Trip Home

Soon it was the day to leave. Harry woke up early, the excitement of the day ahead coursing through him. He would finally be back home. He quickly slipped into some jeans and t-shirt and stepped out of his dormitory. 

As he stepped out of the Gryffindor dormitory, the common room was already buzzing with activity. Students were bustling about, gathering their belongings and saying their farewells before departing for the holidays. He glanced at the clock on the wall, to see that it said 7:45 am. He had just about 30 minutes to take care of his errands before he could grab a quick breakfast at the Great Hall and then getting to the station at Hogwarts.

He looked around to see if he could find Ron and Hermione. Then he remembered passing by Ron's bed that still had it's curtain drawn. He saw that Hermione was sitting near the fireplace reading a book. He quickly made his way to her. 

Hermione looked up from her book as Harry approached, a smile lighting up her face. "Good morning, Harry," she greeted warmly.

"Morning, Hermione," Harry replied with a smile of his own. "I'm going to Hogsmeade in a few minutes to pick up a few things before we leave. Would you like to come with me?"

Hermione considered for a moment before nodding. "Sure, I want to take some sweets from Honeydukes for my parents."

"Great, meet me in the outside the common room in five minutes," Harry said before quickly turning on his heel and darting back towards the dormitory area.

He made his way to Ron's bed, where the curtain was still drawn. "Ron, wake up!" he called out, giving the curtains a firm shake.

Ron groaned and stirred, slowly emerging from his slumber. "What's up, Harry?" he mumbled sleepily.

"We're heading to Hogsmeade before leaving for the holidays. Get ready, we're leaving in five minutes," Harry informed him.

Ron rubbed his eyes and nodded groggily, swinging his legs out of bed and starting to get dressed. Harry waited patiently as Ron got dressed, exchanging a few more groggy words with him before they made their way downstairs to the common room. There, Hermione was already waiting for them, a book tucked under her arm.

"Good morning, Ron," Hermione greeted with a warm smile.

"Morning," Ron mumbled, still rubbing his eyes. "What's the plan for today?"

"We're heading to Hogsmeade before we leave for the holidays," Harry explained. "I need to pick up some sweets for my mum and sister."

Hermione nodded in agreement. "I was thinking of getting some wizard sweets for my parents too."

Ron's expression softened at the mention of buying something for home. Harry noticed this with a sense of satisfaction, knowing that Ron's financial worries would soon be a thing of the past.

As they started walking towards the exit of the common room, Harry suddenly remembered something. "You know, I never properly thanked Mrs. Weasley for her fudge," he said thoughtfully.

Ron shrugged. "She doesn't want anything from you, Harry. She's just glad you like her cooking."

Harry smirked inwardly at the thought of the surprise awaiting the Weasley family, but Hermione caught his expression. She didn't say anything, but her observant eyes lingered on him for a moment as she followed them to a nearby empty classroom. 

They quickly entered the classroom after making sure that no one was around. 

"Ready?", Harry asked as he held out his hands. Both Ron and Hermione grabbed one of his hand tightly and nodded. Harry smirked and turned on the spot. 

They apparated to the entrance of Hogsmeade, greeted by the bustling activity of the village. Wizards and witches were already out and about, exploring the various shops and getting there shopping done.

As they landed, Ron and Hermione released Harry's hands, ready to head towards Honeydukes. However, Harry felt an odd sensation stirring within him, a subtle but undeniable pull on his magic. It wasn't like anything he had experienced before, and it drew his attention to a secluded stall at the far end of the bustling street. It was as if a mysterious force was reaching out to him, calling out to him. It was as if a part of him that he didn't know was calling out to him to get it back. 

Sensing Harry's tension, Ron and Hermione turned to him with concern. "What's wrong, Harry?" Hermione asked, her brow furrowed.

Harry didn't take his eyes off the mysterious stall outside the Apothecary. "You two go ahead to Honeydukes," he said quietly. "I'll catch up with you in a bit."

Ron and Hermione exchanged worried glances, but something in Harry's tone convinced them to comply without further questioning. They nodded and headed towards the sweet shop, leaving Harry to follow the strange pull of his magic alone.

Harry put his magic on overdrive and walked towards the stall slowly. He had no way of knowing what it was which was calling out to him so being on guard was good. He slowly approached the stall and saw that it contained various potion ingredients. The stall was nothing but a make shift wooden frame that had been built on the spot. There was a large scroll hanging on the front that said, "Potion Ingredients Clearance sale".

Harry facepalmed. Why did his magical energy pull him towards a sale of potion ingredients. Harry looked at the potion ingredients. There were many good ingredients that he could use to make different potions but why were they on sale?

Seeing Harry look at the ingredients with interest the cleric of the Apothecary came out to the stall. 

"Good Morning to you young man. Like anything?", the cleric asked. The cleric didn't look much old. He should be about Mr. Weasley's age. 

"Why are they on sale, sir? These ingredients are good ones that are quite necessary for many potions", Harry said even though he knew that the answer would be synthetic stabilizers. All the ingredients there worked as a stabilizer in many potions. But after the discovery of synthetic stabilizers these ingredients are not barely used. 

"That would be because of synthetic stabilizers. All these ingredients were originally used as potion stabilizers but after the discovery of synthetic stabilizers...well...this is where we are now", the clerk said with a smile.

Harry nodded and let out a wisp of his magical energy to see what was it that called him here. His magical energy floated towards the block of water resin on the far left of the ingredients. Well these ingredients certainly were outdated. Unless you had the forgotten recipes, which was quite beneficial for Harry. 

"I'll take them all sir, it would be good for experimenting", Harry smiled at the clerk. 

The clerk's eyebrows rose in surprise at Harry's request, but he quickly recovered and smiled. "Of course, young man. A wise choice for someone interested in potion experimentation."

He began gathering up the various ingredients into a bundled package, while Harry paid for them. As Harry took possession of the package, the clerk leaned in slightly, his expression earnest.

"Be careful with your experiments, young man. Some of these ingredients can be quite volatile in the wrong hands."

Harry nodded solemnly, understanding the clerk's warning and put everything in his subspace pouch. He would have to check the water resin once he was back home. With a final thank you, he bid the clerk farewell and rejoined Ron and Hermione, who were waiting for him near Honeydukes. 

"What happened Harry?", Ron asked.

"I don't know myself Ron. I will have to look more into it", Harry replied as he ushered them into the shop. The duo knew that Harry would not answer anymore questions so they just entered the shop to get what they need. 

As Ron and Hermione got lost in the sea of sweets, Harry approached the counter where the shopkeeper was finishing up with another customer. Once the shopkeeper turned to him, Harry placed his order with a smile.

As Ron and Hermione got lost in the sea of sweets, Harry approached the counter where the shopkeeper was finishing up with another customer. Once the shopkeeper turned to him, Harry placed his order with a smile.

"I'll need three gift boxes filled with your best assortment of chocolates and treats," Harry said, gesturing towards the various confections on display. "And another box of your fudge, please."

The shopkeeper nodded and set to work, skillfully assembling the requested items into beautifully presented gift boxes. Harry waited for Ron and Hermione while the shopkeeper packed his things. Hermione and Ron emerged with Ron helping Hermione carry the sweets. 

As Harry waited, Hermione and Ron joined him at the counter, laden with an array of chocolates and treats. Among their haul were chocolate frogs, Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, and some colorful Fizzing Whizzbees.

As they emptied their sweets onto the counter, Harry couldn't help but tease Hermione about her dentist parents. "Do you think they'd approve of all these sweets, Bushy Bunny?" he quipped, a mischievous glint in his eye.

Hermione fidgeted awkwardly, her cheeks flushing slightly. "I certainly hope so," she replied with a nervous laugh.

Ron and Harry chuckled at Hermione's response. Then, Harry turned to Ron with a grin. "Hey Ron, why don't you grab some snacks for the train ride?" he suggested.

"But we will get snacks on the trolley", Ron retorted. 

"Then get some we won't get on the train", Harry replied. Ron nodded and went back to the shelves. Harry's mind drifted off to the surprise the twins and he had planned for the Weasley family. How would they react? Will they accept it? What if they don't? What then? Moreover will Ron be able to accept it, that I went behind his back to help his family? 

"...ng man! Young man!", the shopkeepers voice shook him out of his thoughts. Harry looked at the shopkeeper who had placed 3 big boxes along with a small one of the counter. 

"Ah, how much for these?" Harry inquired, his attention fully on the boxes.

"16 galleons and 3 knuts," the shopkeeper replied, offering a friendly smile.

Harry pulled out the exact amount from his pouch and handed it to the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper thanked him and turned to Hermione. The shopkeeper began to pack up the sweets Hermione had chosen, carefully arranging them in a sturdy box. Ron returned from his search among the shelves, announcing that they could take Honey cakes and fudge which are not available on the trolley. Everything else was too large to be considered snacks just for the train ride.

Harry considered this for a moment before turning to Ron and Hermione. "Do you two really want to take the train back, or shall I Apparate us home?" he asked.

Both Ron and Hermione paused, considering their options. The train journey wasn't particularly thrilling, and they could get back faster with Apparation

"I'd rather Apparate, I don't want to take the boring train ride back home" Ron admitted, echoing Hermione's sentiment with a nod.

"Agreed," Hermione added. "The train ride can be dreadfully long."

Harry nodded in understanding. "Alright then, I'll Apparate us back home. So I'll Apparate Hermione first and then I'll take you guys", he said to Ron. He too didn't want to take the train back. It was just too boring.

 "Ok great!", Hermione said with a smile. With their plans settled, they paid for their purchases and made their way out of Honeydukes. Harry put all the packages into his subspace pouch and they quickly made their way to a secluded spot.

After ensuring that no one was watching them, Harry held out his hands to Ron and Hermione. With a firm grip, they Apparated back to the empty classroom they had departed from earlier. Upon their safe arrival, Harry handed his subspace pouch to Hermione.

"Put your luggage in here," Harry instructed, demonstrating how to open the pouch. "Just pull the string to loosen the mouth, and it'll suck everything in. Pull the other string to close the mouth."

Hermione nodded, taking the pouch from Harry and racing ahead of the two. Ron and Harry made their way back leisurely talking about the holiday plans. Ron, ever curious, tried to pry some information from Harry about the surprise the twins had planned, but Harry remained tight-lipped.

"You'll find out soon enough when we get home mate" Harry said with a mischievous grin, leaving Ron to speculate as they walked. The common room like before was still filled with students that were excited to head back home. The only difference was that it was relatively empty than before. They students had probably gone down to the Great Hall to get their breakfast.

As they entered the common room, Harry noticed Fred and George engaged in what seemed like a serious discussion near the fireplace. He glanced at Ron and suggested he should go and check if he had forgotten anything while packing. With a nod, Ron headed off to their dormitory.

Approaching Fred and George, Harry greeted them with a smile. "What's going on, guys?" he asked as he took a seat beside them.

Fred and George looked up, their expressions a mix of excitement and concern. "Orders are still pouring in, Harry," Fred explained. "And now we're getting requests from outside of Hogwarts too. It's getting a bit overwhelming, especially since we're leaving for the holidays."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Seems like you're in quite a fix," he remarked. "But why not just send out a letter to let everyone know you won't be taking any more orders for now? And explain that you'll resume after the break due to family plans."

Fred and George exchanged a surprised glance, as if this idea hadn't occurred to them before. "That's... actually a brilliant idea," George admitted.

"Exactly," Harry agreed. "And don't worry, I'll help you out with completing the orders during the holidays. I always carry a portable potion table with me."

Fred and George's faces lit up with relief. It seemed they hadn't realized they had such a simple solution to their problem.

Fred and George thanked Harry before rising from their seats to check on their packing. However, Harry called them back.

"Wait a moment," Harry said, causing the twins to pause. "Bring your luggage down to the common room, and tell Percy to do the same. I'll apparate all of us back home; I'd rather not take the train."

Fred and George exchanged a knowing glance, having grown accustomed to Harry's unconventional solutions. They nodded in agreement and headed upstairs to gather their belongings.

"Hey Harry, we've been looking for you," Ron said as he approached, followed closely by Hermione.

"Hi Harry, here's your subspace pouch. I've already put my luggage in there," Hermione said, handing him the pouch.

Harry took the pouch. "Great. And Ron, did you check your stuff? We're about to leave."

"Yeah, all set," Ron confirmed.

"Great. Just wait here for a bit; the twins and Percy will be joining us shortly," Harry told Hermione, gesturing for her to stay put as he headed towards the stairs.

"Good," Harry said with a nod. "Just wait here for a bit; the twins and Percy will be joining us shortly."

Harry and Ron then made their way to their dormitory to collect their luggage. Harry stowed both his and Ron's luggage into his subspace pouch. Ron looked shocked as everything disappeared into the small pouch. 

"Where did you get that, Harry?" Ron asked, eyeing the subspace pouch in Harry's hand.

"I got it from the Quidditch store at Diagon Alley, I believe," Harry replied casually.

Ron's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Must have cost a fortune if it can store all that stuff," he remarked, gesturing towards the pouch.

Harry shook his head. "Not really. It only cost about 7 galleons, I think," he revealed as they began to descend the stairs to the common room.

"What? Just 7 galleons?" Ron exclaimed incredulously. "I thought it would be around 1000-1500 galleons, considering the amount of storage it has."

Harry smirked at Ron's reaction. "It doesn't quite work like that. Originally, it could only hold a small amount of stuff. But then I linked my vault at Gringotts with this pouch, so I can access my money directly. Later on, I modified the enchantment so that larger items can go straight from this pouch to my vault."

"So our stuff is in your vault right now?", Ron asked in disbelief. 

"Yeah, I can recall it whenever I want", Harry smirked.

Ron's eyes widened at the revelation. "So, if I were to jump into that thing, I'd end up in your vault?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.

Harry considered for a moment, his brows furrowing. "Well, technically, yes," he began, "but the thing is, I haven't modified the enchantment to allow living beings to pass through. So, if you were to try it, there's a high chance you'd... well, not make it."

Ron took a step back, a shiver running down his spine at the thought. "Right, maybe I'll stick to using regular luggage then," he muttered, suddenly feeling uneasy about the pouch.

As they entered the common room, Harry noticed the twins and Percy already waiting there. Percy appeared confused, indicating that the twins hadn't filled him in yet. Meanwhile, the twins were engrossed in entertaining Hermione with their usual antics, likely telling her stories about Floating Fizzbees. Hermione seemed thoroughly amused by whatever they were saying.

Spotting Harry, Percy turned to him with a puzzled expression. "What's going on, Harry?" he inquired, clearly feeling out of the loop.

"Percy, before I fill you in, I have a question," Harry began, addressing Percy's puzzled expression. "Would you prefer to take the train back or get back faster?"

Percy appeared confused. "I mean, I'd love to get back home faster if we could, but how?"

Harry looked around to see that the common room was now empty considering that all the students would have gone to get their breakfast done. "Well I would Apparate us back home"

Percy looked at Harry in disbelief, his expression betraying his surprise at Harry's suggestion. How did Harry know how to Apparate already? Then, Percy remembered Harry's feat with the troll and began to calm himself.

Meanwhile Harry found himself in a dilemma; he didn't want to reveal his ability to Apparate in and out of Hogwarts. It wasn't something he wanted Dumbledore to know.

"We'll have to go with the others up until we're on the train," Harry explained. "After that, I'll Apparate us. Percy, could you secure a compartment for us? As a prefect, it should be easy for you."

Percy nodded, "Right, I'll make sure to get us a compartment," he replied. Harry then took out his pouch and put Percy's and the twins luggage inside. As Percy and the twins watched their luggage vanish into the small pouch, they were left speechless. Then, the questions began pouring out of them. How did Harry do it? How much did the pouch cost? Harry smirked in response, enjoying their curiosity as they made their way down to the Great Hall for food.

"Well, let's just say I have a few tricks up my sleeve," Harry replied cryptically, relishing in the mystery of it all. Percy and the twins continued to fire questions at him, eager to unravel the secrets behind the pouch.

As they entered the Great Hall, the excitement of departing Hogwarts filled the air, mingling with the aroma of the last meal they would share there for a while. Finding seats, they wasted no time digging into the delicious fare spread out before them.

The group ate quickly, savoring each bite and enjoying their last Hogwarts meal for the time being. As the feast drew to a close, Dumbledore rose from his seat, commanding the attention of the entire hall.

"My dear students," he began, his voice carrying across the room with its usual warmth and wisdom. "As another term at Hogwarts draws to a close, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to each and every one of you for your dedication, your hard work, and your unwavering spirit throughout the year."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the assembled students. "Now good luck to you guys and enjoy the holidays. After all Christmas is always meant for family. For in the end, it is the love and connection we share with one another that truly enriches our lives."

Everyone cheered and clapped as they got up to go to the station. The first years as usual were taken by the boat across the lake by Hagrid. 

As they got out from the boats at the other side of the lake, Hagrid ushered them into two orderly lines, leading them towards the bustling station. The air was alive with the excited chatter of students, each one eager to reunite with family and embark on their holiday adventures.

Navigating through the crowded platform, students searched for compartments, exchanged heartfelt goodbyes, and made plans for the break ahead. Harry turned to Hagrid, offering his farewell and sincere wishes for a pleasant holiday.

"Goodbye, Hagrid. Have a wonderful holiday," Harry said warmly, a genuine smile lighting up his face.

Ron and Hermione too bid their farewells to Hagrid before joining the throng of students making their way onto the train. Hagrid returned their well-wishes with a hearty smile, his eyes twinkling with warmth as he watched them depart. Ron and Hermione got onto the train first followed by Harry. They quickly found the compartment where Fred, George and Percy were waiting for them.

As the trio clamored into the compartment, Fred and George made way for them to sit. 

"When are we leaving Harry?", George asked. Harry noticed that students were still walking by and replied, "When the train starts moving. First I'll Apparate Hermione and then I'll come back for you guys".

Fred and George nodded in understanding as Harry explained the plan. They settled into their seats, anticipation bubbling in the air as they waited for the train to depart. Outside, the platform bustled with activity as students said their final goodbyes and hurried to find their compartments.

Hermione glanced out the window, a mixture of excitement and eagerness evident in her expression. "I can't wait to get home and see my parents," she remarked, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

Ron nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it'll be great to spend some time with family again," he chimed in.

As the train whistle blew and the engine roared to life, signaling the beginning of their journey, Harry turned to Hermione. "Ready to go?" he asked with a grin.

Hermione nodded eagerly. "Definitely," she replied, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

With a final nod to Fred, George, and Percy and Ron, Harry took Hermione's hand, ready to Apparate them home. As the train lurched forward, they disappeared without a sound.

Percy couldn't shake off his disbelief as he glanced around the compartment, searching for a reaction from Ron and the twins. However, to his surprise, Ron appeared unfazed, his expression seemingly indifferent. The twins, on the other hand, were busy whispering something to each other.

Percy's confusion only deepened. "Did you guys see that?" he asked, turning to the twins.

Fred and George exchanged amused glances before George replied, "Of course we did, Percy. Harry has Apparated us before"

Percy's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You....What?"

"Of course," Fred chimed in, a mischievous glint in his eye. "This is too little for you to be surprised, wait till he Apparates you"

As Percy processed the twins' words, his surprise turned into a mix of curiosity and apprehension. "Harry has Apparated you before?"

Fred and George nodded in unison, their expressions gleeful. "Oh, yes," Fred confirmed, mischief dancing in his eyes. "Harry's quite the expert at it."

Percy's mind raced with questions, but before he could voice them, George interjected with a sly grin. "Don't worry, Percy. You'll get your turn soon enough. Just wait until Harry Apparates you. Then you'll understand what we mean by expert."

As Harry materialized back in the compartment, Percy's reaction was instantaneous. He leaped slightly in his seat, his eyes widening in astonishment at Harry's silent reappearance. The realization dawned on him that Harry had returned without so much as a whisper, adding an extra layer of surprise to the already unexpected moment.

"Ready to go guys?", Harry asked with a smirk. 

"You mean you will Apparate us all at the same time?", Percy asked in disbelief.

Harry looked at Percy like he asked a obvious question. "Of course," he replied confidently. "No need for separate trips when we can all go together."

Percy's eyes widened even further, clearly impressed by Harry's apparent mastery of Apparition. "I... I didn't realize you could do that," he admitted, a hint of awe creeping into his voice.

Harry just grinned, enjoying Percy's reaction. "There's a lot you don't know about me, Percy," he teased, before gesturing for everyone to gather closer. "Now, hold on tight. We're about to take a little trip."

Everyone held on to Harry. Ron took one of his hand, Percy took the other. The twins grabbed on to his arms. With everyone holding on tightly to Harry, he closed his eyes, focusing on the garden in front of The Burrow. Concentrating on their destination, he felt his magic surge around them. In an instant, they vanished from the train compartment without a sound, leaving behind nothing but a fleeting breeze.