Percy's New Job.
Percy’s New Job
After Harry and his friends left the ice cream shop, the day was much more pleasant for him. Katrina stopped at a robe shop to have a look around. She had never been to Diagon Alley before, at least anytime that she remembered. Perhaps she had been there when she was a baby but she didn’t really know. Katrina was fascinated by the different shops, and the different characters that they encountered.
“Don’t you have wizard-only places like this in America?” Hermione asked her.
“Yes, we do, but there not as, er, interesting as these shops are. Wizzarding shops and villages in America are more Muggle like. Mostly because they are not as many of us in America, and members of the magical community are more spread out.” Hermione and Katrina continued their conversation as the group walked around the Alley. Harry didn’t find it interesting, so he sort of tuned it out. He was just glad that Hermione and Katrina were getting along. Unfortunately, Ginny was not helping things. She kept interrupting, trying to change the subject to things like makeup, music, fashion, and crushes.
All of a sudden, Katrina gave a little excited shriek. Everyone was concerned that something was wrong, or she was, hurt, but they quickly realized what was going on. Katrina ran straight up to a street vendor selling boxes of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans. Harry was surprised to see her grab at least 20 boxes from the cart, and thrust a handful of coins into the vendor’s hands. She was smiling insanely, like she had just got away with some really fun and mischievous deed.
“She must be really really hungry,” Ron in an undertone to Harry.
“Why did you buy all that candy, Katrina?” Harry asked her.
She turned around to Harry, her eyes full of utter joy. “This not just candy! These are Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans!” she announced as if she had made a fascinating world changing discovery.
“Yep, that sure are.” Fred said with a laugh.
“Humph.” Katrina said, trying to sound insulted, but it didn’t work too well since she was still grinning. “In America, they don’t sell Bertie Botts just anywhere. They have to be imported, and they are only sold in really fancy shops. They cost 10 galleons and fifteen knuts a box!”
Everyone gasped. “That’s how much a box of Bertie Botts cost in America?” George said sounding very astonished. “You can buy a box or two with pocket change here.” Fred added.
“Exactly.” Katrina said nodding. “You only get them for Christmas, Easter, or your birthday, and you get only one or two boxes. Sometimes if a boy really wants to impress a girl, he buys her a box as a special gift, but he must really like the girl to spend that much!”
“Well, you sure are right about things being different! I bet Hogwarts is really going to be different from your old school!” Hermione said. “What was the name of that school? I forgot.”
“The John Proctor North American School of Magic.” Katrina answered. “Now, who wants a bean?”
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Mrs. Weasley certainly made an understatement when she said that she was going to make a special dinner. Not only did she make one special dish but she made several. There were so many different foods, Harry knew he’d be very full before he got to have a little bite of everything. Mr. Weasley had come home before dinner had started, but Percy had not. Percy had told his family earlier that he would be working late, and for them to eat their dinner without him.
Mr. Weasley was very happy to see Harry. But he was even more happy to see Katrina. He already knew that she was an American, and lived with and American Muggle man. Mr. Weasley asked her many questions, including questions about her Aunt Isabella, whom Mr. Weasley thought very high of.
“You don’t look much like your aunt,” Mr. Weasley observed. “You look just like mother, though. Except your eyes, I don’t know who your eyes belong too. Nobody in your mother’s side of the family has eyes like that. I know them all very well.”
“You knew my mother?” she asked him. “Did you know her from Hogwarts?”
Mr. Weasley laughed. “No, defiantly not. Your mom is much younger than me, she never was at Hogwarts when me and Molly were there. She came years later. I never met your mother. But I know your Grandmother very well, and of course everyone knows your Uncle!”
“Oh, my Uncle Joey Parkerly, who owns Parkerly Candy? It’s a very popular store back in Florida where he’s from.” Katrina said.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Weasley laughed.
“No, Katrina, I’m talking about your British Uncle. Well, I guess he’d be your great Uncle! But everyone in this room knows him!” he said.
“I know Katrina’s Uncle? What’s his name, Dad?” Ginny asked.
“Sure you do! And you kids won’t believe it either. I can’t believe she didn’t tell you. I’d be bragging about having a great man like him for an uncle if I where you, Katrina. Why, I’m talking about -”
Mr. Weasley was suddenly interrupted by Percy Weasley appearing in a corner in the dining room.
“Percy, dear! I thought you weren’t going to be home until much later. I would have waited for you to get here to eat dinner if I had known.” Mrs. Weasley said.
“Well, I was going to stay later, but my boss told me I should go home and relax. He said I should spend sometime with my family,” Percy said, as he helped himself to food. “I’m really hungry, as you can tell. I didn’t take a lunch break all day long. I didn’t want to leave my work. It’s terribly fascinating, my job is. I had to do a lot of paperwork today, so today was delightful. It’s really great working with him, though.”
Percy started shoveling mashed potatoes into his mouth. Unfortunately, some of the potatoes fell out of his mouth and onto the floor.
“PERCY WEASLEY!” Mrs. Weasley bellowed. “Where are your manners? Honestly! You know better than to eat like that! That is not proper table manner! Our guests will think we are a bunch of savage barbaric pigs!”
“Oh, it’s just Hermione.” Percy said, still stuffing himself. (Hermione gave an insulted Humph!) from across the table.
“Not just Hermione.” Mrs. Weasley said. “Harry-”
“Oh, hi, Harry,” Percy said, looking at him. He had his spoon raised with even more mashed potatoes when his eyes flickered over to Harry’s right, where Katrina Figg was sitting. Percy’s spoon dropped to his plate with a loud clatter.
Percy’s jaw had dropped so far Harry wondered if it would fall right into his plate of mashed potatoes. His eyes had a faraway starry look, and his face turned bright red. He stared at Katrina in awe for what seemed like forever before he finally spoke.
“Who....are......you?” he asked slowly, breathlessly as if they were the first words he ever spoke.
“I’m Katrina Figg.” she said calmly, as if redheaded young men making fools of themselves was an ordinary experience for her.
“This is Harry’s friend. She’s going to Hogwarts next term as a fifth year. She lived in America, even though Britain is her homeland.” Mrs. Weasley explained calmly. “She is the first transfer student Hogwarts ever had.”
Percy stared at her for a few moments. His lips were moving as if her were saying something but could not make any sound. Suddenly, he puffed up his chest and threw back his shoulders.
“I am Percy Weasley. I graduated from Hogwarts School two years ago with top grades. I was Head Boy, and a Gryfindor Prefect for many years.” he announced.
“Oh, that’s wonderful, Percy. I’m afraid I don’t have any special titles like those.” she said to Percy, smiling.
There was an awkward silence to follow as Percy smiled dumbly at Katrina, staring into her green eyes like a fool. Mr. Weasley was the one to interrupt the silence. “Why don’t you tell Harry and Katrina about your new job, Percy?” he said to his son.
“I am Albus Dumbledore’s’ new personal assistant. I’m working in his in office at this home right now since school is out, but when school lets back in, I’ll be working and staying at Hogwarts.” Percy announced.
“Uh, that’s great, Percy.” Harry said, not really meaning it. He could tell by the look on the Weasley brother’s faces they were not very excited about having their bossy older brother back at Hogwarts. Although Harry liked Percy, he had to admit that it was kind of a relief not having him around all last year.
Harry was suddenly driven away from his thoughts at the sound of Percy telling Katrina how wonderful Albus Dumbledore is.
“Oh, but Katrina already knows Dumbledore, very well, in fact. She’s Dumbledore’s great niece, didn’t you know?” Mr. Weasley said.
Everyone except for Mr. and Mrs. Weasley turned and stared at Katrina in disbelief. She merely took a bite of her buttermilk biscuit, pretending to ignore the surprise of the people around her.
“You really Albus Dumbledore’s niece? How? I didn’t know he had any family?” Hermione asked sounding very astonished, but very impressed.
“He has two siblings, a brother and a sister. The sister is my grandmother, Abrella Dumbledore-Figg. She never uses her maiden name.” Katrina explained.
“Oh.” said Hermione. She seemed satisfied with that answer.
“It must be really cool to have such a well known relative!” Ginny said to Katrina.
Katrina just shrugged. “It’s not that big of a deal.”
Harry was just about to ask her a question when a large regal looking hawk owl suddenly appeared over Ron’s head. The owl was wearing a pendant with the letter P engraved on it. The owl dropped a letter bearing a seal that Harry didn’t recognize. Katrina caught the letter. “Oh, it’s from my old school!” she said excitedly, tearing it open. She gasped, and dropped the message in her tomato soup.
“What is it, dear?” Mrs. Weasley asked as Katrina scooped the letter out, and furiously wiped bits of tomatoes off it.
“It’s my OWL scores! I’ve been waiting forever and ever to get my results back!” she told them.
“You’ve already taken your OWL Exam? We don’t take them ‘till fifth year at Hogwarts! Ooooo, was it hard?” Hermione squealed enthusiastically, climbing over Ginny’s lap to catch a glimpse of Katrina’s letter.
“Oh my God! You got an 18 3/4 score!” Hermione announced.
“I bet that’s really good.” Ginny said. “I don’t know anything about OWL exams, but if you toke that test, Katrina, and got that score, then it must be the best score ever.” she added staring admirelingly at Katrina.
“The best score you can get is a 20.” Percy said. His eyes were full of stars, and his voice was breathless once again. “That means Katrina did brilliantly.”
“Well, that deserves a toast.” Mr. Weasley said. He raised up his half drunken goblet of pumpkin juice. “Cheers” he said, as everyone followed suit.
Everyone took a sip of their juice. Harry thought the silence was nice because as soon as they had swallowed their juice, Hermione and Percy began to talk endlessly at the same time, raising their voices louder and louder trying to be heard. Katrina could probably not understand either one. Not the starry eyed Percy who seemed like he could faint at the prospect of eating dinner with a beautiful American witch who was Albus Dumbledore’s great niece, the first transfer student in Hogwarts history, and a scholar who received 18 3/4 OWLS. Hermione was just thrilled at the chance to get information from someone who had taken the exam, and got an almost perfect score.
Harry finished his supper without speaking, and when he was finished, he headed outside to be alone with the many thoughts swimming thru his mind. But they were not about pretty girls (whether they be Cho Chang or Katrina Figg) or even OWL exams. No, Harry’s mind kept returning to the one thing he had been fighting all day. His guilt over the fate of Cedric Diggory.