Harry Potter and the Secret Nurse

Chapter Fifteen
Remedial Potions


"You're up early," said Tonks as she cheerfully greeted a somewhat dishevelled looking Harry, wheeling into the kitchen, "You look like something the cat coughed up, what's wrong?"

"Too much screwing," blurted Harry.

"Pardon?"

"Uh, too much brewing," said Harry as he jolted awake suddenly, "Uh, we were up late in the potions lab in the basement last night. That's probably where we're going to be spending most of the day today. Have you seen George?"

"He came in around five this morning," said Tonks.

Harry started to make some hot chocolate and said, "Oh, he and Fred wont be up until noon today.”

"More like two in the afternoon," Ginny called out as she wandered into the kitchen.

Hermione, Luna, and Ron joined breakfast all looking equally like walking unmade beds. In contrast, very well kept members of the Order joined in breakfast. Harry's friends were very happy to meet up with professor Lupin again. Kingsley was asked if George brought that girl he let in with him last night when he came home.

"I most certainly hope not!" called out Mrs. Weasley as she entered the kitchen.

With Mrs. Weasley present, everyone suddenly sat up a little straighter and fixed their hair.

"Look at the lot of you," said Mrs. Weasley, "Up past midnight playing ginger snaps no doubt."

"Capture the Cloak, mum," said Ron, "It was a good game."

"Like being good at Capture the Cloak will get you anywhere at Hogwarts," said Mrs. Weasley, "Right, eggs and bacon everyone."

Harry clapped his hands twice to get everyone's attention, "You heard the lady. Let's roll, we have a big day ahead people."

After a hearty breakfast Harry and Hermione took stock in the basement of what they would need to perform potions at home. Most of what they needed were personal garbs. Harry used his own new influence with the ministry to have a car come by and pick everyone up to go shopping that afternoon. He wanted everyone up to speed and done right. Whatever somebody couldn't afford he or the twins paid for themselves. Most of what they were buying was equipment they needed for school supplies anyway, and Diagon Alley was filling up with students that would be attending Hogwarts that year.

"We should be getting our book list this week," said Hermione.

Ron was being reluctant in getting fitted out for a pair on dragonhide gloves, as he didn't seem to want to spend a summer brewing potions.

"I won't be needing them anyway," said Ron, "I didn't apply for potions this year. I don't want to put up with Snape for another year."

"You DUNDERHEAD! Snape isn't teaching this year!" said Harry.

"What? Fuck off! No way!" called out Ron.

"You better contact Hogwarts right away and make sure there's a position still open in the class," said Harry, "They're going to fill up like mad with Snape gone."

Ron ran off to Flourish and Blotts, that had a display open dedicated to the Hogwarts calendar. Professor Flittwick was manning it this year. Ron stood in line behind several other sixth years who also heard through some grapevine that Snape was gone this year. When Ron had his turn he approached the desk excitedly.

"Professor, are positions still available in sixth year potions?" asked Ron.

"Plenty still open, lad, by all means sign up," said Professor Flittwick, "The class is being expanded this year. You'll be studying for Auror, then?"

"Yes sir."

"Good lad, you'll also be signing up for NEWT charms, then. You're a prefect so you'll get special dispensation from remedial charms, just work hard to catch up," said Flittwick and he patted Ron's arm.

"I will sir, thank you."

"Good lad, good lad, welcome to the cause," said Professor Flittwick as he noticed Harry standing behind the line, "Hello Harry! Looking forward to seeing you this year! Keep those Patroni coming!"

"I will, sir," Harry replied cheerfully.

"Excellent! There's a great crusader for the cause," said Flittwick, "Harry Potter everyone! Entering sixth year this year, on the track to becoming an Auror, who else wants to join?"

Harry wheeled back to a sullen looking Hermione who stood outside observing Flourish and Blotts with her arms crossed.

"They're recruiting, just like we thought," said Hermione.

"Now you know why I wanted to train so badly," said Harry.

"We better get cracking, then," said Hermione.

During Hermione's private lesson with McGonagall, the professor noticed Hermione was unusually driven.

"I must say you seem somewhat focused, today, Ms. Granger," said McGonagall.

"Harry has grown a little impatient about getting back on his feet," said Hermione.

"At this point in Harry's recovery, when he walks again is entirely up to him," said McGonagall.

"Actually, Harry and the rest of us wanted to show you something," Hermione said somewhat cautiously, "It's kind of important, it's in the basement."

McGonagall was intrigued, and knew that Hermione would not waste her time with juvenile frivolities. Through the door to the basement McGonagall was greeted with the smell of burning timber and potions being cooked. For a moment she wondered just what did these children get themselves into, playing with potions, but what she saw with her own eyes was a far more professional looking sight that gave quite a fright. Everyone with Harry was dressed in heavy garbs and dragonhide gloves handling labelled glasses (labels printed from Harry’s laptop).

After pouring a substance into glass jar Harry slapped a sticker on it and said, "Now that's cooked Wolf's bane. We have to let that sit for 24 hours. Ginny, put this on the shelf in the other room and put a timer next to it set for a day exactly. Ron! That has to stir counter clockwise or it's ruined! It's a good colour, keep going."

Harry noticed McGonagall was present and called out, "Ladles up! Drop what you're doing! Front and centre everyone."

Like a precision drill team, everyone put away their utensils and lined up in front of McGonagall, ready for inspection. Minerva was shocked to see even Luna was amazingly focused. She looked over the students and saw their smocks were properly tied off for hard work to last a whole day of brewing. Then she inspected the cauldrons.

Once through with the inspection, McGonagall asked, "What's going on, here?"

"Remedial potions, professor," said Harry.

Looking over the lip of a cauldron, McGonagall asked, "You're brewing werewolf potion?"

"Yes ma'am, to assist Professor Lupin, and the Order," said Harry.

"Do you have Asphyxicon?" asked McGonagall

"Yes ma'am, that and fresh bezoar, which we purchased just this morning at Diagon Alley," said Harry.

"That has to cook at a very set temperature for three days," said McGonagall, "But I notice you already have the burners set and timed for that. You have an excellent set of cauldrons here."

"That's not all ma'am," said Harry.

Harry led with his chair to the storage room. The room was re-organized with dozens of giant shelves, each weighing several tons somehow moved by magic to make room for a huge empty stage.

"We're using this to practice Defence Against the Dark Arts," said Harry, down at the far end is a huge greenhouse," said Harry, "There's a room over here we found. It used to be an office, we converted it into a class."

“A class?” asked McGonagall.

The office was a rather sterile looking place, with a few black boards and writing desks. There were two wooden filing cabinets with the drawers marked with incomprehensible symbols. The writing desks had a large collection of oddities sitting on them, like teakettles, cups, cutlery, an iron, a few torches, and cheap figurines.

“What were you planning on teaching here?” asked McGonagall.

“We were hoping you would,” said Harry, “We can practice and improve on our own with the DA and potions, but we need an experienced instructor for transfiguration. I know that you have important missions and we don’t want to interfere with them at all. If you can spare one or two tutorials a week, that’s great. Wonderful. If not we’re going ahead anyway.”

“You do realize Hogwarts can not recognize any credit from this covert adventure?” said McGonagall.

“This is not about marks or better grades,” said Harry, “This is about becoming better wizards. I wrote to Neville to come and help with herbology and we’re not even taking that class anymore. It’s just like the Order, we’re gathering skills under this roof for the sole purpose to prepare wizards and witches to confront and defeat evil. We’re going to try to get by as much as we can on our own but sooner or later we need a real instructor to come by and check on our progress.”

“Just how committed are you, Mr. Potter?” asked McGonagall.

“Enough to promise you two more wizards that can produce Patroni before the end of summer,” said Harry, “And at least six more on top of that before the end of the school year. Six members of the DA who can produce Patroni will be graduating this year, so you’ll have them in the field within a year.”

McGonagall took a deep breath and said, “Two classes a week, for one hour after Hermione’s tutelage, BUT, on a condition.”

“Speak it,” said Harry.

“You will all join Hermione in the one hour private instructio mag magical medicines,” said McGonagall, “If you all want to battle evil, you might want to learn a little triage and healing skills to put yourselves back together out in the field.”

“Done,” said Harry, who shook hands with McGonagall.

“Also I think I should send a professor to drop in on you once in a while, to make sure you haven’t all blown yourselves up,” said McGonagall.

“All from Hogwarts are welcome, day or night,” said Harry.

“I’m going to hold you to that, Potter,” said McGonagall, “What you’re doing here is quite extraordinary. Keep it up.”

The Professor hugged Harry and asked, “See you tomorrow at 3 pm, upstairs in the drawing room?”

Harry said they’d all be there with bells on. Fred and George were the most impressed with McGonagall’s training in emergency healing skills, with a rather ominous feeling they might actually need them, and they learned advanced skills in a frighteningly short amount of time that even impressed Hermione. Before Hermione only thought Fred and George were only good at acts of juvenile magical vandalism, now she was starting to acknowledge they were formidable wizards capable of doing anything they really put their minds to.
Three days later, after spending most of their time trying their best to categorize the near-infinite Black family stock, Harry received a visitor in the basement while they were brewing a complicated stew. Harry was promised by McGonagall that she w sen send a professor from Hogwarts to visit and assess their progress, but he didn’t expect it to be Professor Snape. Holding a clipboard he walked down the stairs and surveyed the basement.

Harry gave a loud whistle and called out, “Ladles up! Potions master on the floor! Front and centre, move! Move! Move!”

Just like McGonagall, everyone present, lined up for inspection like a military troop. Snape was caught completely unprepared for this sight and for a moment looked like he wasn’t sure what to do.

“McGonagall sent me to make sure you all haven’t blown yourselves up,” said Snape.

“No explosions here, sir,” said Harry, “At least no unintentional ones.”

Snape walked down the line, seeing dragonhide coverings and properly tied off smocks he had not seen since he apprenticed for professional potion masters. He was upset he couldn’t find anything to fault with their dress, so he inspected the cauldrons. The first potion he saw almost made his jaw drop. It wasn’t the fact it was a NEWT level illicit potion, it was the fact it appeared flawless that upset him so.

“Werewolf potion?” asked Snape.

“Yes sir, ready today.”

“Fresh bezoar?”

“Slaughtered the goat the same day it went in the pot,” said Harry.

“Killed on a full moon?” asked Snape.

“That instruction is not in the ingredients.”

“It doesn’t hurt, Potter,” said Snape as he ran his finger along the lip of the cauldron, “Who supervised this potion?”

“I brewed it,” said Harry, “But Hermione supervised.”

“I should have known,” said Snape, “Great technical skill, complete lack of artistic flair.”

“We weren’t planning to finger paint with it,” said Harry.

Snape stirred the potion a little to test its viscosity, then handed Harry the clipboard.

“Sign this,” said Snape.

Without much thought, Harry took a pen from his shirt.

“What is it?” Harry asked as he signed some formal looking document.

Harry handed it back to Snape and he cast a spell on the parchment with his finger to make a stamp appear on it.

“It upgrades your potions OWL in mark from an Exceptional to an Outstanding,” said Snape, “And don’t thank me, Potter, I didn’t do you any favours.”

“Ooh-kaaaay, before you go, got any advice?” asked Harry.

“I’ll give you the best advice my potions master ever gave me,” said Snape, “While you’re still an apprentice NEVER TRY TO INVENT ANYTHING.”

Then Snape went up to Fred and George on his way out and said, “That means you two.”

As Snape left Hermione called up the stairs, "The coffee filters are in the top cupboard next to the stairs!"

"Thank you, Ms. Granger," Snape said in a haughty tone and left.

Everyone stood still trying not to laugh or snork out loud until they heard the door to the kitchen slam. Right after it did the chatter started immediately.

"What the hell was THAT all about?" asked Harry.

"The arrogant toad bugged me about coffee filters last week," said Hermione.

"Not that, I mean, 'I didn't do you any favours, Potter'?"

"Who cares, Harry, your plan was brilliant!" said Hermione as she took Harry's hands and swung him around a little.

"Woah! What-"

"You got an Outstanding on your OWL's!" said Hermione, "Snape can't give out OWL grades as acting professor, but as a FORMER professor and potions master he can! Oh, bugger -if only I brewed up my own potion, I could have upgraded my mark too!"

"You already have an Outstanding, what else do you want?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Well, there's always Outstanding plus," said Hermione.

"Hermione, this isn't about better marks!" said Harry.

"Oh that's fine for you to say, you just jumped up your OWL by two whole grades," said Hermione.

"Hermione, this mission is about becoming better wizards," said Harry, "Look at Fred and George, you think they give a damn about grades? If somebody wants to dole out marks, fine, but that's not why we're here."

"Besides," said Fred as he pulled out an illicit potions book, "We're here to learn stuff they wont even allow in Hogwarts."

Hermione pointed at the book and said, "Didn't you hear Snape?"

"We heard him very well," said Fred.

"Yeah, he said 'Don't invent anything'," said George.

"But we don't need to with the brilliant gems in this baby," said Fred.

"We wouldn't mind taking credit for them if nobody has in a while," said George.

"Guys, go use the cauldron in the far corner over there if you're going to fool around with that thing," said Harry, "And document every ingredient you use! In case you both turn yourselves into toads or something and we have to take you to St. Mungos."

"Yes, Professor Potter, sir," Fred and George said simultaneously.

Watching Fred and George march ofarryarry lost himself in a train of intrigued thought.

"What are you looking so chuffed about?" asked Hermione.

"Hmmm. Professor Potter," said Harry, "Has a bit of a ring, doesn't it?"

Hermione slapped Harry on the shoulder. Together they stored the werewolf potion, wondering what Lupin's reaction would be when he received enough to last a whole year, or maybe cure him altogether. Luna and Ron were cooking wolf's bane to be later used in several planned potions. Ginny was working on creating enchanted glass balls produced by a common and ancient witch's brew. She lifted the balls out of her cauldron with her dragonhide gloves and put them to dry one by one on a workhorse right next to the deep and giant chasm the potion lab faced.

"What's that for?" asked Hermione.

"I put an enchantment on them similar to Fred and George's fireworks," said Ginny, "Watch this."

Ginny tapped her wand to one of the glass balls and it glowed and began to hover. With effortless skill Ginny guided it way out into the chasm and pulled her wand away as it began to hover on its own in the great empty space.

"Now watch this," said Ginny.

Taking a battle stance, Ginny raised her wand and cast out a demolition spell at the glowing orb. She struck it head on and it split into three separate orbs. Ginny then chased after the smaller pieces, skilfully smashing them into smaller and smaller pieces as they chased all over the chasm. Eventually there was nothing left.

"Target practice," said Ginny.

"Wicked!" cried out Ron, "We've never been able to practice demolition spells before, now we can!"

Ron tried to make contact with some flying orbs with his own wayward and inexperienced demolition spells, as they watched Harry squeezed Hermione's hand.

"See what I mean?" said Harry, "We use one field of magic to help increase our expertise in another. It's all tied together, Hermione. Herbology and potions, potions and charms, charms and defence against the dark arts."

"I see it, Harry, I just- I don't favour the idea of using magic just to become weapons of mass destruction," said Hermione, "Still, Ginny sure is one wicked marksman, isn't she?"

"Scary," said Harry.

Harry turned the chasm into a shooting range for their DA meetings, everyone trying to grade themselves on how well they did compared to the prodigy Ginny. In an act of leadership, Harry delegated to Ginny how to teach marksmanship and even picked up a few pointers from her himself. The potions lab brewed and brewed until people upstairs complained about the smell.
Dumbledore himself came to observe, but only observe, as he stood by the stairs and watched them work as no one noticed him in the busy humming of the lab. When they finally saw him, he waved his hand and insisted they carry on working. Harry gave him a tour and a brief outlay to their pcts.cts. Dumbledore even tried out the shooting range, and set a new standard of excellence as his wand could fire several demolition bolts at once, then have them split into as many needed to chase down the pieces into nothingness. The light show lit up the cavern completely revealing all its stalagmites and stalactites from top to bottom.
Everyone clapped over the great spectacle of skill. Just as he headed for the stairs, Dumbledore commented he would love to visit the arboretum and Harry said he was welcome to anytime he wanted to. He also insisted if any members of the Order wanted a little downtime they could stroll through it any time they pleased.

"You have formed yourself a fine school, here Harry," said Dumbledore.

"A school? Well, I never thought of it that way," said Harry, "I just thought of it as training. I said right from the beginning, it's not about marks or recognition, it's about improvement."

"Is that all?" asked Dumbledore, sounding disappointed.

"Well, no, there's more. There's learning involved, but at the same time it's like we're looking for something," said Harry, "I just can't put it into words right."

"The quest for knowledge and truth, in its purest form," said Dumbledore, "A lot of schools start out this way. Exactly this way, actually."

"It'll be a while before we start handing out certificates and grades," said Harry.

"Don't rush it," said Dumbledore, "By the way, this post has just come fou." u."

Two letters were addressed from Neville Longbottom and Dean Thomas, Harry tore into them excitedly.

Harry called out, "Hey! Neville's coming. He can stay for the last two weeks before school. He suggests we meet in Diagon Alley when we're shopping for our textbooks. Says his mother is quite chuffed about him being in the DA and gettinvitevited to stay in the house that's hosting the Order."

Harry turned to Dumbledore and explained, "We're hoping Neville will be our resident expert about plants, help sort out the green house and all. He's mad about plants, you know."

Harry then read the other letter and was disappointed to see Dean would not be free for the summer as he was working. It seemed to Harry that it was important what they were doing needed to be shared as much as possible, and Dumbledore agreed saying just as he left, knowledge shared is knowledge cherished. For a moment Harry spoke with Hermione that maybe other after class meetings should be formed besides just DA meetings, but Hermione, who was studying a book for ingredients, retorted about how difficult it was just to organize DA meetings.

"I don't see how we can have time for other classes," said Hermione as she flipped a page, "Unless you want to give up Quiddich."

"Not happg." g."

"I didn't think so," said Hermione, "But we are taking fewer classes this year. We're getting at least five extra study periods, maybe we can use those?"

"That will only work for people who have the same schedule as we do," said Harry, "It doesn't seem right to keep this just in Gryffindor. I want to spread this out as much as I can among the whole school."

"Including Slytherin?" Hermione tossed in coyfully.

"They've shown quite clearly who they side with," said Harry, "If they want special practice Malfoy can reform the Inquisitorial Squad and teach them himself, the pratt."

"They wont learch tch that way," said Hermione, "Malfoy knows his way around a hex or two, but he just isn't that good of a wizard overall. He doesn't even ride a broom properly, you notice?"

"Of course I noticed," said Harry, "He locks his ankles all wrong, that's how he keeps winding up on his ass in the grass. And the biggest laugh is he's too much of a big shot in Slytherin for anyone to correct him."

Hermione shut her book and asked, "Harry, do you remember what the sorting hat said last year?"

"Yeah, the damn thing's gone loopy," said Harry.

Frustrated, Hermione slammed her book on the workbench and said, "Oh! You sound as thick-headed as Ron!"

"What?"

"You remember what the hat said about 'A house divided' will fall?" asked Hermione.

"It's the Slytherins who should have paid attention to that warning," said Harry, "They're the ones who everyone cheers to beat for the Quiddich and the House Cup. They're the ones who sided with Umbridge. They're the ones who turned their backs on Hogwarts. Look where it's gotten them!"

"Did you ever consider why?" d Hed Hermione.

"I don't know, it's just some feud that goes back way before we ever got to Hogwarts," said Harry.

"Harry, I don't think that warning was just for Slytherin."

"Well I've done my bit," said Harry, "I formed the DA to let in people from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff as well as Gryffindor, I even let in that Zacharias Smith who did nothing but doubt me all year last year."

"But what if someone from Slytherin asked to join?" asked Hermione.

Without even thinking, Harry responded, "I'd kick them in the ass so hard they'd land in Hogsmead!"

Ron and Luna looked up and Ron asked, "Okay there, Harry?"

"I'm fine, carry on, fine," said Harry and he turned back to Hermione, "Okay, Hermione, I see your point. Fair to all houses and all that. I'll tell you what, I'll let Slytherins into the D.A.- BUT on a condition."

"Yes?"

"They have to ASK first," said Harry, "Do you think that's an unreasonable condition?"

"Who's going to tell them they're welcome?" asked Hermione.

"You can," said Harry, "If you want to waste your time humiliating yourself extending an olive branch to those goons, go ahead. I have work to do. And before you go putting too much credit into that sorting hat, remember that batty old thing tried to put ME in Slytherin."

Harry wheeled away in a huff, and Hermione muttered under her breath, "Maybe you're the who needs to consider why that hat tried to put you in Slytherin. Not to mention that batty old thing saved your life."

Harry grumbled over his cauldron, the sour smelling bubbling brew reflecting his mood. He sprinkled ingredients into it like tossing thoughts from his head. Was Hermione out of her mind, wanting to bring Slytherins into the D.A.? Just what on earth was she playing at? It was bad enough he had doubts about himself when the hat wanted to put him in Slytherin, the idea he could be evil nearly drove him mad on many occasions, and now Hermione wanted that evil brought right onto his doorstep. Nothing good could ever come from getting chummy with Slytherins, Harry was convinced of that. They would betray him.
However, there was nothing to betray him to. The D.A. was going ahead with teacher's consent, and the educational decrees from last year must have been repealed. There wasn't as much to lose. Then again, Harry thought as he tossed some common wheat grass into his brew, there was everything to lose. Instinctively Harry dipped a ladle into brew and brought it up to his lips, for his mood it had a fitting bitter taste.

"For God's sake, why are you tasting that, Harry?" Ron asked as he looked at him wide eyed.

"I'll stick my fuckin' head in and drown if it suits me, alright?"

Harry grumbled and tossed his ladle into the cauldron, then he muttered and rolled off away into the arboretum to settle down. He climbed out of his chair and onto the edge of the fountain so he could kick his legs back a forth and pretend he was a normal person for a while. Rubbing his thighs, Harry would have given anything to be normal again. At that moment, he wished he could even be a common muggle, just to be on his feet and out of the war.
All summer he tried to have a normal life, doing normal things. Go shopping, buy muggle clothes, make love, but all of it just seemed to be a distraction from his reality. He was a wizard, again and again the fate of the world rested on his shoulders. This quest for improvement was just a desperate grasp to catch up to the expectations people had of him. Why couldn't he just sit at a computer, watch TV, and get fat scarffing down chips like a normal teenager his age?
Soon after his legs got tired, Harry just lay on his side on the stone just to watch the sun go through the sky. The spell above the green house never really showed a clear blue sky. It was just a strange white haze with sunlight coming through, like it was always a little overcast with lots of mist in the air. Harry reached down to the ground and chucked rocks into the fountain, then he saw Ron approaching.

"You might want to come in before dark," said Ron, "God knows what's in this place."

Harry didn't answer and just kept skipping pebbles across the water.

"You missed magical medical instruction from McGonagall, she asked where you were," said Ron.

Harry still didn't answer. Ron carefully sat next to Harry on the edge of the fountain.

“So what does undercooked Doxycide potion taste like?” asked Ron.

“It takes like boiled wheat grass,” said Harry.

“And what does THAT taste like?”

“It tastes like shit,” said Harry, “What do you want?”

"Hermione told me what you were talking about," said Ron, "She's mad, mate, utterly mad. You're totally right for being pissed at her about bringing Slytherins into the DA. I mean, the idea of letting them join, it's totally daft."

"I said I'd do it, you know," said Harry as he strained to sit up.

"You didn't mean it!"

"I did,” said Harry, “Relax, what are the odds they're going to ask?"

"Well, Malfoy and his lot won't," said Ron, "But what about the kids from the younger years?" WhatWhat do you mean?"

"Malfoy and his lot are a bit of an inner circle among Slytherins," said Ron, "They don't travel with everyone. A lot of Slytherins accused him of forming a clique. Some early year students even called them traitors for siding with Umbridge, no one but him was happy with that bodged up class she taught last year. I heard a lot of first and second year Slytherins felt cheated."

"Where are you getting all this from?" asked Harry.

"Luna," saon, on, "She has a friend in third year who's actually dating a Slytherin who was let behind a year."

"No shit?" asked Harry, "They accused Draco of forming a clique, eh?"

"Well, they kind of said the same thing about you, Harry," Ron said carefully, "After they heard about the DA."

Harry thought that over for a second, then asked, "What do you think about the sorting hat's warning from last year?"

"I think Hermione is a glutton for lost causes, mate," said Ron, "First SPnow now this. She tried talking to me about that hat's warning, it's all toddle."

"But what if it isn't?" asked Harry, "That hat is supposed to have the brains from all four of the Hogwarts founders in there, it has centuries of experience to draw upon. Maybe it knows a thing or two."

Ron just shook his head disapprovingly and said, "Maybe it knows a thing or two about writing loopy lyrics once a year and how to sort people into their houses, that's it."

Harry put his hands behind his head as he lay back on the stone and, "Did you ever wonder what would have become of me if I ever wound up in Slytherin? How things would have turned out? What if I never met you or Hermione to make me wish I was in Gryffindor? What if I did what the hat suggested?"

"I would try not to think of that, mate."

"Not easy," said Harry, "My point is, what if there's other people there just like me? Who never had the opportunity to make their way into another house? Never had the foresight or warning that I had about what kind of place Slytherin is?"

"I asked my mom about that some time ago," said Ron, "She said everyone winds up where they are for a reason. No matter where you are, you're exactly where you're supposed to be."

Harry sat up and called his chair over to climb into it.

"I think I better go apologize to Hermione," said Harry.

"Good idea," said Ron, "I'd like to get out of here before the sun goes down."

Harry patched things up between himself and Hermione with a simple "You're right and I'm wrong" admission, but offered no encouragement to Hermione about reaching out to Slytherins and hoped, secretly, she would get bored with/or abandon the idea. Also Harry complained everyone had holed themselves up in a basement for too long and they should spend some time on a holiday.
The next day Harry again got a ministry car and they all headed to a muggle amusement park. It was the one Dudley passed when Harry and Hermione first headed for London that summer. Ron was certain a muggle amusement park would be boring, but he instantly shifted opinions when he was sped ped into a roller coaster and flung upside-down a dozen times at over 60 mph. Ron was terrified, his girlfriend and Ginny were absolutely thrilled.
Harry was surprised that the park would allow him to go on several rides that had wheelchair assistance, and enjoyed himself on mechanical marvels designed to whip him around at every possible angle. Being a Quiddich player, such aerial manoeuvres may seem old hat to him, but he had to admit surrendering his safety to a machine had a certain daringness to it. Muggles seemed to trust them implicitly, wizards and witches were left feeling like they where in the hands of maniacal vehicles of insanity.
A little rain came down around lunchtime so Ginny took the girls on a tour through what she called "junk shops" (a phrase she picked up from American muggles) looking at T-shirts and novelties of all kinds. Hermione bought a custom airbrushed blouse with a unicorn painted on it. Fred and George bought a disposable camera and were taking pictures of all the oddities they found in the stores, looking for ideas of what to sell in their own shop.

"Wicked great research," said Fred.

"Yeah, we're getting LOADS of ideas from this trip, Harry," said George.

Harry flung a T-shirt onto George's head that had "Island Ape" printed on it and told them to stop working and buy something. Despite the fact Ron had quickly gotten used to riding roller coasters, he was absolutely terrified by bumper cars, as he had never seen muggle contraptions that were actually designed to collide with one another before. With Hermione's feet on the peddles, she and Harry smashed into Ron and Luna as the girls laughed and Ron whined he wanted to get off.
The trip defidefinitely improved everybody's mood, and Harry learned a valuable lesson that treating everyone increased productivity. His own prowess with potions had increased steadily, and Fred and George were up to God-knows-what in the corner brewing up things that seemed to bend reality itself around the cauldron. Everyone avoided their workspace as though they were afraid of getting sucked into a blackhole that would drop them into a bizarre alternate dimension, and Fred and George were just fine with that. One day Hermione was very cautiously looking over the lip of their cauldron and felt a sharp tug at the back of her hair.

"Ouch!"

"Oh! Sorry!" said Ginny, standing behind her, "I was trying to pull you back and one of the scales of my glove must have gotten caught on your hair. You don't want to get too close to that, Hermione!"

"What do you think they're brewing in there?" asked Hermione as she rubbed her head.

"I don't know, but it belches blue fire at random intervals," said Ginny, "And it smells just AWFUL. You don't want a face full of THAT. What were you doing, looking in there anyway?"

"We're missing some boomslang, I was wondering if they were using it," said Hermione.

"Would you be able to tell just by looking in the cauldron?" asked Ginny.

"No, I guess not, but still, I can't help but be curious," said Hermione as she shook her head, "Just what the hell are those two up to?"

"Do you have any idea how many times I've heard my mom say that?" asked Ginny, "I'm used to just leaving them to their little projects. They've always been up to stuff, long before they ever went to Hrts,rts, trust me. Why don't you have a look in their log book and see if it's in there?"

"I looked, boomslang is in there alright, but there's no note of whether or not they actually put it in the pot," said Hermione.

Ginny laughed and told Hermione to just let it go, this was life as normal as it gets with the twins around. Things went missing and always turned up with something else to spare later. Insisting that Hermione just make sure the rest of the D.A. doesn't accidentally poison themselves, Ginny returned to her own station to take off her gloves. As she pulled on them off she noticed a long strand of Hermione's hair was still stuck to one of the dragon scales. Looking around, Ginny quickly pulled the hair off and carefully spun it into a ball and tucked it into her pants pocket under her apron.
Soon came the day Fred and George had to leave for Paris for their secret mission. Hermione was quick to dismiss it as a joke, but yet again found herself vastly underestimating Fred and George. The send off they got was full of tears from Mrs. Weasley as though her boys were off to war. Arthur Weasley kept a brave face and a stout attitude, proud as hell his boys were in the Order, as though they each had made Head Boy at Hogwarts. The twins shook hands with Dumbledore and exchanged cryptic remarks with him over the potions they had been brewing in the basement. George slipped Ron and Ginny some money to take with them to Hogwarts, and with a blink they, and all their belongings were gone. Mrs. Weasley cried a little as Arthur comforted her.

"They Apparated?" asked Hermione.

"Of course," said Dumbledore.

"All the way to Paris?" asked Hermione.

Dumbledore explained they would have taken the train, but they didn't care for the Chunnel as it made them feel a little claustrophobic. Hermione just raised her eyebrows and pouted her lips in an expression of "who knew"? Then Hermione had to explain to Ron that the hundred pound note was worth 25 galleons and to stop regarding the thing as though George had handed him a tissue.

"THAT'S what this is worth?" Ron asked, "Oh, I get it, it makes sense, don't it? He can't exactly slip me a sack of galleons without mum noticing now can he?"

Ginny had her note tucked away with an expression of she was finally going to get the boots she wanted. She commented if she would get the chance to work in the twins’ new store in Paris as she would love to stay there and earn some money. Not to mention just to be in Paris would be quite an adventure in itself. Feeling less than adventurous, Harry inspected Fred and George's workspace. Ron was poking a ladle around the bottom of the now empty cauldron and set off a "Bubo Bomb" covering him in Bubotubber puss. Harry laughed and Ron told him to shut up. Luna tried to clean him off.

"You know what this means?" said Harry.

"Yeah, I'll miss them too, the wankers" said Ron as he pulled out his wand, "Scourgify!"