Chapter 4
That evening Harry went back to Godric’s Hollow and found Ginny and baby James all bundled up for an evening walk. Harry grinned at the sight of them, “Hello Gin,” He said, having just appeared in their living room. He bent over her arms where little James was looking very snug in a winter outfit. “Hello, young man.”
“Hiya, Harry,” Ginny said as Harry stood up straight again and kissed her cheek. “We were waiting for you.”
“Not long I hope.”
“No, not really, would you get the pram?” Ginny answered, laughing a little.
Harry left and came back with an extra scarf for himself and the pram for baby James. Ginny tucked him inside and they steered it through the house and out the front door. It wasn’t an unpleasant evening for midwinter, so Harry and Ginny, each holding on to the handle of the pram with one hand with arms locked between them, strolled for quite a while before deciding they should turn back.
It was on their way back that the conversation turned from Ginny and James’s day to Harry’s. “What’ve you been up to today, professor Potter?” Ginny asked, jokingly using his title.
“Oh, classes went as well as can be expected just a few days before break, everyone’s a little jittery, you know, professors included.” Harry joked, then thought a moment about Neville. “‘Cept Nev, he acts as though he would rather Christmas never came.”
“He’s been pretty gloomy the last few times I saw him too.” Ginny answered, “I met him in Diagon Alley just a few days ago, he said he was getting some decorations for his parents, he seemed more than a little anguished.”
“Yeah, and his gran isn’t well, I’m sure you’ve heard that.”
“I did, it’s a shame he hasn’t any family to spend time with. I did get a gag gift for him though, might cheer him up. I saw it in the back section of the joke shop. It's a little capsule of stinksap, George said they hadn’t sold well and gave me the lot.”
“Mimbulus Mimbletonia stink sap?”
“Yeah, Like his plant.”
“Yeah, his plant died today,” Harry answered, looking at Ginny with a sad grimace.
“Oh, no, poor Neville. What could be worse?” Ginny shook her head, Harry was glad she too grasped the sadness of the situation, some people might not be hurt by the death of a plant but their herbologist friend certainly was.
Harry withdrew his arm from hers and stepped around in front of the pram to open their front door. “He’s taking it pretty hard, asked if I could help him manage it into the compost bin tomorrow.”
“Oh, perhaps James and I will stop by to bid our farewell to the old thing. Let me know when will you?”
“Sure, I’ll send a Patronus when he tells me the time. How are you going to get there with James?”
“I reckon Minerva will let us in by Floo, don’t you?”
“Sure, she’ll be glad to see James, it’s been a while. You know I think it’ll be good for Neville to have some friends to help him say goodbye.” Harry answered, closing the door after they had managed the pram inside.
“It has to be better than being sad alone.”