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Chapter Text

Harry Potter and the Chocolate Factory

This is the story of an ordinary young boy named Harry Potter. He lived in a small neighborhood outside of London called Godric's Hollow. His family consisted of himself, his mother, Lily Potter, his father, James Potter, his godfather, Sirius Black, and his honorary uncle, Remus Lupin. They all lived together in a small, rundown house.

The Potters were good people, and were friends with all the people of Godric's Hollow. But things were not all happiness and joy for them. You see, Godric's Hollow wasn't a very good neighborhood in terms of money. In fact, there were times when the poor families, such as the Potters, didn't have much to eat. However, the people were kind and helpful to one another, for they believed that there were just as many good days as there were bad days. And no one in Godric's Hollow believed that more than Harry Potter. Which was a very good thing, considering the fact that Harry's family was going through quite some difficult times.

Remus Lupin had been bedridden for nearly six months after coming down with a chronic illness. The Potters could afford his medicine to keep it at bay, but if it got worse, they wouldn't be able to pay for hospital treatment. But Harry helped out his family whenever he could.

It was Friday afternoon in June. Harry was just finishing up his newspaper route on his way home after school, and he was feeling much joy. Mostly because today was his first payday. He knew just what to use it for. As soon as Harry tossed the last newspaper on the next doorstep, he headed for the grocery store a few blocks down.

We'll have more than just cabbage soup with onions tonight!, he thought. Once inside the store, Harry picked out a loaf of bread, some cheese, a few apples, and five potatoes. After he paid, there was still some money left over. As he was heading home, Harry passed a small candy shop that was run by a kind elderly man named Albus Dumbledore.

At the moment, Mr. Dumbledore was passing out candy to the clambering group of children in the shop. "All right, all right, calm down, one at a time, please!", a woman named Nellie Matilda Smith said, laughing as she accepted their money and helped Mr. Dumbledore pass out their sweets. Ms. Smith usually worked at the local library, but every few weeks, she'd come to work part-time in the candy shop, too.

Dumbledore had a kind smile on his face as he gave out the paid candy. "Let's see...a Chocolate Frog for Seamus...a container of Jelly Slugs each for Fred and George...and three Toothflossing Stringmints for Hermione..." These were all candies from a famous candy maker named Holly Honeyduke.

Mr. Dumbledore stopped as he saw one of the new candy bars on a shelf. "Ah, I almost forgot! Ms. Honeyduke's just sent out a new type of chocolate bar!" He took it down and showed it to the gaggle of curious children. "This is called a Charm Choc bar!"

Hermione, ever the curious little girl, raised her hand, even though she wasn't in a classroom. "But Mr. Dumbledore, how exactly does Ms. Honeyduke create all these magical treats?"

Mr. Dumbledore gave the bushy-haired bookworm a gentle smile. "My dear girl, have you ever asked an author how they write their stories? Or ask a cook how they create their gourmet meals?

Hermione shook her head. "No, sir."

"Of course you don't!", said the eccentric old man. "They do it because they learned to do so! Of course, some people even use their natural talents to help them along the way. It's just like how Holly Honeyduke had the talent to become a Candy Wizard. And you, my dear, look like you have the talent to become a very bright young girl of your age!", he said, his blue eyes twinkling. Hermione grinned.

Mr. Dumbledore: "Who can take a sunrise,

Sprinkle it with dew,

Cover it in chocolate and a miracle or two?"

Ms. Smith: The Candy Wizard!

The Candy Wizard can!"

Mr. Dumbledore: "The Candy Wizard can, 'cause she mixes it with love & makes the world taste good!

Who can take a rainbow,

Wrap it in a sigh,

Soak it in the sun and make a perfect lemon pie?"

Children: "The Candy Wizard!"

Dumbledore: "The Candy Wizard!

The Candy Wizard can!"

Ms. Smith: "The Candy Wizard can, 'cause she mixes it with love & makes the world taste good!

Holly Honeyduke makes

Everything she bakes

Satisfying and delicious!

Talk about your childhood wishes!

You can even eat the dishes!"

Mr. Dumbledore: "Who can take tomorrow,

Dip it in a dream,

Separate the sorrow & collect up all the cream?

The Candy Wizard!"

Children: "Holly Honeyduke can!"

Dumbledore: "The Candy Wizard can!

The Candy Wizard can, 'cause she mixes it with love & makes the world taste good."

Ms. Smith: "And the world tastes good,

'Cause the Candy Wizard thinks it should!"

Harry loved chocolate, even though he barely had the chance to spend money on some. It certainly wasn't easy watching children in the store who could afford to buy candy whenever they wanted.

Should I buy something with what I have? Harry pondered. He looked through the candy-laden windows of the shop. It was tempting, but...

No, he thought firmly. My family needs this more than I do. Besides, it's my birthday in a few weeks.

Harry was turning eleven years old at the end of July. His family always made him homemade gifts, and got him a bar of his favorite chocolate. He forced himself to look away from the shop window and continue on his way home.

When he arrived, Harry opened the door of his family's small four room house (not counting the bathroom and shower) - one room for the small kitchen and dining table, one for the small bedroom for his parents, one tiny bedroom for Harry, and one bedroom with two beds, one for Sirius and one for Remus, who rarely left his, if only to use the bathroom, to eat at the table, or get a book to read.

"Hi, Mum! I'm home!" Harry called out as he entered the kitchen. Mrs. Potter, a beautiful redheaded woman with green eyes, smiled and kissed the top of her son's head as she pulled him into a warm hug. "How was school, dear?", she asked.

"It was pretty good today!" he said. "I've got something to show everyone at dinner!"

Sirius, a tall, thin man with grey eyes and long curly black hair had heard Harry come in, and gently shook his friend awake. "Remus, wake up! Harry's home!"

Remus yawned and stretched, wincing as he felt his sensitive joints crick and crack. He was a thin, bedraggled man who looked older than he really was, with sandy brown hair and amber eyes. "Did anyone get the name of the wild wolf that mauled me?", he groaned as he did his best to stretch his legs.

Sirius chuckled. "Sounds like it's about time for your next dose."

"Thank God!", Remus sighed. "I hate waking up like this!"

Harry came in almost right on cue with Remus' medicine. "Here you go, Uncle Remus. Hello, Uncle Sirius!", he said.

"Hey, sport!" said Sirius, ruffling the boy's already messy hair.

Remus managed a smile. "Thank you, Harry." He stood up, and Sirius helped him walk to the dinner table.

By now, Mr. Potter had arrived home. He and Harry looked almost identical, only James had hazel eyes while Harry's eyes were green like his mother's. "Evening, everyone!", he said, trying to be cheerful despite his hard work day.

Harry looked up from the table. "Hi, Dad!"

Mr. Potter smiled at his son and kissed his wife as they looked at their pitiful excuse of a supper.

"Soup's almost ready, darling!", Mrs. Potter said. "I don't suppose we have anything else to add...", she said as she searched the chipped wooden cabinets.

Harry stood up. "Actually, that's what I wanted to talk about!" He took out his grocery sack and laid out his purchased food.

"Harry, where did you get all that?", Mrs. Potter asked as she and Mr. Potter stared in shock.

Sirius scoffed "Why does it matter how he got it? The important thing is he got it!"

Harry beamed. "It was my first payday today! I figured we could have a better meal this time!" Then he took what was left of his money, and divided it up to give to each family member. Mr. and Mrs Potter could only smile gratefully, for their son truly had a kind and generous heart.

When Harry gave Remus his share, he tried to refuse, but Harry insisted. "From now on, I'm helping pay for your medicine." Remus looked at the money for a moment, then smiled and gave Harry a loving hug with all the strength he had.

After dinner, Mr. Potter sat down next to his son. "Harry, I found something I think you'll like!" He took out a few scraps of tin from a deformed can.

Mr. and Mrs Potter and Sirius all had to work to make ends meet. Mrs. Potter worked in a bookstore, while Sirius did odd jobs around the other neighborhoods. He needed time to help out Remus, after all. Mr. Potter worked in a local canning factory. The hours were long, and the pay was less than minimum wage. However, occasionally there were unexpected surprises. Such as today, when Mr. Potter found one empty can that had been tossed aside due to it not coming out right.

Harry's face lit up when he saw a particular roundish part of the tin. "Thank you, Dad! This is exactly what I need!" He went to one of the unused shelves and pulled down a miniature model of Holly Honeyduke's candy factory that he had made himself entirely out of tin scraps and can stickers. He took the round piece of tin, drew a little smiley face on it with a marker, and placed it on a tiny doll-like figure he had made out of pipe cleaners and toothpicks.

"Which piece is it this time, Harry?", Sirius asked as he ran the water over the dirty dishes in the sink.

"It was the head for Holly Honeyduke. Now I'm finally finished!", said Harry. He stood up and admired his model. It looked quite good, considering he had worked on it for almost four months.

"It looks amazing Harry!", Remus said "Your miniature factory is quite a likeness to the real one!"

"You think so?"

"Of course!" said Sirius, sitting next to Harry on the old couch so he was sandwiched between him and Remus. "In fact, we know so! You remember the stories we'd tell about Holly Honeyduke when you were younger?"

Harry frowned a little. "Um...I think so. But I don't remember all of them."

"That's all right. We still have a lot to tell, anyway.", said Remus. "Sirius and I did use to work for her a long time ago when we were younger"

"Yes, we did!", Sirius grinned. His eyes seemed to shine as the memories came back to him. "Of course, things were a lot better those days..."

Chapter Text

Harry eagerly listened as his uncles began to tell their stories of working for Ms. Honeyduke

"Holly Honeyduke began with a simple, yet unique candy store on Charing Cross Road. Of course, all the great ones had to start somewhere." Sirius began.

"I remember her opening day so well!" Remus added. "Right from the start, everyone could see the wonder and magic in her creations..."

Flashback

Two seventeen year old boys, Sirius and Remus, who wore purple and green striped uniforms, were putting the finishing touches on a splendid indoor chocolate display. Several other employees, including seventeen year old James Potter and seventeen year old Peter Pettigrew, a short, mousy-looking pimple-faced boy, were helping out with the rest of the wondrous displays and candies.

"Everything's ready to go, Ms. Honeyduke!" Remus said to a young woman with her back turned and standing next to an amazing creation of a beautiful tree made entirely out of candy and modeling chocolate.

"Wonderful, Mr. Lupin, very good!", said the woman. She had bright blue eyes with a creative sparkle in them, and had her light brown hair pulled up in a low bun, and wore a maroon colored top hat with a brown band. She had a ruffled lavender-colored top with a blue and silver striped bow around the collar, and a long, minty green pleated skirt with blue and gold striped stockings and dark blue formal shoes. She wore a fuschia velvet tailcoat over her outfit and carried a red and gold striped topped cane. Simply put, Ms. Honeyduke looked like she had stepped clean out of a children's storybook.

"This looks amazing, doesn't it?", James said, marveling at all the confectionery candy creations. "It's like we've walked into some kind of amazing dream!"

"Well, that's the idea, isn't it?" Ms. Honeyduke giggled. "After all, every wonderful thing in the world starts with a single dream!"

As the crowds began to gather, Ms. Honeyduke and her employees bagan to give the tour for the grand opening.

Ms. Honeyduke:

"Close your eyes and count to ten.

Make a wish, now open them.

Here's a store that's like no other!

If it were, I wouldn't bother!"

Sirius:

"Chocolate bushes!"

James:

"Chocolate trees!"

Remus:

"Chocolate flowers!"

Peter:

"And chocolate bees!"

Ms. Honeyduke:

"Chocolate memories that a girl once saved,

Before they melted away.

A world of your own!

A place to escape to!

A world of your own!

Where you can be free!"

James:

"Wherever you go!"

Remus:

"Wherever life takes you!"

Sirius:

"This is your home!"

Peter:

"A world of your own!"

Ms. Honeyduke:

"Here is the child that you left behind,

Here is the kid with the curious mind,

Here is the wonder we used to feel,

Back when the magic was real!

A world of your own!

A place to go when you're

Feeling alone, feeling unsure,

Embrace the unknown, enjoy the adventure!"

Remus:

"Let's go strolling in the clouds!"

James:

"Grab a handful, it's allowed!"

Peter:

"Clouds are made of cotton candy!"

Sirius:

"Just keep your umbrella handy!"

Ms. Honeyduke:

" 'Cause there's a hard rain gonna fall,

Humbugs, gumdrops, and aniseed balls!

Fireworks bring sugar string to chew...!

All the colors of the rainbow!

(And some others, too!)

A world of your own!

("A world of your own!")

A place to escape to!

("A place to escape to!")

A world of our own!

("A world of our own!")

Where we can be free!"

("Where we can be free!")

James:

"Wherever you go!"

("Wherever you go!)

Sirius:

"Wherever life takes you!"

("Wherever life takes you!")

Remus:

"This is our home!"

Holly Honeyduke:

"A world of our own!"

The people cheered and shouted with glee as candy was tossed out to the crowd. Chocolate frogs bounced around the floor, while Hoverchocs, Fizzing Whizzbees, and Sherbert Balls floated out of jars. Sugar quills wrote on paper by themselves, and Cauldron Cakes bubbled with multicolored potion frosting. It really was a candy store like no other. And James and his friends couldn't agree more.

End of Flashback

"Soon, people from all over the world wanted her chocolate and candy!", Sirius told Harry.

"She really was a confectionary genius!", Remus said. "Did you know she once invented a way of making ice cream so it would stay cold for hours at a time without being in the freezer? She called it No-Melt Ice Cream!"

Harry's eyes bugged out in disbelief "Blimey, no way! That's impossible! Are you sure you're not putting me on, Uncle Remus?"

Remus smiled in amusement. "I'm positive, Harry. We were there when Ms. Honeyduke announced her discovery. She even demonstrated how it worked. She left a dish of No-Melt Ice Cream near an open window on a hot sunny day, and it didn't drip or melt at all!"

"You know, Harry,", Sirius said, "Ms. Honeyduke used to say many of her inspiring quotes to us when we worked for her. One of her favorites was, "Sometimes when people say that something is impossible, it only seems that way because they believe it is."

Harry smiled. "I like that one."

Sirius continued his story. "Eventually, she decided to open a proper factory for her experiments and creations. People considered it the largest candy factory in the world!"

As they described the grand opening from a little over ten years ago, Harry could almost imagine the chocolate factory in its former glory. Nowadays, it's closed off from the public (but more on that later.). But when Mr. Potter started to describe how he and Lily were dating around that time, Harry laughed. "C'mon, dad, don't make it gross!"

Mr. Potter chuckled at his son's comment, then said to Sirius, "Tell him the one about the Bulgarian Prince, Padfoot, he might get a laugh out of that one."

Remembering that particular story, Remus said, "Oh, you mean Prince Igor Karkaroff The Second?

Sirius laughed. "Oh, yeah, I remember him, Mooney, that guy had the craziest ideas!"

"Like what?", Harry asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Well," began Sirius. "Prince Karkaroff wrote a letter to Ms. Honeyduke requesting him to come all the way to Bulgaria to build him a colossal palace made entirely out of chocolate!"

"Really?" Harry asked. "Did she agree?"

"Indeed she did.", Remus said. "She told us about it when she returned."

Flashback

Ms. Honeyduke, now wearing traditional Bulgarian clothing, stood next to a tall man with long black hair, a black goatee on his chin, and wearing expensive royal silk garments. This was Igor Karkaroff, the wealthy Prince of a kingdom in Bulgaria called Magiya. The former was holding blueprints of the Prince's new palace, which was being built on a nice wide hill near the village of Magiya.

"It will have approximately 100 rooms or more.", Ms. Honeyduke said. "And every part of it will be either dark or milk chocolate of the finest quality."

True to her word, every single part of that palace was made of chocolate, including the bricks, the cement, all the decorations, the carpets, the pictures, the windows, the furniture, even including the bed and the throne.

When the palace was finished, Prince Karkaroff was very happy. "Thank you kindly,G-zha KhuniDyuk. It is perfect in every way!"

"Yes". said Ms. Honeyduke. "But it can't last forever, so I'd advise you to start eating very soon.

But the Prince was not concerned. "Gluposti! I have no need to eat this wondrous creation now! Therefore, I intend to live in it!"

But, of course, Ms. Honeyduke turned out to be right. For many days later in Bulgaria, while the Prince's servants were feeding him Ms. Honeyduke's best chocolates in the throne room, there came a very hot summer day with a scorching sun. At first, when the palace started to drip a little, Prince Karkaroff just chuckled in amusement. But then more melted chocolate began to drip, drip, drip, and soon, the whole palace was melting down, forcing the Prince, the rest of the Royal family, and the servants to evacuate, with everyone covered in sticky melted chocolate.

End of Flashback

"So the Prince tried to send an urgent telegram requesting a new chocolate palace, but at the time, Ms. Honeyduke was facing problems of her own.", said Sirius.

"What sort of problems?", asked Harry.

Remus took over. "All the other candy and chocolate makers had grown jealous and envious of Ms. Honeyduke. So they began to recruit spies to pretend to work for her in order to pass on info for the recipes for the chocolate and candy."

"Like Wormtail.", said Harry, nodding in understanding. Despite not remembering all of the stories, he always remembered the parts with their former friend and fellow employee, Peter Pettigrew, who had double crossed Ms. Honeyduke by helping a rival candy maker, Tom Riddle. Ever since Peter had chosen his side, James, Sirius and Remus refused to call him by his true name, only referring to him as his nickname, Wormtail.

"Yes", Remus glumly replied. "And soon, quite a few candy and chocolate makers had stolen Holly Honeydukes ideas. Cornelius Fudge created an ice cream that never melted. Caractacus Burke and Alexander Borgin started making chewing gum that didn't ever lose its flavor. Then Tom Riddle came out with a new type of lollipops and suckers that you could lick for hours without them getting any smaller!"

"That's awful!" Harry gasped. He never like dishonest people, especially those who had businesses.

"The thievery go so bad that one day, Holly Honeyduke had to tell every one of her employees to go home, for she had announced that she must close her factory forever."

Harry looked confused. "But it's open right now, isn't it? You once told me it opened again when I was a year old."

Mrs. Potter looked over at her son. "Yes, that's true. But you see, Harry, sometimes when adults say "forever", they usually just mean, "a very long time."

"True.", said Remus. "Such as when I say, 'I feel like I haven't felt like my true age in forever!' "

"But the factory did close for quite a while.", said Sirius. "And it seemed like it would stay that way forever. But when the factory was back in business, people rejoiced. But none of us got our jobs back. Nobody has seen anybody going in or coming out ever since. The only things that did come out was the candy and chocolate, already packed and addressed."

"But if none of the employees got their jobs back', Harry said, 'then who are the new workers?"

"Nobody knows.", says Remus. "Not even Holly Honeyduke has been seen out of the factory. The gates are always closed."

Harry thought for a moment. "It would really be something if it was open to the public again, wouldn't it."

"Perhaps it will someday.", Mrs. Potter said. "After all, Ms. Honeyduke has proved from time to time that nothing's impossible."

In fact, though nobody would know it until the next day, the impossible was already being set in motion. As Harry got ready for bed and said goodnight to his family, he didn't notice the riders on shiny green motorbikes with a white double "H" on each side speeding through the streets outside, tacking signs on lampposts and sides of buildings...

Chapter Text

The next morning on Saturday, when Harry went out to hang with his best friends from school, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, he noticed a couple crowds of people gathering around large, brightly colored signs posted on the lamposts and the walls of stores. Harry wriggled through the moving sea of people, finding Ron and Hermione staring at one of the huge posters in awe.

"Hey, guys.", said Harry. "Um...what's going on at this hour?"

Ron grinned. "Just read the sign, mate! It's a message from Holly Honeyduke herself!"

Harry read the poster, and his eyes got bigger as he read further and further:

Dear People of the World,

I, Holly Honeyduke, have decided to open a spectacular tour of my delightful factory for seven lucky children, only seven for now, no more, and present to them amazing displays of what you once called impossible. In order to win a chance to see my factory, you must search for a rare Golden Card hidden in a Chocolate Frog package. Seven of those Golden Cards are hidden under the wrapping of seven ordinary Chocolate Frogs. Those special Cards will not be easy to find,but as long as one has a persistent spirit (and a great sweet tooth), they are sure to accomplish this goal. So good luck to you all, and happy hunting!

Sincerely,

Holly Honeyduke.

By the time Harry had finished, he was absolutely stunned.

"Isn't this amazing news?!", Hermione squealed. "No one has heard from Holly Honeyduke in nearly ten years!"

"Wouldn't it be something if someone from right here in town found one of those Cards?", Ron asked, already fantasizing himself as one of the winners.

"Yeah, it sure would be.", Harry grinned. "I wonder how often Mr. Dumbledore's store is gonna run out.", he joked.

"Well, if there's anything I've learned from history class", Hermione said. "is that when big news like this comes out to the world, things can turn upside down in a heartbeat for better or for worse."

Sure enough, Hermione was right. By the time the big news was broadcast on T.V., kids all over the world were already emptying their piggy banks, using their pocket money for Honeyduke's candy in the stores, and begging their parents for money to get a Chocolate Frog.

And it wasn't just the children, either. One famous mob of gangsters in America robbed $3,000 from a bank, and used it all to buy nearly six hundred Chocolate Frogs! When the police finally tracked down the gang to their hideout, they were all surrounded by mounds of unwrapped Chocolate Frog packages while they ripped open the rest, with hundreds of little Chocolate Frogs jumping around the floor.

Soon, It seemed like Holly Honeyduke's contest was all anyone could talk about. In Japan, several children waited eagerly for the doors of the candy stores to open. The woman at the counter seemed to fear for her safety and sanity as the opening time came and she pressed the button to let them in.

In the marketplaces of Morocco, instead of making deals and trades for their usual goods, the people were trading animals and even jewelry for Honeyduke's Chocolate Frogs. One person even traded an entire goat for a huge basket of the chocolate.

In the gourmet chocolate shops of New York City, people were crowding around a mannequin with a dress made out of Honeyduke's Chocolate packages. Eventually, the mannequin had been completely stripped of its dress. A man in a blue coat who carried an old suitcase walked by with his friend, a man with a mustache and a slight paunch.

"I don't really see what all the fuss is about, do you?", Mr. Scamander asked.

Mr. Kowalski shrugged. "I dunno. I mean, I'm a baker, so I doubt I can judge."

By the time Harry's school had let out for summer vacation, things had definitely turned upside down. Sirius and Remus were excited at the thought of Harry finding a Golden Card.

"It is fun to think about", Harry admitted. "But I only get one Honeydukes Chocolate Frog each year on my birthday."

"Well, your birthday is coming up in a couple weeks now.", Mrs. Potter said as she put away the laundry from the clothesline.

Mr. Potter ruffled his son's hair. "You've got as much of a chance as anyone else. But whatever happens, even if you don't win one, you won't be any less special to us or your friends."

Harry smiled in appreciation. "Some of my friends are betting on what the first winner will be like. Ron thinks it's going to be someone really overweight, and Neville thinks it'll be someone who'll come from a really wealthy family."

Remus and Sirius laughed. Harry knew he should be grateful for what he had now, and he was. But deep down, part of him was wondering what it would be like to explore the famous factory...

Chapter Text

A few days later, the Potters heard the news on their old T.V. about a boy in Brooklyn, New York named Dudley Dursley, who had been the first to find a Golden Card.

Several news reporters and photographers had gathered around the Dursley residence in their neighborhood. Dudley was enormously overweight and very large. He had blonde hair and blue eyes,and looked like he weighed the equivalent of a baby orca. His mother, Petunia Dursley, who had curly blond hair and was very thin and horse-like compared to him, stood proudly next to her son, while Dudley's father, Mr. Vernon Dursley, who had neatly combed black hair, a walrus-like mustache, and looked just as big as his son, if not more, stood on Dudleys opposite side in his best suit.

Dudley seemed very happy to have all this attention as he described his discovery of a Golden Card. "So I was eating the Chocolate Frog, and then I almost bite into something else that didn't taste great.", he said, though it was a little hard to understand him, as he was eating a huge bar of Honeyduke's Best Chocolate. "So I took it out of my mouth, and there it was! I can't believe I'm gonna go to a ginormous chocolate factory!"

"And how did you celebrate, Dudley?", a reporter asked.

"Uh, duh! I had an extra Honeyduke's candy for dessert!"

Mrs. Dursley beamed as she addressed the reporters. "Vernon and I just knew that our Dudders would find a Golden Card! He just loves Honeyduke's sweets and candy, and we were positive he had a better chance! He's a growing boy after all! We're both just so happy for him!"

"Ugh.", Sirius groaned as he switched off the T.V. "That was repulsive to watch."

"I'll bet that kid will stuff himself till he pops when he goes in that factory.", Remus comments.

"Looks like Ron wins the bet after all. I wonder who'll find the six cards that are left.", Harry mused.

"I'm not sure, but I'll bet things will get even more insane, now that one card has been found.", Mr. Potter said.

And insane they got. One scientist from Seattle, Washington tried to invent a computer that will give the answer as to where exactly the remaining six Golden Cards are in the world. The first answer he got from the computer was, "I can't tell, that would be cheating." When the scientist tried to bribe the computer with part of the lifetime supply of chocolate that you get from the factory, the answer was, "What would a computer do with part of a lifetime supply of chocolate?" So, out of frustration and anger, the scientist proceeded to tell that computer exactly what it should do with that lifetime supply of chocolate.

Meanwhile, in Toronto, Canada, a woman named Alyssa Zabini and her son, Blaise, were waiting anxiously in their house with the police and several detectives. Mrs. Zabini's husband, Harold, had been kidnapped and held for ransom for three days, and she was desperate to get him back somehow. The detectives eventually got a call from Mr. Zabini's captors, who told them they would return him unharmed if Mrs, Zabini gave them her case of Honeyduke's Chocolate Frogs. But when Mrs. Zabini heard this news, she was silent for a moment, then asked, "How long will they give me to think it over?"

By the time the next week came around, the winner of the second Golden Card was a boy named Draco Malfoy, who lived in a huge mansion with his wealthy parents in Wiltshire, England. Draco was a young boy with cold blue eyes and platinum blonde hair slicked back with gel. He wore an expensive-looking green shirt and black pants with a black jacket and emerald green dress shoes, and he stood proudly in front of his parents while holding his Card in both hands.

His father, Lucius Malfoy, looked very much like an older version of his son with longer hair tied back with a silk ribbon. He carried a shiny black cane topped with a silver snake head. Lucius' wife, Narcissa Malfoy, was quite a beauty, with long blonde and brown hair and an expensive emerald dress.

Mr. Malfoy spoke to the reporters in the enormous living room of their mansion. "As soon as my son told me he wanted a chance to go to that factory, I started buying up all the Honeyduke's candy and chocolate that I could get my hands on. There must've been nearly hundreds of thousands of that chocolate. As you may know, I run a very famous business for beauty and hair care products, Malefoy Beaute.I tell my workers that they can work on unwrapping and sorting the boxes of Chocolate Frogs instead of sorting out the hair care products. Unfortunately, after nearly three days, there was no luck so far. It was, simply put, awful. Draco became more upset and angry each day. Of course, It broke my heart to see my only child so unhappy. Therefore, as any parent would do, I vowed to keep up the search until I could get what he wanted. And on the fifth day, we finally found one..."

Flashback

Draco angrily stomped his foot "This isn't fair, Father! I wanted to be the first to find a Golden Card!"

"I know, Draco, we're doing the best we can now. Nearly everyone in my whole business is hunting for you!", said Mr. Malfoy. He rubbed his forehead, as he was starting to get headaches from his son's tantrums.

"Well, then where is it then?! Where's my Golden Card?!", the boy demanded.

Mr. Malfoy pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Draco, please, I'm a business owner, not a wizard! I just need time!"

"But I want it now!", the bratty little dragon whined. "What's the matter with all those stupid workers down there?!"

"They're working as hard as I can push them, son! They've already opened about 760,000 chocolates so far after almost five days!"

Draco stomped his foot again and stormed up to the other room while yelling, "But you promised I'd get it as soon as possible! If we can't find one, I'll never speak to you ever again! I never get what I want! And I won't go to school until I get it, either!" He slammed the door with all the strength that an 11 year old boy could possibly have.

Mrs. Malfoy rubbed her distraught husband's back. "I'm sure this will pass, dear. But you're going to be quite unpopular if you don't deliver your products soon."

"I know, Cissa, but I hate to see our son this way.", Mr. Malfoy said, rubbing his temples.

Before Narcissa could respond, a voice from the factory workroom yelled out "I GOT IT! I GOT IT, I FOUND IT, MR. MALFOY, HERE IT IS!" The woman was waving a Golden Card high in the air! The other workers cheered and roared with happiness as Draco ran out of the room with his father.

"It's about time, too! I want it!", Draco yelled as the worker ran down the aisle of tables and handed the card to the boy. "YES! WOO-HOO! IT'S MINE! I FOUND IT!", Draco cheered.

Mr. Malfoy sank into his chair with his wife. "Oh, Thank God for that."

Mrs. Malfoy held her husband's hand. "Well, it is happiness that counts with children."

End of Flashback.

The reporters listened with raptured attention as Mr. Malfoy described his story of finding the Card.

"Once you got the card, Draco,", one reporter asked, "how did you celebrate?"

Draco grinned and said. "Well, the next day, I asked Father for another pony, since I am in dire need of a new one."

Aghast at this impossibly spoiled child, Sirius shut off the T.V. "For the love of - He's even worse than the fat one!"

"Yes", said Harry. "But I don't think the way Draco got the ticket was very fair. I mean, at least Dudley found it by himself."

"Don't worry about it, Harry.", said Remus, who was resting on the old couch. "That man spoils his son, and no good ever comes out of spoiling children like that."

Chapter Text

Soon, it was July 31, which meant that Harry was now 11 years old. He spent some time with his friends in the afternoon, and then, in the evening after dinner, his family gave him his presents. Sirius got him a small model airplane set, while Remus gifted him his old childhood fantasy book, "The Hobbit.", that he used to read when he was Harry's age. Mrs. Potter got him a red baseball cap she had made herself with a lightning bolt on it, and Mr. Potter made him a couple animals out of clay that he and his friends made when they were young. And of course, for his birthday treat, Sirius gave Harry his yearly Honeyduke's Chocolate Frog.

At first, Harry just stared at the box for a moment, unsure what he should expect. Mr. and Mrs. Potter, along with the rest of the family, smiled as they watched him slowly start to open it.

When he stopped for a second, Mrs. Potter said, "I know it might be disappointing if you don't find the Card, Harry, but try not to dwell on it too much alright?"

"Your mother is right, Harry. Bedsides, whatever happens, you'll still have the chocolate.", Mr. Potter smiled.

Harry gave a small smile, then quickly tore off the last of the wrapping. But all that was in there was a single large Chocolate Frog with a plain purple card of a child eating a Cauldron Cake - no flash of gold in sight.

Harry quickly grabbed the Frog before it could hop away. For a while, everyone was silent.

Sirius was the first to speak. "Well...I suppose that's that."

Harry, feeling bad about getting his hopes up, couldn't bring himself to eat his chocolate in front of everyone. He broke off a piece and offered it to Sirius. "Here, Uncle Sirius. We'll share it with each other."

"Oh, no, Harry, we couldn't." Remus spoke up. "It's one of your birthday presents!"

"That's right, it's MY birthday present, so I can do what I want with it. And now I want to share it.", Harry said firmly. He broke off the other parts of the Chocolate Frog, until everyone had a piece. Each family member thanked Harry as he passed each piece out, and they all quietly enjoyed their chocolate together.

As night fell, and Harry headed up to bed, Mrs. Potter could see the hidden disappointment in his eyes as he bid everyone goodnight. A mother always knows when their child is longing, and Lily Potter knew he was starting to lose hope that he could possibly win a chance to see the factory. Yet he still longed to get that tiny, one-in-a-million-chance somehow, even though he didn't think he could.

Mrs. Potter went to Harry's room to kiss him goodnight. She saw her son clad in his pajamas and sitting on his bed, staring at a colorful drawing he had done of the factory on his wall. "Hi, Mum.", he said a little gloomily as she opened the door.

Mrs. Potter sat down on the rickety bed next to her son. "Hello, Harry." She paused for a minute, unsure what to say at first. Then she said, "I know things have been hard for you recently, what with all the commotion in the world about the factory, and I know it isn't easy to watch others who can afford candy whenever they want. All that said, we are all very proud of you for doing your best to stay positive and kind to others, despite our hardships. And I just want you to know, that even if you don't win one of the remaining Cards, you'll be no different from any of the rest of the children who didn't find them. You will still be just as special, just as wonderful, and just as loved as you are right now." She gave Harry a big hug, and kissed his forehead. "We love you, Harry. Just keep doing your best. Someday things may change."

"But when?" Harry asked, feeling a little better, but still a bit blue.

"Probably when we all least expect it." Mrs. Potter said. She gave him one more kiss and turned off his light. "Goodnight, sweetheart. Sleep well."

"Goodnight, Mum. Thank you."

As she gently shut the door, Mrs. Potter walked to the now-empty kitchen/dining room/living room, and sat down on the old couch. She sighed, knowing that she didn't know when things might change, either, but she did know one thing - they all had to stay strong and keep on moving forward.

Mrs. Potter: "You feel sorrow like everyone.

But your family can make your troubles go away,

Blow away. There they go...

Cheer up, Harry,

Give me a smile.

What happened to that smile I used to know?

Don't you know your grin has always been my sunshine?

Let that sunshine show.

Come on, Harry, no need to frown.

Deep down, you know the world is still your toy.

When the world gets heavy, never pit-a-pat 'em,

Up and at 'em, darling boy.

Some day, sweet as a song,

Harry's lucky day will come along.

Till that day, you've gotta stay strong, Harry.

Up on top is right where you belong…

Look up, Harry, you'll see a star.

Just follow it and keep your dream in view.

Pretty soon that gray sky's gonna clear up, Harry.

Cheer up, Harry, please do…

Cheer up, Harry,

And just be glad you're you…"

Lily turned off the light and headed to bed. "Someday, our luck will change." she whispered to herself. "I just know it."

Chapter Text

About a week later in August, while heading home, Harry fishes a newspaper out of the trash that someone had just tossed. The headline reads: Third Golden Card Found!

When Harry gets home, Sirius is the first to notice the paper in his hand. "All right, let's see who found one this time!"

James Potter took the paper and unfolded it. "The third Golden Card was found by Miss Rita Skeeter from Edinburgh, Scotland..."

In that very country, 12 year old Rita with curly blonde hair and fancy glasses, and her mother, who had a similar hairstyle and glasses as her daughter, stood proudly in front of the photographers and news reporters. Rita wore a neon green dress with a maroon trim and bright purple boots. Mrs. Skeeter wore a similar outfit, only with a neon green coat over a purple dress and maroon boots. They both stood in Rita's bedroom, which was filled with several awards, trophies, and medals. In total, there were 263 of them. Rita was speaking with confidence and boldness, though it wasn't easy to keep up, since she was smacking on a piece of gum as she spoke.

"Usually, I'm a gum chewer, but after hearing about this contest, I took a break from gum and switched to chocolate for a while. Now, as you can see, I'm right back on the gum! I've won several awards, including writing articles for my school paper, and taking photos for the yearbook! Believe it or not, I'm not only my mother's assistant for writing articles for the town newspaper, but I'm also the Junior World Champion Gum Chewer! This piece of gum I've got now is one that I've been chewing for at least three months solid, which is a record I set for the entire U.K.!" She gestures to a large gold trophy that had a pair of teeth clamping down on a gumball.

Mrs. Skeeter, a reporter for The Daily Prophet, smiled with pride at her daughter. "She's quite the driven young woman! For those who've read my material from the Prophet, you may know where she gets that from!"

Rita continued. "So, the invitation on the Card says that one winner is going to receive a really special prize after the tour. I say, I don't care who those other six kids are. That special prize - It's going to be mine!" She flashed them a photo worthy smile, careful to keep the gum from showing.

"What makes you so sure you'll win that prize, Rita?", one news reporter asked.

Rita's smile only grew. "Because I am a winner! And winners never back down!"

Mrs. Potter turned off the T.V. "Well, she certainly seems too confident for her own good."

"She seems perfectly beastly and a little disgusting.", said Sirius. "Why would anyone want to chew the same gum for months just to set a silly record?"

With only four tickets left, things just got crazier and crazier. Some people were even bidding money to get the last case of Chocolate Frogs in a state or city. Several candy stores were selling out of Honeyduke's candy faster and faster.

By the near end of August, the fourth Golden Card was found by a 13 year old boy named Barty Crouch Jr. in San Jose, California. His mother and father worked in a famous technology place called Silicon Valley. Barty was at the age when children began to grow distant from their parents and start to focus on other things, such as electronics. When the news reporters came to hear the story, Barty was quite annoyed that they were cutting into his "me time", which consisted of playing violent video games and watching his favorites shows.

"Alright, alright, if you want me to tell you how I got the card, will you all just shut up and leave me alone?!", he finally caved in. The reporters nodded. Barty paused his video game. "Okay, all I had to do was track the manufacturing dates offset by weather and the derivative of the Niki index. Seriously, anyone could figure it out if they knew the right codes and hacks to it. In the end, I only had to get one Chocolate Frog."

Everyone was confused, but Barty's father, Bartemius Crouch Sr., explained. "Most of the time, we don't really know what he's going on about, what with teens and their technology...It doesn't seem like they stay kids for long."

"What does your son think of going to the factory?", one reporter asked.

"Well", Mrs. Crouch said. "We don't really know. He's never been too fond of chocolate."

With that, Sirius slammed his finger on the "off" button of the T.V. "Well then, it's a good thing that ungrateful little * #$!$% #!%$ #* is going to a CHOCOLATE factory!, he yelled. Mr. Potter covered Harry's ears when his godfather started swearing in the middle of his sentence. When that was over, he sat down next to his son to read a book. Harry, who was reading The Hobbit for the second time now, asked Mr. Potter, "Dad? Why are you home early?"

Mr. Potter felt a bit uncomfortable, but he knew he had to tell the truth. "Well...The canning factory hasn't been doing so well, and they've started a layoff. I'm afraid I was one of the unlucky few."

"Oh, no, that's awful!", Harry gasped. He gave his father a hug. "But you can find work somewhere else...right?"

"I'm sure I will, Harry. Don't worry about me." Mr. Potter said. "Until I do, I'll join Sirius in helping out around town. It's going to be alright."

Mrs. Potter joined in with their hug. "Your father is right, Harry. We just need to keep our chins up. Someday, things will be better. You'll see."

Harry returned their hugs, and hoped that his parents were right. Things weren't going too well since Remus was slowly but surely getting a little bit worse...

Chapter Text

A few more days passed, and there was no news of anyone else in the world finding the last three Golden Cards yet. For a while, Harry went about his business.

Then, one day, while Remus was asleep and Mr. and Mrs. Potter were still at work, Sirius came into Harry's room. The boy looked up from his book and said, "Hi, Uncle Sirius. Is everything okay?"

Sirius just grinned and reached into his pocket. In his hand were a couple of coins and a pound note or two, just the right amount to buy candy. Harry realized that Sirius had been saving up the money he gave him on his first payday.

"I've been saving these for an occasion like this.", Sirius whispered. "You and I are going to have another chance at finding a Golden Card."

"Are you sure you want to spend your money for that, Uncle Sirius?", Harry asked.

"More than anything.", Sirius responded. He gave him the money, then said "All you need to do, Harry, is run down to the nearest candy shop and buy the first Honeyduke's Chocolate Frog that you see. Bring it straight back here, and we'll open it together!"

Harry nodded, and headed out down the street. Fifteen minutes later, he was back with a Chocolate Frog package.

Sirius could barely contain his glee as he took it. "Which end should we start with."

Harry pointed to the upper right corner of the pentagon-shaped package. "Let's just do it quick, like taking off a bandage."

Sirius and Harry both began to tear the wrapping off one edge. Then they slowly opened the box, Harry prepared to grab the frog before it could jump away.

But once again, they only saw a plain purple card, this time with a picture of a child eating a Sherbert Ball.

At first, neither of them spoke for two minutes. Then, in an attempt to feel better, Harry said, "You know, maybe the Golden Cards make the Chocolate go bad after a while. At least we have good candy to share!"

Sirius said nothing, but he did give a small smile as he hugged his wonderful godson.

By the time September rolled around, the fifth Golden Card was found by a 12 year old girl named Bellatrix Lestrange from Cherbourg, France. When the news was on T.V., it showed a girl that looked like a combination of a Goth girl and a demented-looking witch. Her long curly black hair hung loose in a mess around her head and shoulders, and she had an evil looking grin as if she was plotting something diabolical.

"I've always been a fan of Honeyduke's candies that involve pranks!", she told the news reporters. "You know, the kind that changes your looks, or even gives a good scare to an unsuspecting victim!" At this, she gave a small, yet spine-chilling cackle. "Playing tricks and pranks has always been a passion of mine! I remember when my sister Andromeda annoyed me, I'd do things like put itching powder in her underwear drawer, or sneak hot peppers or tabasco sauce in her desserts! Nowadays, I try to improve my tricks by practicing on others!" Now her laugh was even more disturbing.

Bellatrix's parents didn't seem disturbed by their daughter's behavior at all. In fact, they were convinced she was just going through a phase of exploring different types of humor. "No need to worry, it'll pass. She's quite excited to have the chance to go to this factory!", Mrs. Lestrange said. "In fact, she celebrated by mixing some of Honeyduke's candies into some kind of potion! Who knows what might come out of that -" Suddenly, there was a loud BOOM! off camera, followed by another disturbing cackle and a "Gotcha!" from Bellatrix. She had apparently made an explosive candy potion, disguised it as a harmless candy bar, and offered it to a reporter.

Ron turned off the family T.V., unsure what to think. He, Harry, and Hermione had come over to his house on the day before school started again.

"Well, this winner is...definitely something.", Hermione finally said.

"At least Fred and George only prank like that on bullies.", Ron said. "Hopefully, Ms. Honeyduke won't accept any treats from that one!"

Harry smiled. Fred and George were two of Ron's five older siblings. His sixth was his younger sister, Ginny. Right now, however, Fred and George had been busy with a mysterious job that they had gotten last week. They couldn't tell anybody what it was, for their boss had sworn them to secrecy. They promise they could reveal their secrets eventually, though.

After the first week of school, there was news that the sixth Golden Card was found by Delores Umbridge, a 12 year old girl from Newport, Wales. She did not look the most attractive, much more like a short little toad clad in pink. She had curly mousy brown hair, and a sickeningly sweet smile. The amount of pink in her dress and accessories was enough to make even a five year old girl throw up.

"I do hope to enjoy this tour of the factory!", Delores chirped happily. "I have quite the list of ways to improve Holly Honeyduke's candies and chocolate. My father used to be in the chocolate business, you see, and I picked up quite a bit from him!" She gestures to a squat man named Orford Umbridge, who stands proudly next to his daughter.

"Yes, my Delores has quite a bit of creative ideas, not just for the factory tour, but also for society! My wife, Ellen, is in the political business, and I'd say my daughter has admiring traits from both of us!"

Delores spoke again. "Mother always said that in order to be where you belong, you must do whatever it takes to bring proper order to your world!"

"Well, that was revolting!", Remus groaned as he shut off the T.V.

"I'd have to agree.", said Harry. He did not like the looks of this toad-girl one bit.

Sirius helped sit Remus up in bed as he gave him his medicine. "How's it going today, Rem?", he asked.

"Well, I feel like I got run over by a train and then by a stampede of elephants and rhinos combined, so...same as yesterday, I guess.", Remus said, his voice a little hoarse.

Sirius sighed. The doctor in Godric's Hollow could only do so much, but the hospitals in London weren't cheap.

Despite his whole body aching and throbbing, Remus did his best to smile. "Hopefully, I'll feel a little better tomorrow."

Mrs. Potter came in with Remus' dinner on a tray. He was getting so weak that he needed help walking to the bathroom. Mr. Potter had gotten enough money to buy a used wheelchair, just in case.

Harry headed to his bedroom to complete his homework. When he finished, he pondered the events of the Golden Cards. Now there was only one left. Looking out his window, he could see the factory in the distance, almost like it was calling to him.

Chapter Text

Late that night on September 29th, while Harry was in bed, the news reporter on T.V. had announced the last winner of the Golden Card.

"Yes, ladies and gentlemen of the world, the contest is finally over! The seventh and last Golden Card has been found by a boy named Gilderoy Lockhart of Sydney, Australia. The boy in question is the son of famous world adventurer, Sherman Lockhart, and professional modeler, Noria Lockhart!" A photo of an 11 year old boy with wavy blonde hair, blue eyes, and an overly-charming smile flashed on the screen.

"Unfortunately, due to their annual trip to Kangaroo Island, the Lockharts are not available to interview right now. Rest assured however, we will conduct -"

Mr. Potter shut the T.V. off. Nobody else wanted to hear the rest.

"Well, I guess that's it, then.", Mrs, Potter said, trying to sound neutral, but her face betrayed her hidden emotions.

Sirius and Remus didn't speak at first for a minute. Then, Sirius finally said, "You know, some people in town thought it was just a load of rubbish just for kids to get cavities. But it wasn't like that for us. And it was certainly more than that to Harry.", His voice broke a bit as he started to get choked up a little. "A kid like him has to have something in this cruel world to hope for! What's he got to hope for now?"

Remus sighed with melancholy. He was just as disappointed as Sirius was for losing their chance to see Holly Honeyduke and her factory one more time. "So who's going to tell him?"

"It's already 10:00.", said Mr. Potter, looking at their clock on the wall. "Let's let him sleep. He's bound to find out in the morning."

Sirius rubbed away the tears brimming in his eyes and straightened up. "Yeah, you're right. We'll let him know in the morning. He needs one last dream after all."

But unbeknownst to his family, Harry laid awake in bed with a single tear trickling down his cheek. He had heard everything. It felt like a cold splash of reality in the form of a bucket of ice water.

The next day on Friday, Harry felt like a ghost as he went about his hours at school. He took a longer walk home to clear his head. The crisp autumn breeze helped as well as he watched the red, yellow, and orange leaves fall from the trees.

Harry stopped to look at the huge gates in front of Holly Honeyduke's factory. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath through the nose, he could almost smell the chocolatey goodness coming from the tall smokestacks.

The relief was only temporary, however, as Harry continued his way home. His chance was gone, he knew that well enough. And it seemed like nothing could change that now.

But as he passed a gutter near the street, something sticking halfway out of it caught his eye.

It was a pound note! A single-pound, to be precise!

At first, Harry thought someone dropped it. But, looking closer, it looked like it had been in that gutter longer than a few minutes. So he picked it up. It was a little damp, but Harry knew it would still work to buy something. He had never had the chance to buy something of his own, but now, he knew what to do with it. It was enough to buy a candy or two.

Soon, Harry found himself walking up to the candy shop of Mr. Dumbledore.

Chapter Text

Harry opened the door of the candy shop. Mr. Dumbledore smiled, his blue eyes almost twinkling behind his reading glasses.

"Ah, hello there, Harry!", he said jovially. Harry had helped the old man around the shop once or twice. One thing for sure about Mr. Dumbledore is that he never forgets a name or a kind face.

"Hello, sir.", Harry smiled back. He looked at the candy bars laid on the shelves for a second. Then he handed Mr. Dumbledore the money. "Um...I'll have one Charm Choc Bar and one Chocolate Frog, please." He was planning to save the Chocolate Frog for later, maybe share it with Ron and Hermione next time he saw them.

Mr. Dumbledore took both down from the shelf and handed them to Harry who thanked him. "Anything else you'd like?", he asked Harry as he placed the money in his cash register and gave back the change.

"No thank you, sir.", Harry said politely as he sat down at a table to eat his chocolate bar. But he had taken no more than two bites when Mrs. Smith rushed in.

"Sorry I'm late, Mr. Dumbledore.", she gasped. "It took longer than I expected to close up."

"Quite alright, dear, think nothing of it.", Mr. Dumbledore said calmly. Mrs. Smith set a newspaper down on the table next to Harry's. What he saw on the headline blew his mind:

Seventh Card Fraud!

Apparently, Gilderoy Lockhart's parents had found out that the Card was a forgery by the boy himself.

Mrs. Smith scoffed as she glanced at the headline. "The nerve of some people."

"Yes.", said Mr. Dumbledore. "It seemed like young Lockhart decided to choose easy over right."

To say Harry was shocked was an understatement. He was flabbergasted, hornswoggled, and gobsmacked. This meant that he still had a chance! Heart pounding in his chest, Harry put down his chocolate bar and started to unwrap the Chocolate Frog. Harry caught the frog before it hopped away, and then he saw it.

A brilliant flash of gold.

Harry's heart stood still for a second.

His grin grew as he took the card, chocolate forgotten as he held it up in utter awe. It showed a moving picture of Holly Honeyduke herself, with the invitation to the factory on the back! There was no denying it - he had found the seventh last Golden Card!

Mr. Dumbledore and Mrs. Smith could only stare as Harry held the Golden Card. Then, people started to cheer and crowd around the boy. Harry was dazed as they spoke over each other.

It was Mr. Dumbledore who pulled Harry out of the crowd while Mrs. Smith held them back. "Alright, alright, that's enough, leave the kid alone!", she shouted over the din.

Mr. Dumbledore quickly led Harry outside. "Listen, Harry, you must get straight home now. Don't let anyone take that Card! Run all the way if you must, but don't stop for anything!", He sounded serious, but his eyes twinkled even more with happiness.

Harry nods, grin nearly stretching beyond his face boundaries. "Yes, sir! Thank you!" Then he turned and ran as fast as he could toward home, faster than he had ever ran in his life. He couldn't believe his luck. It was a true miracle.

Chapter Text

"MUM! DAD! SIRIUS! REMUS! I DID IT! I FOUND IT!", Harry shouted with utter joy as he shot into the house like an arrow. "THE LAST GOLDEN CARD! IT'S MINE!"

At first, everyone was speechless. Then Sirius was the first to speak. "You…you're joking, right, Harry? The contest ended yesterday."

"No, Sirius, I just learned the last one was a fake! It said so in the papers!" Harry replied. "I found some money in the gutter and used it to buy a Chocolate Frog, and I found the card inside it!"

Harry showed it to Sirius, who was in complete shock. Remus and Mr. and Mrs. Potter crowded around him to see. The card was a bright, shiny gold with a moving picture of Holly Honeyduke herself on the front. Turning it over, Sirius began to read the invitation on the back, his smile growing bigger and bigger.

Greetings to you, the lucky finder of this Golden Card! I shake you warmly by the hand, for I, Holly Honeyduke, am pleased to inform you that you have earned the right to come to my factory and be one of my seven honored guests for one whole day! Amazing sights beyond your wildest dreams await you! I shall be conducting the tour of the factory myself, showing everything there is to see. Once the day is out, you will be escorted home by a precision of large trucks, each one filled with any sort of my famous chocolate and candies that you could want! And remember, one of you seven lucky children will receive an extra special prize at the end of the tour as well. You must be present at the gates of the factory on October 1st at 10am sharp with at least one parent or guardian with you. Once again, congratulations on winning this chance of a lifetime! See you on the first of October!

Sincerely,

Holly Honeyduke

By the time Sirius had finished, he let out a loud "WHOO-HOOOOOO!" of ecstasy as he grabbed Harry's hands and danced around the room with him. "You did it, Harry! I can't believe it! MY GODSON IS GOING TO THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY!"

Mrs. Potter laughed as she tried to calm the ecstatic godfather down. Looking at the card again, she gasped in realization. "This says to come on October 1st! That's tomorrow!"

"Then there's not a moment to lose!" Mr. Potter said. "We've got to get Harry prepared! And most importantly, who will go with him?"

Without hesitation, Sirius' hand shot up. "I will! Just leave it to me! I'll take care of him!"

Remus grinned from his wheelchair. "I'd have to agree with Sirius. He probably knows more about the factory than James and I combined!"

So it was settled. But while they were preparing for the big day, several news reporters barged into the house to interview Harry, and it was nearly midnight by the time the Potters cleared them out so he could go to bed.

Before he shut his eyes, Harry looked out his window at the factory in the distance, and whispered, "I'll be seeing you and your factory soon, Ms. Honeyduke. I can't wait!"

Chapter Text

The next day, the entrance to the factory was crowded with pretty much the entire town, all eager to catch a glimpse of Holly Honeyduke when the gates were opened. Several officers held the crowd back while the seven winners of the Golden Cards stood in front of the huge gates.

Harry and Sirius looked behind them to see Mr. and Mrs. Potter in the crowd with Remus in his wheelchair. Despite his poor health condition, Remus was willing to go out to see them off.

"Do you think Ms. Honeyduke will recognize you?", Harry asked Sirius.

Sirius thought for a moment. "Well, it's been years, so I can't say for sure. But we'll see soon enough!", he said.

Draco, who was with his father, was dressed in an emerald green fall jacket with his best clothes underneath. He glared at the gates in impatience. "Father, how much longer do we have to wait here? Can't this go any faster? I want to go in!"

Mr. Malfoy wearily checked his watch. "It's 9:59, Draco. The gates will open in a minute."

Dudley was standing with his mother as he chowed down on another large Honeyduke's chocolate bar.

"Dudley, darling, try to save room for later", Mrs. Dursley said. "I think there will be plenty of chances to try some sweets today!"

Rita stood with her mother, both dressed in blue dresses with purple jackets. Mrs. Skeeter turned to her gum-chewing daughter and said quietly, "Eyes on the prize, Rita. Eyes on the prize."

Rita confidently nodded her head, determined to do what it takes.

Barty just looked bored and skeptical as he stood next to his father.

Bellatrix had her usual "evil genius" grin as she looked up at the gates. Mrs. Lestrange stood with her, not seeming to notice how diabolical her daughter looked.

Delores was not-so-discreetly staring disdainfully at her fellow winners. It was very clear that she was especially looking down on Harry and Sirius with their baggy clothes and thin coats.

Just then, the town clock chimed 10:00. The gates began to creak open slowly as everyone waited with anticipation.

Then, to Harry's surprise, two identical redhead twin boys came out of the factory. One wore a flashy orange and yellow suit, while the other wore an equally garish purple and green suit.
It was none other than Fred & George Weasley! Harry could hear Ron yell from the crowd, "Bloody hell! So that's why their jobs had to be kept secret!"

Fred & George seemed to be setting up a strange, colorful machine of instruments and fireworks. Then George (the one in the purple and green suit) turned to the fourteen people in front and said, "Will you all come forward, please?

Needing no second invitation, they all clambered forward, Draco fighting to go in first. Once the gates closed, Fred said, "We are very delighted to welcome you to Holly Honeyduke's famous factory. To properly introduce our wonderful boss, we have created a welcome song for her! We hope you enjoy it!"

The twins clapped their hands twice, and the machine sprang to life, playing a festive, yet whimsical tune that Harry couldn't help smiling at. The twins began to dance and break into an energetic song:

Holly Hon-ey-duke,

Holly Hon-ey-duke,

The amazing chocolatier!

Holly Hon-ey-duke,

Holly Hon-ey-duke,

Everybody gives three cheers!

She's modest, clever, and generous,

She barely can restrain it!

With so much cre-at-tivity,

There is no way to contain it!

(To contain it, to contain it!)

Holly Hon-ey-duke,

Holly Hon-ey-duke,

She's the one that children love to meet,

Holly Hon-ey-duke,

Holly Hon-ey-duke,

She's the genius who just can't be beat!

A candy wizard & a chocolate whiz,

The best darn girl who ever lived,

Holly Honeyduke, here she iiiiiiissss!

As soon the song ended, the instrument machine exploded in a shower of multicolored fireworks that spelled out a double H in the air. The machine disappeared with a large cushioned red throne in its place. And sitting on it was none other than….

"Holly Honeyduke!", Harry whispered. "It's really her!"

Chapter Text

When the smoke from the fireworks cleared, Harry got a better view of the middle-aged woman sitting on her throne.

She had brown hair pulled up in a loose bun that was graying a little, but the still-remaining sparkling look in her blue eyes did not go unnoticed. She wore a dark fuchsia tailcoat over her bright mint green ruffled shirt with a gold and red tie in a loose bow. She had lavender colored gloves, a long bright azure pleated skirt with purple striped stockings, and emerald green Oxford shoes. And of course, there was her dark red hat with a brown band around the brim.

In her right gloved hand, she carried her trusty red and gold striped topped cane. But as Ms. Honeyduke stood up and walked toward the fourteen guests, it seemed like she had a limp. Harry & Sirius looked worried for a minute, but Fred & George just smiled knowingly at each other.
When Ms. Honeyduke was right in front of the guests, she took off her hat. Her cane lodged into a small crevice in the ground, making her lose her grip on it as she walked. She began to fall forward…and tucked into a forward somersault, making the crowd behind the gate & the guests break into rapturous applause, Harry being the most enthusiastic.

Ms. Honeyduke smiled, curtseying as she spoke. "Thank you, thank you, you're all too kind!" When the applause died down, she looked at the fourteen people, children and parents alike. "Welcome, my dear guests, to my long-awaited opening of my stupendous factory. Would you all come forward with your Golden Cards present, please?"

Despite Draco's aggressive attempts to go first, Dudley and his mother were the first in line. He gave Ms. Honeyduke his card as he continued to eat his chocolate bar. "I'm Dudley Dursley. I really love your candy bars!", he said with a mouthful of chocolate.

Ms. Honeyduke smiled, despite how disgusting Dudley looked when he talked with his mouth full. She shook his hand and Mrs. Dursley's as she spoke. "Yes, I can see that! Welcome, welcome! Lovely to meet you, just lovely! And a pleasure to see you as well, Mrs. Dursley!"

Draco and Mr. Malfoy were next. "My name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy!", the spoiled brat said pompously.

"Why, hello there, Draco, I'm very pleased to meet you! Welcome! You look quite handsome in that stunning green jacket of yours!", Ms. Honeyduke beamed. After shaking Draco's hand, she moved on to his father. "And Mr. Malfoy! There is absolutely no doubt you're his father, is there?", she said. Mr. Malfoy seemed to stand a bit taller hearing that, even though that comment could mean several things….

Next was Rita Skeeter and her mother. When she came up to Ms. Honeyduke and handed in her Golden Card, she didn't shake her hand. Instead, she gave the older woman a big hug! Ms. Honeyduke showed a bit of surprise for a second, but she quickly recovered as the young girl let go and said, "Hello, Ms. Honeyduke! My name is Rita Skeeter!"

"Well, aren't you just a darling child! Welcome to my factory! And this must be Mrs. Skeeter of The Daily Prophet!" Ms. Honeyduke shook both their hands.
Before Rita left to join the others, she added, "Not to pry or anything, Ms. Honeyduke, but I do hope I have a sporting chance to win the secret prize at the end of this tour!"

"Well, you do have quite the confidence, and in some cases like this, confidence is key to winners.", Ms. Honeyduke replies.
Rita beamed as her mother gave her a thumbs-up.

Then there was Barty and Mr. Crouch Sr. The boy looked very bored and uninterested as he handed Ms. Honeyduke his Golden Card. "Name's Barty Crouch Jr."

"Ah, yes, you're the one who "cracked the system", as the saying goes!", Ms. Honeyduke chuckles. "Congratulations!" She shook both their hands and moved on to Bellatrix and Mrs. Lestrange.

"Bonjour! I'm Bellatrix Lestrange!", the girl said, doing her best to look sweet and innocent, but failing miserably. She handed Ms. Honeyduke a toffee candy wrapped in sparkling paper. "Do you like toffees? I made them myself!"

"Why thank you, dearie! I never say no to free candy!", Ms. Honeyduke replied. But to Bellatrix's disappointment, she put it in her coat pocket instead of eating it right away. "I'll save this for later, maybe during the tour!"

Then came Delores and Mr. Umbridge, who both seemed very stuck up as they handed in her Card. But Ms. Honeyduke's smile did not fade in the slightest as she greeted them & shook their hands.

Finally, Harry came forward with Sirius. "My name is Harry Potter! I'm excited to be here, Ms. Honeyduke! This is my godfather, Sirius Black!"

Ms. Honeyduke's mouth gaped open as she got a full view of her former employee. She shook his hand very tightly at a quick pace. "As I live and breathe, Sirius Black! Welcome back to my factory, welcome! I am just overjoyed! And Harry Potter! I read all about your lucky find in the papers yesterday! News spreads around fast, you know!" She winked as she shook Harry's hand, making him smile bigger.

Once that was all done with, everyone behind the gates cheered once again as they headed into the factory.

Inside, the fourteen guests were led over to a large coat room. Instead of hooks, there were golden metal hands on the walls. To everyone's surprise, when they took off their jackets and coats, the hands seem to come to life as they grabbed the articles of clothing!

"No need to be alarmed! There's little surprises in every room, but nothing dangerous or life-threatening as long as you listen to me on what to do or what not to do! No need to worry!", Ms. Honeyduke advised. She headed out of the coat room, and everyone followed her through a large hallway. "Now, keep together, please! The first part of the tour is about to begin!", she said. Fred & George were dismissed to another part of the factory.
The brightly-colored hallway seemed very long and huge, but as they came closer to the end, they all had to crouch down to see the tiny door, which only stood at three inches tall!

"Now, this is one of the very important rooms! After all, this is a chocolate factory!", said Ms. Honeyduke.

Barty scoffed in disbelief."If it's so important, then why's the door so tiny?"

"You're not squeezing me through that little thing!", Delores protested.

"Now, now, children, no need to get your head in a twist about size!", Ms. Honeyduke replied. She reached into another one of her coat pockets, coming out with fourteen tiny vials of bright green liquid. "This is one of the magical potions I make with some of my especially rare candies! It's called a Shrinking Solution!"

Harry's eyes widen with realization. "Like the "Drink Me" potion from Alice in Wonderland!"

Ms. Honeyduke grinned. "Precisely!" She gave everyone one vial each. "Everyone just gulp it all down! No need to fret about the taste, I happen to taste lemon lime whenever I use it!"

Some of the grown-ups were a little unsure, but there was no sign of the potion be in some kind of poison. As soon as they all drank it down, they shrunk until they were all the exact size to fit through the door! Harry noted that their clothes shrunk as well, similar to when Alice drank her potion in the story.

Once that was done, Ms. Honeyduke took out a key ring that seemed to have shrunk with her, and used the smallest key to unlock the door. "Ladies and gentlemen, boys & girls, I give you….The Chocolate & Candy Forest!"

Chapter Text

As soon as the children & parents all stepped through the tiny door, everyone grew back to their normal sizes. Harry and the rest of the children looked on in awe as they got a full view of the beautiful valley & meadow made entirely out of candy.
There were multicolored trees made out different flavored candy or having candy apples growing on their branches and flowers & mushrooms made of sugar & chocolate. Cotton candy grew from pink bushes, and the grass smelled minty, yet sweet. Other candy plants & fruit, such as chocolate-covered strawberries & candy pumpkins sprouted from the ground. A large river flowed through the meadow that was made of hot melted chocolate with a huge waterfall. Nearby, a set of different sized pipes moved from the ceiling. Ms. Honeyduke gave a peaceful smile as she led the way through the meadow of wonder. "Now, do be careful, dear children. Don't lose your heads or get overexcited. Just keep calm and follow my lead.“

Ms. Honeyduke:"Hold your breath.

Make a wish.

Count to three.

Come with me,

And you'll be

In a world of pure imagination!

Take a look,

And you'll see

Into your imagination."

Ms. Honeyduke led the group over a hill that arched over the chocolate river. She gestured for them to try a flower or a blade of grass. Harry picked a yellow buttercup & took a bite. To his surprise, it tasted wonderful! It was like a candy version of butterscotch ripple, only better.
Ms. Honeyduke continued throughout the valley, swinging around a candy tree trunk as she sang.

Ms. Honeyduke:"We'll begin

With a spin,

Traveling in the world of my creation!

What we'll see will defy

Explanation!

If you want to view paradise,

Then simply look around

And view it!

Anything you want to, do it!

Want to change the world?

There's nothing to it!"

Ms. Honeyduke turned to everyone else and said one simple word:

"Enjoy!"

Dudley immediately waddles off to the chocolate trees and the whipped cream plants. Barty decides to pretend to attack the candy pumpkins as if they were zombies from his video games. Bellatrix finds little gummy bears growing off one of the bushes. Draco goes over to a giant strawberry lemonade candy mushroom. Delores finds a pink carnation to try, and Harry goes to try a caramel apple from one of the trees. But before he can grab it, Rita takes it first. Before taking a bite, she takes out her world-record piece of gum and sticks it behind her ear.

Trying not to look disgusted in front of her, Harry asks, "Why hold onto it if you've already set a record? Why not start on a new piece?"

Rita scoffs. "Well, obviously, if I did that, I wouldn't be a champion. I'd probably be a naive loser, like you." She takes a bite of the apple and saunters off.

Sirius joins Harry's side and gives him another caramel apple. "Don't listen to her, kiddo. Kids like her don't know the difference from being a true winner and being a disgusting show-off."

Harry smiles at his godfather as they go off to explore more of the candy forest.

Ms. Honeyduke sits down and sips gold liquid candy from a daffodil.

Ms. Honeyduke: "There is no life I know

To compare with pure imagination!

Living there, you'll be free,

If you truly wish to be!"

She stands up and begins to explain the ways of the Chocolate & Candy Forest.
"My waterfall is a very important part of the Chocolate River. If you look close enough, it's actually mixing my chocolate and churning it up. Take note that no other chocolate factory in the entire world mixes its chocolate by waterfall!" Her voice lowered to a conspicuous whisper. "But it's the only way to do so if you want it just right."

Then Ms. Honeyduke turns to the pipes from the ceiling. "These pipes, however are especially important. They suck up the chocolate from the river and carry it all around the factory to different parts and rooms!"

Draco turned to get a lime-flavored lollipop from a candy tree, but then he saw something quite peculiar. A tiny, impish-like creature with pointy ears wearing a green work uniform was picking candy from a bush near the waterfall.
"Father, look at that!", he said "It looks like a little elf or something!"

Mr. Malfoy looked on in fascination, as did everyone else. In fact there were more of them harvesting candy & chocolate fruit and a couple of them picking candy apples from a tree.

Barty looked a bit skeptical. "Are they even real?"

Holly Honeyduke looked slightly offended. "Well, of course they are!"

Delores and her father weren't buying it. "Stuff and nonsense!", Mr Umbridge scoffed.

"Actually, they're House-Elves.", Ms. Honeyduke said. "Imported directly from a forest in Scotland!"

Harry listened with surprise as Ms. Honeyduke began to tell her story of how she met the House-Elves. He was certain this tour was like no other.

Chapter Text

Everyone listened closely as Ms. Honeyduke spoke about the mysterious House-Elves.

She pulled up an intricate map of where they lived. "Now, these elves are imported directly from a deep, dark forest near a ruin in Scotland…", she began.

However, Ms. Lestrange interrupted. "I don't recall there being such a place in that particular area."

Ms. Honeyduke looked over at her. "I'm sorry?"

"You see, Ms. Honeyduke, I teach high school geography back in France, and -"

Ms. Honeyduke smiled. "Ah, yes, of course! You wouldn't know about it because I happened to be the very first person to discover it! About 10 years ago, shortly after my factory started up again, I set off on a globe-trotting journey for inspiration on my next step to improving my factory. That, my dear friends, is how I happened upon what I call the Forbidden Forest…"

Flashback

A slightly younger Holly Honeyduke cuts her way through the thick plants and thorny bushes of the Forbidden Forest. The whole place was filled with skyscraper-high trees, inhospitable weather, and the most terrifying bests she had thought she would only encounter in books of fantasy & mythology. There were Manticores, Kappas, Nundus, Kelpies, Trolls, Red Caps, Grindylows, Dementors, Quintapeds, and those horrible Acromantulas. But Ms. Honeyduke's journey wasn't all dangerous, for she had found several useful magical plants that would do for great potion ingredients for her candy.

On the fourth day of her travels, she encountered a village of treehouses that housed the large tribe of House-Elves. They had to work together as a tribe to keep from getting eaten or killed by the vicious beasts from below. And right now, the tribe was under attack! A huge stampede of Acromantulas were thundering through the forest, for a malicious Manticore had invaded their territory. Without hesitation, Ms. Honeyduke did her best to help protect the tribe. Unfortunately, in all the commotion, a huge, angry Acromantula bit her leg, causing her to black out.

Luckily, the leader of the House Elves, an elderly elf named Kreacher, was able to chase it off with his magic. Once they were able to chase them all off, Kreacher took charge in helping the injured human woman. He magically removed any remaining Acromantula venom on the wound and bandaged her leg tenderly.

"Dobby, Winky!", he barks as several Elves magically levitate the unconscious Ms. Honeyduke onto a makeshift stretcher. "Take the injured human to our Healer Elf! She is weakening very quickly!"
The two Elves, Dobby & Winky, do as they're told as they help another elderly Elf, Hokey, lift the stretcher and take Ms. Honeyduke to the medical wing of one of the treehouses.

When Ms. Honeyduke awoke, she is a bit confused to find herself on a makeshift bed in a treehouse, but Dobby, ever the cheerful one, explains everything.

"Dobby is happy to see you awake, miss! Yous was bitten by horrid huge spider, but our great leader, Kreacher, saved you, miss! How is your leg feeling?"

Ms. Honeyduke smiles as she tests out her leg. "Quite better, thank you, Dobby. I must thank your leader for his service!"

Winky appears in the treehouse next to Dobby. "I am Winky. Kreacher says yous must rest for a few days, miss. How is your leg now?"

"Hello, Winky! My name is Holly Honeyduke! My leg is feeling better now, thank you!", Ms. Honeyduke responded. She enjoys the elves company, and is very grateful to Kreacher and the rest of them for saving her life.

As a few days go by, Ms. Honeyduke learns about the Elves and how their lives in the Forest is often perilous and difficult due to their limited resources, the dangerous beasts, and the strength they must regain after they use large amounts of their magic.

That's when she gets an idea. "Perhaps I could repay my debt to all of you! You see, I run a factory in England, but I am in need of workers at the moment. I've seen your…questionable living conditions out in this place, and I believe that you would be quite helpful with your magic and teamwork!"

Kreacher was unsure at first, but he had to admit, this did seem like a great once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Plus, the entire tribe was quite intrigued to see the world outside of the dark, gloomy, dangerous Forbidden Forest. So Kreacher and Ms. Honeyduke shook hands and the deal was made.

End of Flashback

"So the entire tribe agreed to come with me. They certainly enjoy life in my factory much better than in that awful Forest!", Ms. Honeyduke said. "They are such wonderful workers! Sometimes, their wages can be spendable and edible!", she laughed, winking. "Of course, their magic is quite useful when it comes to their jobs. I must tell you, however, they also like to play music and sing songs! Sometimes they make up their own words for lyrics, like 'Oompa-Loompa'!" She laughs at that. "Never fails to amuse me, those wonderful House-Elves!"

Draco spoke up. "Father, I want a House-Elf! I want it to work for me like the servants back at home!"

Mr. Malfoy sighs. "Alright, alright, my son, I'll find a way to get you one before the day is out."

"But I want a House-Elf now!", Draco whines.

"Aw, shut your yap!", Barty groans.

Nobody noticed Dudley wandering off through the candy valley. Now he was at the edge of the chocolate river, scooping warm melted chocolate into his greedy mouth.