we were back de-gnoming the garden, doesn't it?" Ron whispered, glancing outside at the snow-covered ground.

Harry grinned. It was the first time Ron had spoken to him all day. Perhaps all of the dusting and mopping made him feel like he was getting a fresh, clean start.

When it was well past afternoon tea time, Mrs. Weasley announced that everyone needed to drop what they were doing and quickly get ready, because people would be arriving in a few short minutes. Harry and Ron both excitedly rushed up to Ron's bedroom. Harry had to dig down into the bottom of his trunk to find a nice pair of unwrinkled trousers.

As he stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, he tried desperately to get his hair to lie flat. One would think that after all his years of struggling, Harry would have given up on any attempt to fix it. However, he never lacked the hope, but after a long, well-fought battle, he surrendered to genetics and let it stick out.

When he finally did make it downstairs, everyone was already dressed in their best and waiting for the first guests to arrive. Ginny looked amazing. She had her red hair pulled back with a ribbon of sparkling tinsel and sterling silver earrings hung from her ear lobes. Even Harry couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was. The twins were also dressed stylishly in what appeared to be Muggle sport coats and boots made of dragon hides, just as Bill had. Harry suspected that this was only the beginning of many extravagant purchases Fred and George would make. Ron was looking quite surly as he sat at the kitchen table, struggling with the plaid tie around his neck. Finally, Mrs. Weasley came over to fix it and put him out of his misery.

There was a knock on the door and Mr. Weasley quickly rushed over and opened it. "Remus, old chap! Merry Christmas! Come in, come in."

Harry jumped out of his seat and rushed over to meet him, but the sight of Remus made his heart clench in his throat.

He looked awful. Much worse than Harry ever remembered him looking during his third year when he taught at Hogwarts. His eyes were clouded, and there were dark circles beneath them. He looked thinner, but somehow, wilder. He was more anxious than exhausted. His hands shook - almost unnoticeably - as he unbuttoned his thick down jacket.

"Hello, Harry," he said with a smile. "Merry Christmas!" He stepped forward with his arms out-stretched, and Harry quickly embraced him. Harry could almost feel his bones, but tried not to notice. "I apologize, Molly. I'll only be able to stay for a quick dinner. Full moon's tonight."

Harry had left his Moon Guide for safekeeping in his trunk ever since he left Hogwarts, and he'd forgotten to even consult it lately. He should have known.

"It's rotten luck," Remus continued, "that it falls on Christmas Eve."

"It's all right," Harry replied, managing a grin. "I'm just glad you're here now." And he meant it. It wouldn't be a family Christmas without Remus. He was just about to ask where Tonks was when he heard a car pull up and another knock on the door.

This time, the twins answered, and for one fearful second Harry was afraid that it was Eva and Nora at the door and he wouldn't get to greet them, when he saw head full of red hair. It was Charlie. He had an armload of gifts and an overnight bag thrown over his shoulder. "Merry Christmas!" he shouted heartily.

Ginny and Mrs. Weasley both ran to the door and greeted him with open arms. Remus plopped down on a kitchen chair and gestured for Harry to do the same. He couldn't help but notice how much older Remus looked in the dim kitchen light than the last time Harry had seen him.

"I'll finally get to meet your girl tonight, eh?" he asked.

Harry felt himself blushing. "She's not my girl."

"What's this? Harry's got a girlfriend?" Fred cried. Remus chuckled. "Who?"

"No one," Harry replied immediately. "I don't have a girlfriend."

"But who is this mysterious "she" you referred to?" George asked. "Is it someone we know?"

Harry glared at Remus, but he said nothing, and didn't look the least bit sympathetic for what he'd just caused.

"But Harry, don't you remember what we talked about last summer? About how all girls - and women - are bad?" Charlie asked sauntered over to the kitchen table and took a seat, putting his feet up on the chair next too him, which earned a smack on the back of the head from Mrs. Weasley.

"Put your feet down!" she scolded.

Charlie rubbed the back of his head. "You've betrayed the sacredness of the single man."

Harry shook his head. "If you really want to know who betrayed us, it was Remus." He shot a nasty look at him. "Ask him about his girlfriend problems. Eva is certainly not my girlfriend yet..."

Instantly, Harry knew he made a grave mistake in saying her name. He quickly shut up and felt his cheeks turn as red as Ron's hair.

The twins broke out into mischievous smiles as Harry tried to recover. "I mean... we're just friends, nothing more."

"What do you mean by 'yet'?" Charlie questioned. "And who's Eva? Not one of those girls I saw walking in this direction from the new bus stop?"

"You left them to walk?!" Mrs. Weasley cried. "Charlie, how could you?"

"How was I supposed to know to pick them up?" he asked innocently.

"I told you they were coming two days ago!" Mr. Weasley said. "And you know who Eva is. You've seen her at the meetings half a dozen times..."

"Meetings?" Harry interrupted. "What meetings?"

Mr. Weasley looked uneasy, but Charlie looked as though he had been trying to extract that very information out of his father and had a successful grin on his face. "Never mind." Mr. Weasley sighed. "It's not that far of a walk."

Harry did not find any of this information reassuring. He sunk low into his chair. What if the twins said something tonight? One slip of the tongue and his chances with Eva could be ruined. Fred slapped him on the back. "Don't worry, Harry, we'll behave," he said, nodding to George. But Harry wasn't certain he could trust them.

Hours of silence seemed to pass by at a snail's pace before there was another knock on the door. This time, Harry didn't hesitate, and quickly ran to the door, making sure that he beat the twins. He quickly threw the door open.

"Hi Harry!" Hermione cried, giving him a one-armed hug. The other arm was full of gifts. Harry tried not to seem disappointed. "Look who I found, just down the road."

Harry looked past Hermione and saw Eva and Nora at the doorstep, looking a little intimidated by the Burrow. Nora was in awe of the outside. Harry remembered the first time he saw the Burrow and how it looked as though it was held together by magic and nothing else.

"Merry Christmas, Harry," Eva greeted and gave him a hug. Her touch warmed him up inside, but the warmth was nearly snuffed out as she hugged everyone else as well. There was no special treatment for him.

The twins helped the girls with their coats as Hermione and Eva were properly introduced. Hermione's parents had dropped her off, and Hermione recognized Nora at once and stopped to see where she was headed. "I didn't know it was going to be such a full house for Christmas."

"We're not spending the night," Eva said, smiling at Hermione. "Nora and I are going to have a... well, a Muggle kind of Christmas."

"You need those once in a while," Hermione agreed. The two of them seemed to be getting along well as they entered the kitchen. Ginny quickly joined the girls to get reacquainted.

"I say, that's a beautiful group of girls we've got here tonight," Remus whispered to Harry and Ron. Harry had to agree. Both Eva and Hermione's beauty rivaled Ginny's. Eva was wearing a red sweater that hung loosely around her shoulders, exposing her collarbones. Hermione had straightened her hair as she did the night of the Yule Ball.

But Ron scowled. "Disgusting. My sister's in that group, you know?"

Harry and Remus chuckled as Mrs. Weasley called them all to sit down at the table for supper. She had already set it - using some kind of spell - and there was so much food Harry could hardly believe his eyes.

As everyone was ushered to the table, Harry found some courage somewhere inside of him and managed to snag Eva by the arm. He pulled out her chair for her. She thanked him, her eyes sparkling, and Harry felt that familiar warmth inside. He quickly took the seat next to her and avoided making any eye contact with the twins, for fear of them making some joke about his sudden chivalry.

When he glanced around the table, he saw so many smiling faces. He felt warm again, but it was a different kind of warmth than what Eva gave him. Everyone was glowing with the holiday spirit. Harry had found another home, a new home, and even though Hogwarts would always make him feel safe and welcome, he knew that the Burrow always had room for him as well. He grinned foolishly, then helped himself to some ham.

Had Harry not been blinded by the holiday spirit, he would have seen the anxiety on Mrs. Weasley's face, or the way Mr. Weasley kept glancing at his watch, or even the discreet, empty chair at the table. And had he been in the living room, he would have noticed some suspicious activity on the Weasley family clock.