Getting Ready for the Cup

They were making to much noise so Percy yelled out his window half asking, half yelling at them to keep it down, "Sorry, Perce, how're the cauldron bottoms coming on?" Bill asked him but by the way Percy looked I knew it wasn't going well, "Very badly." Percy said before he slammed his window shut which had Charlie and Bill chuckling before they directed the table's safely onto the grass, end to end, then with a flick his wand Bill reattached the table leg that had broken during their table war and then conjured a tablecloth's from nowhere. So by seven o'clock the two tables, were groaning under dishes and dishes of Mrs. Weasley's excellent cooking and the nine Weasley's along with Hermione were settleing themselves down beneath a clear, deep-blue sky to anyone who had been living on meals of increasingly stale cake all summer this was paradise and at first we listened to everyone rather than talk as we helped ourselves to some chicken, ham pie, and salad. "I've told Mr. Crouch that I'll have it ready by Tuesday, that's a bit sooner than he expected it, but I like to keep on top of things, I think he'll be grateful I've done it in good time, I mean, it's extremely busy in our department now what with all the arrangements for the World Cup. We're just not getting the support we need from the Department of Magical Games and Sports, Ludo Bagman -" Percy said before Mr. Weasley interrupted, "I like Mr. Ludo, he was the one who got us such good tickets for the Cup, I did him a bit of a favor: his brother Otto, got into a spot of trouble - a lawnmower with unnatural power's - I smoothed the whole thing over." I had no idea who that was but if he wasn't doing his job then he needed to either be fired or told to step up, "Oh Bagman's likable enough, of course," Percy said dismissively, "but how he ever got to be the Head of the Department... when I compare him to Mr. Crouch! I can't even see Mr. Crouch losing a member of our department and not trying to find out what's happened to them. You realize Bertha Jorkin's is missing for over a month now? Went on holiday to Albania and never came back?" that had me worried since with Harry and I both now that Voldemort is back even if it's just his shade he has follower's who will do what he order's of them so we knew that nothing is left to chance. "Yes, I was asking Ludo about that, he says Bertha's gotten lost plenty of time's before now - though I must say, if it was someone in my department I'd be worried..." 

Mr. Weasley said which had me worried since with someone like him in the Ministry then what would have to happen for him to get worried about something, "Oh Bertha's hopeless all right, I hear she's been shunted from department to department for years much more trouble than she's worth... but all the same, Bagman's ought to be trying to find her. Mr. Crouch has been taking personal interest, she worked in our department at one time, you know, and I think Mr. Crouch was quite fond of her - but Bagman just keeps laughing saying she probably misread the map and ended up in Australia instead of Albania. However -" Percy said with an impressive sigh and took a deep swig of elder-flower wine, "We've got quite enough on our plates at the Department of International Magical Corporation without trying to find member's of other departments too. As you know, we've got another big event to organize right after the Cup." Percy cleared his throat significantly and looked down toward the end of the table where Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I were sitting, "You know the one I'm talking about, father, the top-secret one." Percy said raising his voice slightly but Ron just rolled his eyes and muttered to us, "He's been trying to get us to ask what that event is ever since he started work, probably an exhibition of thick-bottomed cauldron's." In the middle of the table Mrs. Weasley was arguing with Bill about his earring which seemed to be a recent acquisition, "Mum no one at the bank gives a damn how I dress as long as I bring home plenty of treasure." I just rolled my eyes at them since they should be happy to have someone who worried about them, since Harry and I had no one who felt that way about us to actually try to do something like that, although I could tell that Lady Malfoy was trying to give it to me now since she'd tried finding me for years with no luck because Dumbledore had placed spells on me when I was a baby. 

"And your hair's getting silly dear," Mrs. Weasley said fingering her wand lovingly, "I wish you'd give me give it a trim..." I closed my eyes before I could do something that wouldn't be good, "I like it, you're so old fashioned, Mum. Anyway it's nowhere near as long as Professor Dumbledore..." Ginny said sitting beside Bill, next to Mrs. Weasley Fred, George, and Charlie were all talking spiritedly about the World Cup, although I wasn't keen about the sport I did like watching it and since Harry liked it I grew to like it as well just that I didn't want to play it. I loved flying but that didn't mean I wanted to fly around cashing balls in the air but that was the only sport we had in the wizarding world, "It's going to be Ireland," Charlie said thickly through a mouthful of potato, "They flattened Peru in the semifinals." I just turned them out not really interested in the different teams, but I got curious when Charlie said, "Krum's one decent player, Ireland has got seven, I wish England had got through, that was embarrassing, that was." I smiled watching Harry as he eagerly awaited the answer since I knew he was regretting our isolation from the Wizarding world while we were stuck at Privet Drive. "We went to Transylvania, three hundred and ninety to ten, shocking performances and Wales lost to Uganda and Scotland was slaughtering by Luxembourg." Charlie said to us which shocked me, while smiling at Harry who was on the Gryffindor Quidditch team ever since his first year at Hogwart's so he would know more about this and owned one of the best racing brooms in the world, a Firebolt. Flying come more naturally to Harry and myself more than anything else in the Wizarding World and Harry was the Seeker on the Gryffindor team, Mr. Weasley conjured up candles to light the darkening garden before they had their homemade strawberry ice cream and by the time they had finished, moths were fluttering low over the table, and the warm air was perfumed with the smell of grass and honeysuckle. Harry was feeling extremely well fed and at peace with the world as he watched several gnomes sprinting through the rose-bushes, laughing madly and closely pursued by Crookshanks making me chuckle. Ron looked carefully up the table to check that the rest of the family were all busy talking, then talking, then he said very quietly to us, "So - have you heard from Sirius lately?" Hermione looked around listening closely, "Yeah, twice, he sounds ok we wrote to him yesterday, he might write back while we're here." 

Harry suddenly remembered the reason we had written to Sirius, and for a moment was on the verge of telling Ron and Hermione about Harry's scar hurting again, and about the dream's that had awoken us... but I could tell that he didn't want to worry them just now, not when we, ourselves, were feeling so happy and peaceful. "Look at the time, you really should be in bed the whole lot of you - you'll be up at the crack of dawn to get to the Cup. Harry, Akihito, if you leave your school list's out I'll go get your thing's in Diagon Alley I'm getting everyone else's. There might not be time after the World Cup, the match went on for five days last time." I thought about before remembering something about my own vault, "I can't Mr. Weasley, my vault has a magic restriction that only allows a Black family member to enter and go to my vault, and I don't have any money on me at the moment..." she looked at me for a moment before Mr. Weasley stepped up, "Some of the ancient families have certain wards around their vaults so that no one but those of blood my enter, how about you take young Mr. Black with you sweetie so that he can get his money out and help you carry things." I nodded telling her that I was more than happy to help so she relented a little but I waited until Harry had gone up to his room before going over to her, "To tell you the truth Mrs. Weasley I also want to get Harry a birthday gift I haven't been able to do it before since we've always been rushing when getting our supplies but I have an idea what I want to get him this year." she smiled at me sweetly before patting my shoulder, "I understand sweety he's like a little brother to you so you always want what's best for him and I'm sure he'll do the same for you when it's your's." 

I smiled up at her thanking her before I remembered something, "Mrs. Weasley if I get him clothes can they be resized to fit him?" she nodded before telling them me about a charm that allows you to change the size of things which had me happy as I headed off to bed with the eldest Weasley's, before getting ready for bed and falling asleep quickly since I didn't have to listen to Ron talk all night so when Mrs. Weasley woke me up early the next morning along with the rest of her younger son's before we got up and got ready for the day while Mrs. Weasley went to get the rest of the family up which by the looks of thing's outside it was still really early as we all gathered downstairs where Mrs. Weasley was stirring a giant pot on the stove while Mr. Weasley was sitting at the table, checking a sheaf of large parchment tickets. He looked up when we entered and spread his arms so that we could see his clothing more clearly, he was wearing what appeared to be a golfing sweater and a very old pair of jeans slightly to big for him and held up with a think leather belt which had me worried they may have just dug them out of the waist-bin or trash can since they were so big on him and didn't match at all. With all the changing fashion's he would be a laughing stock if he went out in public like this which had me worried since a lot of witch's and wizards didn't know much about Muggle fashion or how they dressed which had me wanting to bring new fashion to the wizarding world kind of like how the Muggle's did. I knew it would take a lot of talent to get it done so I was looking out for someone who could do it but not sure who but I did have someone in mind I just had to get her to show me her design's away from prying eyes which I plan to have my cousin in her house ask for me when we get back from the Cup since I didn't believe that crap where everyone who come's from a certain house will only amount to certain things.