Diagon Alley
Saturday March 13, 2004
Jasper thought that Harry on a motorcycle had been the most devastatingly attractive image in the world. But he had been wrong. Because watching Harry play with his godson?
Jasper was a goner.
Harry had been a nervous, twitchy, anxious, sad, guilty, wreck when they’d arrived at the home of Andromeda Tonks. He’d told Jasper that morning that his godson, Teddy, was an orphan.
It went without saying that Harry somehow blamed himself for that.
Andromeda had raised her brows when Harry introduced Jasper, but she let him inside her home regardless. Jasper had felt horribly out of place next to this tall and regal appearing woman. Andromeda Tonks did not look like someone to be trifled with. She had a proud look in her grey eyes and her long dark hair pulled back in a warriors bun. Jasper knew that her daughter had died and left her to care for her infant son, but Jasper didn’t think Andromeda wanted any accolades or pity for it.
She did seem to have a soft spot for Harry though. She’d ushered him to the kitchen with a promise of a cup of tea while she went to wake Teddy from his ‘mid-morning nap’. Harry tapped his fingers erratically nonstop on the table as his eyes flicked around the kitchen.
“You’re making me crazy darlin,” Jasper said truthfully. “It’s like your forcing me to feel anxious.”
“Oh.” Harry stopped tapping the table and took a few deep breaths. “Better?”
“Much,” Jasper smiled gently.
It wasn’t.
Harry was still sending out waves upon waves of anxiety and guilt, but it wouldn’t help to continue pointing it out.
“That’s Tonks and Remus,” Harry pointed out a photo hanging in a golden frame on the wall. It was a young woman, perhaps mid-twenties, with bubblegum pink hair in a short bob. She had a bright smile and was laughing on a magical loop in the photo. The man standing behind her was older and more solemn. His arms were tenderly wrapped around her, but he too had a soft smile on his scarred face.
“They got married that day,” Harry said quietly. “Quick and quiet. She had to convince him to do it.”
“Why?” Jasper asked curiously. It was apparent that Tonks was the more outwardly happy one in the photo that Andromeda had on prominent display, but the man, Remus, looked equally happy in a much quieter way.
“Remus is- was- a werewolf,” Harry said. “He thought she deserved someone else; someone better and younger he said. They got married right before the war got bad, but the Ministry was pretty anti-werewolf already and Tonks was an auror.”
“They look happy,” Jasper said. “I imagine they must have loved each other very much to have gotten married despite the difficulties.”
“They did.” Harry’s voice sounded choked and his eyes were wet. “You should have seen Remus when he told me Teddy was born. He- he just... Merlin Jazz. He looked years younger. So happy.”
Jasper reached out and grasped Harry’s hand, wishing he could use his abilities to simply sweep away his grief. They sat silently, both looking at the photo on the wall, until Andromeda brought down young Teddy.
Harry’s guilt skyrocketed right up until Teddy reached his arms out for him and wailed “HAWWA!”
Then it was love, adoration, affection, joy.
“Teddy!” Harry swept Teddy from his grandmothers arms and hugged him close. “How’s my favorite godson?”
“Spoiled rotten I’m afraid,” Andromeda said with a falsely stern voice. “He thinks he’s king of the castle lately.”
“That’s because you are, aren’t you buddy?” Harry tickled Teddy’s stomach, and the baby giggled before-
“Lord,” Jasper gasped. “Did he... did he just... does he look like Harry now?”
Andromeda gave him a curious look before she hid a smile behind her hand. “Apologies,” she said. “Did Harry not tell you of Teddy’s parentage?”
“Oh, Teddy’s a metamorphmagus,” Harry said casually. “And he likes to look like Uncle Harry, don’t you Teddy bug?”
“Hawwa,” Teddy gurgled with a bright green eyed smile at Harry.
“I... I don’t know what metamorphmagus means,”Jasper said.
“My daughter was one,” Andromeda said, her emotions were so proud, affectionate, loving, and sorrowful as she spoke. “Nymphadora could change her appearance by just thinking about it. Teddy shares her ability. He likes to give himself red hair when he wants to be taken to Molly’s to be coddled.”
“Amazing,” Jasper said. “That’s some gift.”
“It is indeed.”
Jasper and Andromeda stood in the living room doorway while Harry played with Teddy. Andromeda’s emotions were so caring and tender that Jasper couldn’t help but dive into his own tender thoughts. Harry was a natural with his little godson. He tickled the baby, making him giggle and coo up at him, then began levitating toys around his head to entertain him. Jasper could feel his turmoiled emotions, which made it even more impressive how genuine of a mask he wore for the baby.
“Almost time to get him a broomstick, eh Andy?” Harry grinned. “No godson of mine is going to show up to Hogwarts not knowing how to fly.”
“He can have a broomstick at your house,” Andromeda said tartly. “Which, you and I will need to discuss when you have time.”
“What...” Harry blinked at her and his emotions switched rapidly to fear, concern, anxiety. “What do we need to discuss?”
“Why don’t you let Jasper play with Teddy and you come have some tea with me?” Andromeda suggested. “Five minutes if you’re agreeable.”
“Alright then.” Harry let the toys float to a neat stack in front of Teddy and got to his feet. “Jazz, I’ll be right back. Are you okay for a minute?”
“Of course,” Jasper said with as much false confidence as he could muster in the face of this terrifying situation. “We’ll be fine.”
Andromeda’s lips twitched as if she could sense his sudden fear and she nodded, “We are just right in the other room.”
“Teddy and I will be fine,” Jasper said. He cautiously crept over by the too-intelligent seeming infant. “Right Teddy?”
Teddy didn’t respond, obviously, but Andromeda and Harry left them alone anyway. Jasper took a hesitant sniff and cringed at the slight feral smell coming from Teddy.
At least Harry’s beloved godson doesn’t smell appetizing in the slightest, he assured himself.
“Hello there.” Jasper knelt down in front of the baby and lifted his hand in an awkward wave. “I’m Jasper Hale, it’s nice to meet you.”
Teddy, or truly Harry Junior from the black curls and green eyes he still sported, stuck his lower lip out and it began wobbling.
“No, no, no,” Jasper grabbed a toy at random and tried to hand it to him. “Please don’t cry, here, look, sparkly stick Teddy. Do you want this?”
Jasper was intent on preventing Teddy from crying, but couldn’t help but overhear Andromeda and Harry’s conversation in the back of his mind even as he shook the stick for Teddy.
”They chose you, Harry,” Andromeda was saying. “Not because of who you are to the rest of the world, but because of who you are to them. You’re Teddy’s godfather, and he needs you in his life.”
“Andy, I don’t- I’m not going to take your godson from you too,” Harry mumbled.
“Is this a frog Teddy? Hmm?” Jasper moved the toy frog in to Teddy’s line of sight and tried to make him smile as Harry so easily had. “Pretend to like me, please?” he whispered. “Your godfather may change his mind about me if we don’t get along.”
Which, of course, made a fat tear leak silently out of the babies green eyes.
“That is the opposite of what I wanted,” Jasper groaned.
”You didn’t take them either Harry,” Andromeda said. “I’ve given you time to grieve, I didn’t realize you were arrogantly shouldering my daughters death.”
“Arrogant?” Harry choked. “Andy, I- I don’t want to argue with you. I’m sorry.”
“You listen to me Harry James Potter-“
“Teddy I will buy you a brand new car or broomstick or anything your odd little self wants if you will please smile when they come back,” Jasper whispered urgently. “Whatever you want, you name it, okay? Just- stop crying. Please.”
”My Nymphadora was killed by my sister during the battle and her husband was struck down as he rushed to her defense,” Andromeda said with pride. “My daughter and son-in-law are heroes. For you to say that you killed them, or were somehow responsible for their deaths, takes away from the dignity of their deaths and I will not hear it again. Is that understood?”
“Yes ma’am,” Harry mumbled.
“Uppie,” Teddy held his arms out and pouted. “Uppie!!”
“Yes, Uppie,” Jasper agreed desperately. “Except I don’t understand you.”
“UPPIE!” Teddy shrieked.
”Now, do you intend to give that boy a godfather or will he continue to be neglected?”
“I- I- of course I want to be his godfather,” Harry stammered. “What do you want me to do?”
“The question Harry, is what do you want?”
“UPPIE! UPPIE!” Teddy shook his arms wildly and tears continued leaking down his face despite how Jasper was trying very hard to make them stop.
“Uppie,” Jasper repeated. “How- what does that mean Teddy?!”
”I want to see him more, but I’m just... I went back to school. But I can quit,” Harry offered. “I’ll take him anytime you want me to Andy. I should have been here sooner, you’re right.”
“I do not want to relinquish custody of my grandson and I do not want you to drop out of school,” Andromeda said sternly. “I would like us to split custody.”
Teddy looked half a second away from truly wailing so Jasper desperately scooped him up, hoping perhaps he could rock him in his arms or something to prevent it.
Teddy’s tears cut off and his pouting lip went back to a more neutral expression as he said, much too seriously for a baby of almost one, “Uppie.”
”What does that mean? Split custody?”
“You will take your godson every other weekend, and on school holidays,” Andromeda said. “He needs you and you need him. You’ll be good for each other.”
“I... I... Are you sure?”
“Uppie, you wanted picked up?” Jasper said with exasperation. “If you had just said ‘up’ I would have understood much sooner.”
Teddy grabbed Jasper’s hand and immediately stuck his index finger in his mouth.
“That is disgusting.”
”If it isn’t what you want, I understand,” Andromeda said gently. “A baby is a big responsibility, even for a short time. You’re young Harry, they left you a man’s burden. That doesn’t mean you have to accept it.”
“We’re about to be spending a lot more time together,” Jasper whispered conspiratorially to Teddy. “Listen...”
”Teddy is my godson, of course I want it,” Harry said firmly. “Can you give me a couple weeks to get a room set up for him and get supplies? And... er... maybe tell me what supplies I need?”
Teddy and Jasper were locked in a silent stare-off when Harry and Andromeda returned.
“Aww,” Harry smiled at the sight of Jasper rocking Teddy in his arms. “Look, Jazz, he likes you.”
Jasper, who had been focused on the green eyes, hadn’t realized until Harry pointed that the little mischievous baby in his arms had swapped Harry’s black curls for a honey blonde hairstyle that mimicked Jasper’s quite adequately.
Jasper sighed when Teddy smiled up at him.
Now he owes a baby a car.
“Okay Jazz, Teddy, pay attention now,” Harry said. “You never get to see Diagon Alley for the first time more than once.”
“I thought this was the pub?” Jasper asked.
“It is,” Harry rolled his eyes at him with a small smile. “But we’re just literally running through here, if we don’t move fast we’ll be mobbed. And I can’t hardly push people over with this stroller, can I?”
“Hawwa!” Teddy giggled from his stroller seat, clearly pleased with the idea of running over strangers.
“Alright, straight to the back,” Harry murmured. “And- go.”
Harry had not been joking when he said he was going to run through the half-filled pub. He was pushing Teddy’s stroller so quickly that he knocked in to a chair, tripping himself, and causing the chair to fall with a loud clatter.
Which drew much more attention than simply walking through calmly would have, in Jasper’s opinion.
“Watch where you’re goin’,” the barkeeper barked. “Bloody- eh? Harry? Harry Potter?”
“Nope.” Harry picked the chair up and sat it on the ground before ducking his head and continuing to wind through the pub.
“Is that Harry Potter?”
“Harry Potter?!”
“Harry!”
“Move it Jazz,” Harry mumbled. “C’mon, through here.” Harry yanked on Jasper’s arm, drawing his attention away from the excitement that was quickly rising in the bar patrons behind them and through a back exit.
“Three up, two across,” Harry said. He tapped a brick with his wand and Jasper’s eyes grew as an opening slowly appeared in the brick wall.
“Welcome to Diagon Alley.”
Jasper didn’t know where to look first. Even with his enhanced senses, and his ability to process much more than the average person at a quicker speed, there was simply so much magic.
Every two steps they took brought a new sight to see: flashy displays of flying broomsticks, potions to cure the common cold, books to transport you to other worlds.
And the graffiti, there was graffiti everywhere.
‘LOVE WINS!’
‘LONG LIVE THE MAN WHO CONQUERED’
‘MAGIC IS LOVE!’
‘DUMBLEDORE’S ARMY FOREVER!’
Lightning bolts painted in bright gold on the front of stores, hearts and wands in sparkling colors on sides of brick buildings.
More than all the visual sights were the noises:
“Archie says he’s selling a dozen of the biciorn slabs for 28 galleons, I told him to throw them in the river at those prices!”
“Did you hear they finally found Nicholas? Body left in the woods, poor soul.”
“Minerva called me personally to tell me- good Merlin, is that Harry Potter?”
“Damn.” Harry’s previously low level anxiety shot up to an uncomfortable level as the whispers in the crowded street began.
“Harry Potter?”
“It is!”
Harry glanced down at Teddy then over at Jasper with an apology in his eyes. “This is about to suck.”
And it did.
Because Harry got crowded, almost immediately.
And then his anxiety somehow tripled and Jasper had no idea what to do.
The people in the alley seemed to multiply after Harry was stopped by the first person. He was quickly trapped in a circle of people, all wanting to see him, talk to him, touch him- all taking something from him that he clearly didn’t want to give.
But he did.
“Bless you,” one woman sobbed in to Harry’s chest. “Bless you Harry Potter.”
Harry plastered a solemn look on his face as he spoke with these hoards of people. He accepted the hugs, the tears, the smiles, and the handshakes.
Jasper asked him that night, “Why not tell them to leave you alone?”
Harry laughed bitterly, already washing the day away with a drink he called Firewhisky.
“I tore these peoples lives apart. The least I can do now is talk to them.”
Jasper wondered who built Harry to be a martyr.
The emotions in the crowd were mixed with fear, awe, joy, sorrow, but beneath each emotion was the strong current of REVERENCE.
These witches, wizards, and children saw Harry as an icon. The image of a savior. A symbol of strength.
And only Jasper could feel the cracks in Harry’s facade.
Only he could feel Harry’s guilt when an openly sobbing man in green robes told him of his sons death.
He alone felt Harry’s self-loathing when a young woman told him that thanks to his work she got her wand back.
And he was the only one with the ability to try and calm down the energized crowd. Jasper ignored the swell of emotions in the nearby witches and wizards and instead drew up [Apathy. Calm. Weary.] to push out in strong waves.
Harry looked around in surprise when the group (more of a mob in Jasper’s opinion) abruptly started wandering away with passive smiles and polite goodbyes. He raised his brows at Jasper, who simply lifted one shoulder in a show of nonchalance.
“Thank god,” Harry said after the last witch left them alone. “Did you... did you make them leave?”
“I may have made them feel rather apathetic at your appearance,” Jasper admitted. “Which was never specifically disallowed.”
Harry nodded and began cautiously pushing Teddy’s stroller towards a row of shops just ahead of them.
“In here,” Harry murmured. The three of them ducked in to a brightly painted shop with a sign:
In Memorial: Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour
“Merlin.” Harry shuddered and ushered Jasper over to a corner table, unnecessarily ducking his head as he went through the empty shop. “Sorry about that.”
“You don’t need to apologize,” Jasper told him. “Are you alright?”
“Yeah,” Harry lied with a forced smile. “I’m fine.”
“Clearly,” Jasper drawled. He took an opportunity to look around the parlour while Harry moved Teddy to a high chair. It was a quaint area, very 1950’s retro design in Jasper’s opinion.
“Sooo, that was awkward,” Harry said. “Teddy, do me a favor and start crying next time your godfather is being mobbed, okay?”
“Eat!” Teddy cried.
“I believe you’re being blackmailed,” Jasper said. Which didn’t surprise him, because for a baby little Teddy already seemed quite mischievous. Teddy was pointing at the pictures of the ice cream and pouting rather adorably.
“If I buy you ice cream you have to swear to cry next time there’s people crying on me,” Harry said seriously. “Do you swear?”
Teddy, imp that he was, just smiled and flashed green eyes at Harry.
After they made quite the mess feeding Teddy ice cream, and cleaned the sticky and sleepy baby up from the chocolate he managed to get all over his face, they went for a much more pleasant stroll in the alley. Harry must have approved of Jasper’s abilities being used against his fan base because any time he was approached he gave him a pointed look. Jasper was all too happy to oblige as he was enjoying himself immensely as they toured the various magical shops. Especially when they discovered the bookstore.
Harry was browsing down different aisles while Jasper pursued a shelf of books with a sign that stated: MUGGLEBORN BEST SELLERS.
Jasper immediately snagged a book with a photo of a smiling witch on the front that was called ‘A History of Magic’ by Bathilda Bagshot. He also grabbed one titled ‘The Wizarding Wars’ by Wilheim Wigworthy.
His plan had been to purchase the books and attempt to learn more about Harry’s world without having to ask Harry questions every two minutes, and it would have been an excellent plan, had he not had to go back to Harry with a sheepish look on his face.
“Is there a bank where I can exchange ‘muggle money’ for 7 galleons and 5 knuts?”
“What? Why?” Harry spotted the books in Jasper’s hands and his lips twitched up in to a playful grin. “Here-“ he pulled out a velvet coin purse. “I’m not allowed in the bank here anymore, get whatever books you want.”
“I’ll repay you,” Jasper said. “Wait- you’re banned from the bank? Why?”
Jasper was not entirely sure that Harry wasn’t having him on when he deadpan answered, “I stole their dragon,” but he did accept the loan to purchase the books.
At four o’clock, Harry led Jasper and Teddy, who had fallen sound asleep in his stroller, to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.
“Ginny and Neville and Luna will be here,” Harry told Jasper. “You’ll like them, I’m sure.”
They entered the store to a little tinkle of a bell and Jasper spotted Ginny Weasley standing with a young man just inside the entrance.
“Harry!” A blonde girl with the most magically silver eyes ran right up to Harry and squeezed him in a tight hug. “We’ve missed you!”
“You just saw me a few months ago,” Harry wrapped his arms around the diminutive girl and hugged her back. “How are you Lue?”
“Wonderful. Hermione’s asked me to be a bridesmaid.” Luna pulled back and beamed up at Harry, joy, love, affection, radiating from her pores.
“Course she did, you’re her friend Luna,” Harry said. “Neville, how are you?”
The young man beside Ginny, Neville, had a square jaw, calm hazel eyes, and short cropped hair. His emotions were more muted, entirely passive, but peaceful. Jasper decided that he liked Neville, who is ‘the bravest bloke I ever met’ according to Harry. Anyone with emotions that ran as deeply and as calmly as his did, had to be a good person.
“I’m good,” Neville smiled at Harry and then crouched down in front of Teddy’s stroller. “This is- this is Professor Lupin’s son?” His emotions turned sorrowful, but still calm.
Quite unlike Harry, whose emotions twisted in to regret, remorse, guilt.
“Yep, thats little Teddy,” Ginny put a hand on Neville’s shoulder and shook her head in a subtle motion that Harry missed. “And this is Jasper.”
Jasper stiffened under the scrutinizing gaze of Neville, though he was entirely caught off guard when Luna threw her arms around him in a hug.
“You’re a vampire,” Luna said cheerily when she pulled off him. “That’s good you know because vampires are excellent at warding off the wrackspurts.”
Jasper sent a helpless look to Harry, whose smirk and amusement, clearly indicated he was on his own.
“I’m afraid I don’t know what wrackspurts are,” Jasper said.
“Luna here can tell you all about them while Harry tries on his robes,” Ginny said. She grabbed Harry’s hand and led him and the others towards the brightly lit room where a witch was pulling stacks of dark blue fabric from a shelf. The witch, supposedly Madame Malkin, only gawked at Harry for a moment before ushering him and Neville on to step-stools in the center of the room.
Jasper listened eagerly as Luna described the wrackspurts that he was apparently adept at warding off. Though, he wasn’t sure how he was meant to keep away invisible creatures that fly through one’s ears and wreak havoc in their brains. And Ginny’s amusement made it difficult to judge if he was being fed a genuine explanation or not. He shamelessly listened as Harry and Neville caught up while being poked and prodded by the witch.
“How’s your grandmother?” Harry asked.
“Still kicking,” Neville laughed. “She’s at the Three Broomsticks every week bragging about how many death eaters she took down singlehanded.”
Jasper had a desperate longing to meet the grandmother who fought in a war.
“Bet that’s not all she’s bragging about,” Harry suggested with a grin.
“Well...” Neville blushed rather heavily and shrugged. “Yeah she goes on a bit.”
“Ooh you should hear her Harry,” Ginny interrupted. “‘My grandson you know, told Voldemort to piss off right to his face.’”
Even Luna and the seamstress joined in the laughter.
“Neville’s a hero you know,” Ginny told Jasper. “He killed the snake, and got caught on fire for his troubles.”
Apparently Jasper’s face was just as confused as he felt, because the three of them snickered and Neville leapt off his stool with a promise to ‘buy him a drink and tell him all about it’.
Jasper politely didn’t point out that he had no need for a drink, but he did very much want to hear all about it.
And he did. Because when the four of them were all finished with their fittings, Neville led the way to the Leaky Cauldron, whispers and gossip following behind them as they went.
Harry seemed pleasantly amused that many of the whispers included the name ‘Longbottom’ as much as they did ‘Potter’.
After Neville secured them a private area, they settled in and ordered drinks. Jasper saw Harry’s hesitation before he glanced at Teddy and ordered himself a water.
Apparently godson ranked above alcohol.
“Did you finally figure it out?” Ginny asked Jasper.
“I did,” he said, recalling her previous statement that he had no idea who he was dating.
“Figure what out?” Harry asked.
“How terribly famous you are,” Ginny said before she gave Neville an exasperated look, “Harry didn’t tell Jasper anything.”
“Don’t worry Jasper, Harry might not like to brag, but I learned from the best,” Neville said cheerily. “Wanna hear all about how your boyfriend ended a war?”
Yes. Yes he did.
Harry fussed with Teddy and fed him while Neville talked, with occasional input from Ginny.
Neville told him how it all started when a student announced at dinner that Harry, Hermione, and Ron did indeed break into a bank and steal a dragon. He described hiding from cruel death eater professors, and how he rallied students in to joining the club Harry once led in fifth year. Then Harry showed up a few hours after stealing a dragon and ‘all hell broke loose’.
Jasper held his breath (figuratively of course) as Neville described the battle that broke out. They were losing, people were dying. Harry was running about the castle trying to find a Horcrux and save as many lives as he could. Ginny laughed when she said that Harry tried to protect her from the battle. Her eyes flashed with a respectable amount of indignation that someone would assume this fiery teenage girl would ever require protection.
“And then Voldemort said ‘I’ll give you one hour to dispose of the dead, but if Harry Potter doesn’t come to me in an hour I will join the battle myself and kill every person who stands before him’,” Neville said. “And we had a lot of dead and wounded. But we weren’t going to stop fighting, never. Except Harry decided to go.”
Jasper looked incredulously at Harry, who had long since stopped protesting Neville’s tale and instead was solemnly rocking Teddy.
“I had to,” Harry said simply.
“Well, I should have gone with you,” Neville said. The two of them shared a deep look of regret, the shadows from the fight still lingering in their gaze. “I let you down Harry. I should have gone with you.”
“No, Neville, no,” Harry frowned and leaned across the table to grasp Neville’s arm with his free hand. “You would have died.”
“Better to die with my friend than let him die alone,” Neville said.
Jasper had been a part of multiple armies; even one that was tied together with supernatural loyalty, and never, never, had he ever met a soldier such as Neville Longbottom.
“While Harry was gone, the rest of us were busy moving bodies,” Ginny said with a surge of sorrow. “We didn’t know he was gone until it was too late.”
Neville and Harry broke off the silent apologies they were communicating with their eyes and Neville jumped back in the story.
Neville was a descriptive story teller. He described the sorrow and misery and regret that the crowd felt when they saw the body of Harry so strong that if Jasper could produce tears, he would likely be weeping. Ginny said how Voldemort tried to smear Harry’s name and the crowd wouldn’t hear of it. Not their Harry, he would never run from them. He would die before he left them to fight alone.
“And then Neville screamed ‘I’ll join you when hell freezes over!’” Luna cut in when Neville described Voldemort offering him a place with his army. All of them gave Neville frank looks of admiration. He believed that death was imminent, and he refused to bow.
It was one of the bravest things Jasper had ever heard.
“I only had the strength to stand up and say those things because Harry taught it to me,” Neville said seriously. “Harry taught me how to stand up for myself, how to fight, how to protect others. And if he was dead? I wasn’t going to let him down.”
“Harry is why we were able to fight at all,” Luna said. “He’s special.”
Harry’s emotions were swirling in agony, until Ginny smirked and added, “Well I think he’s a prat. Letting us all think he was dead? Pft. That’s why Mum wouldn’t let him out of her sight for weeks. ‘What if he runs off and let’s another dark lord kill him?’”
Harry chuckled and his emotions lightened with a hint of love and affection.
“Don’t forget the best part Nev,” Harry told Neville. “Molly screaming ‘NOT MY DAUGHTER YOU BITCH!’ and killing Bellatrix? Legend.”
“I liked when you told Voldemort to try for some remorse to save himself,” Luna said airily.
“Harry’s the only bloke in the world who would offer a death bed confession to Voldemort,” Neville shook his head. “He’s more forgiving than any person I’ve ever met.”
Jasper was intimately aware of Harry’s overwhelming capacity for forgiveness. But he did sigh when Neville recounted Harry refusing to let anyone stand between him and Voldemort in the final part of their war.
“We were frozen, Merlin knows I tried to get to him,” Ginny said. Her voice was choked and the fear from the battle was leaking in to her emotions. “Ron and Hermione were struggling, trying every spell they could to break it, but Harry’s magic was everywhere. It wouldn’t let any of us step forward.”
“Had to be like that,” Harry said softly. “What would your mum do if she lost you too Gin?”
Aah. Jasper hadn’t realized that one of the Weasley’s had been taken by the war.
Neville wrapped a consulting arm around Ginny’s shoulders as he lifted his mug, “To Fred!”
“To Fred,” they echoed.
“So it was just Harry and Voldemort,” Neville went on after a moment of respectful silence. “And do you know what spell Harry used, against the madman trying to kill him? Expelliarmus.”
Jasper, who was rather fluent in Latin, raised his brows at Harry. “You aimed to disarm him?”
Harry shrugged and poked Teddy in the belly until the baby giggled. “One day remind me to tell you all about how your daddy said the time for disarming had past and I didn’t listen,” he said.
“Harry’s one of a kind,” Ginny said fondly. “That’s why expelliarmus is the first spell all the little ones want to learn in defense.”
Harry, quite cunningly, used that as a smooth transition to discussing defensive magic with the others. Jasper listened with nothing less than the utmost admiration as these incredible war heroes talked of the education for future wizards and witches.
He did find out precisely who he was dating that day. And in his opinion, Harry’s defeat of the wizard named Voldemort was the least interesting thing about him.